Finding peace on life’s whitewater rapids

Names of God

Several years ago, my youngest daughter and her husband gifted me and her dad with a whitewater rafting experience led by a professional guide. Before embarking on our adventure, the guide taught us how to row in response to various scenarios we might encounter. Then he provided us with wetsuits and helmets. “Put these on,” he said. “You’ll need them.” Our excursion began with the river carrying us at a comfortable pace. The guide stood, relaxed at the stern, using his oar as a rudder. The other five passengers and I knelt and paddled as instructed. All went well until it didn’t. The river gathered speed. The rapids rallied strength. My thoughts mustered fear. What if we slam into rocks? What if we spill? What if I drown?

Peace: Our Souls Crave It

Life’s like that: circumstances change in a heartbeat. One minute we’re feeling peaceful; the next, we’re feeling panicked. Anxiety breeds what-if thoughts, and we imagine the worst possible outcome. In a world that grows more chaotic by the day, inner peace seems unattainable, and yet we find hope in Jesus’s words: “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 NLT).

The prophet Isaiah offers assurance, too: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT) Based on God’s Word, we know inner peace amid conflict is possible. I’ve experienced it at various times in my faith journey, but here’s the thing – along the way, I’ve discovered that the depth of peace I’ve known is directly related to my understanding of the truth about who God is. I’ve also discovered that understanding the meanings of God’s Hebrew names is a great way to learn more about what He’s like. Exploring them is like gearing ourselves up for life’s white-knuckle, whitewater rafting adventures. Here are three examples of God’s biblical names that, when understood and applied, bring the inner peace Jesus promised.

Yahweh Shalom – “the LORD is peace” (Judges 6:24). When God introduced Himself as Yahweh to Moses at the burning bush, He identified Himself as “I AM WHO I AM.” This infers that He depends on no one for His existence. He needs nothing to sustain Him. He doesn’t need education and life experiences to shape Him. He is who He is – almighty, eternal, unchanging, and infinitely more – because He is God. Talk about divine credentials! Shalom denotes wholeness, wellness, harmony, and balance. Not to be confused with happiness, which depends on circumstances, shalom infers contentment regardless of circumstances.  When the two names combine, Yahweh Shalom declares “I AM WHO I AM” as our source of peace. We can search for peace in position, possessions, and pleasures, but because of who He is, only God satisfies our soul’s need for peace when life sends us down wild rapids.

El Shaddai – “God Almighty” (Genesis 17:1) This name describes God as all-sufficient. The impossible is possible for Him because He is more than enough to meet every challenge. No need is too great, and no obstacle is too big for El Shaddai.  There’s only one problem: we don’t experience the scope of El Shaddai’s power when we’re leisurely floating downstream. We see it best when we’re in crisis – when the waters rise and the rapids surge. “Those are the most effective times for Him to reveal to us His ability and desire to deliver us,” wrote pastor David Wilkerson. I knew our rafting guide was skilled from the moment he began giving instructions about how to row, but his strength and expertise shone when the rapids turned rough. So it is with El Shaddai. His power shines best in our problems. When we learn to trust Him there, we experience His promised peace.

Immanuel – “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14) On my rafting adventure, the guide’s presence brought peace to my anxious thoughts. He stayed with us from beginning to end, until we reached our destination. How much more ought the truth about God’s presence with us bring peace when we feel panicked? The guide was paid to do his job, but God is with us because He loves us. He accompanies us every moment of every day until we reach heaven. When we feel alone, let’s recall His promise: “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT).

Sooner or later, we’ll hit whitewater rapids on this river of life. When we do, let’s remember who God is as manifest through His names, and panic will turn to peace.

Grace Fox is a popular speaker at women’s events, a member of the First 5 Bible study writing team (Proverbs 31 Ministries), and the award-winning author of 15 books. She lives on a sailboat fulltime in Richmond, BC. Her new Bible study, Names of God: Knowing Peace, is available wherever Christian books are sold. www.gracefox.com