Peace That Can't Be Offended
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165 (KJV)
According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the word peace in this verse is shalom, which means happy, safe, well, friendly, peace, completeness, to be whole. Peace is to be comfortable with someone, speaking of a relationship of harmony and wholeness. It refers to a harmonious state of soul and mind and is experienced both externally and internally. Peace comes from God. He is Jehovah Shalom; the Lord Our Peace- or Yahweh Shalom; the Lord is Peace.
The word offend, according to Strong’s, is the Hebrew word mikshowl, which means stumblingblock, obstacle, enticement, an idol, scruple, offense, ruins. One can stumble over that which causes one to stumble morally, that is to sin. It means to cause people to fall to their ruin.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Ephesians 2:14 (KJV) emphasis mine
Why am I bringing out these word meanings? Peace, which is the Lord Jesus Himself, is our inheritance. Therefore, all the definitions of shalom are ours as we choose to remain at peace in the Lord. As we abide in Jesus our Peace, nothing can cause us to stumble or to fall and fail permanently. Love, which comes from Jesus, our Peace, makes us unoffendable. For example, at the crucifixion, Jesus was not offended- love overcomes all offense.
If the enemy can steal our peace through offense, he robs us of all that Peace is- health, happiness, prosperity, and so on. We won’t be friendly or at ease. He chips away until nothing is left of all that peace is and all it provides. The real goal of the enemy using offense is to cause us to stumble and fall away from the Lord, for peace protects us from stumbling and fall away.
Jesus is our peace. It is important that we keep our peace so we can be at ease and nothing bothers us. It is a moment-by-moment, thought-by-thought, word-by-word decision. As we choose correct responses and actions by staying focused on the Lord our Peace, we’ll see that He is greater than the offense, aggravation, injustice, mistreatment or disappointment. The more we love God’s Law (His Word), the more we will be at peace. As we rest in God’s Word, which is Jesus, believing all His promises, we remain at peace and nothing can cause us to fall.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
