Yehovah Shammah

In Ezekiel 48.35 we meet the Lord Who is there

Yehovah-Shammah means “Yehovah is there”

This was a symbolic name for Jerusalem.

The Lord has not abandoned Jerusalem, leaving it in ruins, but that there will be a restoration.

There is one reference to Yehovah Shammah in Ezekiel 48.35.

Israel is in captivity in Babylon, and Jerusalem and the Temple are in ruins.

God promised that His people and the temple would be restored.

“And the name of the city from that day shall be, “The Lord is There.”

They felt forsaken and cut off, but had the promise that, “The Lord is There.”

Do you feel forsaken or abandoned?

The Lord is There!

He is the God who is with us in the valley; in difficulty, He is There!

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is interpreted as, God with us.

Emmanuel, God with us, God’s presence is in us, bringing life.

In Revelation 21.3, John equates the Heavenly New Jerusalem to “the Lord is There”.

“Behold, the dwelling place God is with men and, and He will dwell with them.”

God the Father Himself will be with us!

His light and presence are in the Heavenly Jerusalem and we are carriers of His presence.

In Matthew 28.20 Jesus promises us that, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Let us not forget that God is on our side.

Some today believe that God has abandoned us; let us not believe that lie, but know that God is with us and for us!

God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.

He is there for us and present to help us!

Though the earth be removed and the mountains thrown into the heart of the sea, the Lord of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge and our strength! Psalm 46.1-2

Deuteronomy 31.6 – The Lord your God is the one who goes with you, He will not fail you or forsake you.

God wants us to experience His presence at all times.   

We don’t go through life alone, He is our companion.

God’s presence brings peace.

The God of Israel is our fortress in chaos.

He is always present with His people.

He is present where His name is honoured.

Our peace, safety and protection are in His presence.

We are guaranteed His presence, when we seek Him, we will find Him, He will be there.

When I turned my face to Him and prayed on my sofa the day I got saved, He was there, He did not hide Himself, but showed up when I sought Him.

When He is invited, He comes, He is just waiting for an opportunity!

Oh, praise God that He is always there!  

In Ezekiel 10.18 God’s presence leaves the temple.

In Ezekiel 43.1-5 God’s presence returns.

In Ezekiel 48.35 He renames the city “God is There.”

No longer abandoned, He returns.

We see a picture of the restoration of Eden, of God’s presence in the garden.

The river flows from Jerusalem and brings the Dead Sea and everything in its path to life.

God’s presence brings everything to life!

He turns the desert into a garden, the Garden of the Lord!

He does the same in our lives.

His presence in us brings life as we find constant pleasure in His company, as we abide in Him, He brings us life, peace and joy.

His Presence Goes with Us

His presence is the necessary equipment we need for the mission assigned to us, wherever we are called.

The Holy Spirit equips us for His purpose.

We must cherish His presence, thirst for Him.

The Holy Spirit is a deposit, we must have a hunger and thirst for more of His presence.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5.6.

His presence is everything we need, with unlimited supply.

Do we want God, or His blessing?

Don’t trade God’s presence, His abiding Spirit, to get His blessings.

Don’t make blessings an idol, seeking them instead of Him.

Abide in His presence and respond to the beauty of His holiness.

Be God-conscious, not self-conscious.

When God is with us, victory is guaranteed, He is the One fighting our enemies for us.

Matthew 28.18-20 – God has all authority and gives us the authority to go in His name.

He is with us and goes ahead of us.

He is omni-present.

Even in the wilderness, God is with us.

In the wilderness, God sent a raven to feed Elijah, He did not leave him alone in the desert to starve. Then He made Elijah a blessing to save others. (1 Kings 17.2-24)

He can meet us where we may not expect Him, He can still surprise us, by what He can do and where He shows up.

Don’t put limits on who God is, He can still astonish us.

Isaiah 43.1-2 – “Fear not, you are mine, I have redeemed you, when you pass through the waters I will be with you.”

God is not an absentee father.

He is with us when we go through trouble and adversity.

He gives us protection, direction and provision with His presence.

God has got us covered.

He brings us out of a narrow place, a difficult spot, where our backs are to the wall, into a place full of God’s blessing.

In uncomfortable situations, He is with us.

Just like He was with Corrie and Betsy Ten Boom in the prison camps, He is also with us.   

They had one who was with them, in the worst place imaginable, He was there.

Having stood for and paid the price of righteousness, God was with them.

In John 14.16-17 Jesus tells us, “I will give you another Helper. For He dwells with you and will be in you.”

He takes up residence in us, He moves in with us!

He is a permanent resident.

1 John 4.4 – He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

God is in us and is greater than anything or anyone that we may face, to deliver us.

We are assured of His presence.

Joshua 1.5 – “I will be with you, I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and be of good courage.”

The Holy Spirit’s indwelling is how we are all able to have a relationship with God, who promises to be with us throughout our life and eternity, if we will open the door to Him.

He is there knocking, will we answer Him?