John 20:19-20 "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."

Why were the doors shut? "For fear of the Jews". Fear will always try and shut you up, close you in, and restrict you in every way. It will try to stop you, keep you from moving forward, and from breaking free of all limitations. But be encouraged, fear did not stop Jesus when He found His disciples gathered together, behind closed doors, and it can't stop you. He came and stood in the midst of their fear.

And what was the very first word the resurrected Jesus said to His frightened disciples? In our English bibles, it says "peace be with you", but our Lord would have spoken in Hebrew. He would have used the word shalom. Shalom is taken from the root word shalam, which means, “to be safe in mind, body, or estate.” It speaks of completeness, fullness, or a type of wholeness that encourages you to give back.

"Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side." These were the receipts of His payment for their shalom, and of His guaranteed peace. Jesus paid the price for your shalom. You don't have to be full of worries and cares. For every fearful and threatening situation in your life, you can declare the same thing that Jesus said to His disciples, "shalom". Fear can't shut you up, unless you let it. So don't let it. Shalom.