Naming the Place of Peace

Gideon’s altar was built in the middle of his fear, not after the battle was won. Hiding from enemies and convinced of his weakness, Gideon was an unlikely hero. But God called him “mighty warrior” and promised His presence. Overwhelmed but comforted, Gideon built an altar and named it: The Lord Is Peace. He hadn’t seen victory yet, but peace had found him in the chaos.

God must have known the havoc that fear and anxiety would cause humanity because one of the names He wants us to know Him by is Prince Of Peace. He doesn’t just want us to experience a calm feeling; He wants us to experience His presence. From the start, before we ever had a thing to worry about, God wanted us to know that we’d find peace in a relationship with Him.

Maybe you’ve experienced that peace in His presence before: a calm that made no sense, or a quiet assurance that you weren’t alone even when nothing around you changed. We often imagine peace as the absence of conflict or the resolution of tension, but God shows us it’s much more. His peace doesn’t wait for the storm to pass. It steps into the middle of our fear and holds us steady.

Gideon’s story is a reminder that peace isn’t waiting on the other side of what you’re going through; it’s available to you right now. As a child of God, you don’t have to hide and wish away the situation; you can invite God’s presence into it. Sometimes the altar we build isn’t about what’s ended but about what God’s given us in the middle of it all. That place, where fear meets peace, deserves a name.

Make it personal

What chaos are you facing today that needs God’s presence? Maybe you have a lingering fear or anxiety about something, and it’s kept you hiding like Gideon. Spend some time in solitude, alone with God, and invite Him there. When His peace comes, give that holy place a name.