JEHOVAH SHAMMAH Part 2

The meaning of God's name, Jehovah Shammah, promises in Ezekiel 48:35 that His Presence would be with us.  

As a born again believer, His presence is always with us because WE are now the temple where God lives.  He is alive in us...He is there.

There is a deep spiritual hunger in each of our hearts that can only be satisfied by the presence of God Himself. God’s presence brings to us a culmination of all that He is.  Let’s look at a few of these attributes.

1. PEACE..John 14:27  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.   

2. WISDOM...James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

3. DIRECTION...Psalm 37:23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail.

4. FAVOR...Psalm 5:12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.

5. GRACE...2 Corinthians 12:9  My grace (undeserved favor and divine influence on your heart) is sufficient for you.

6. POWER...2 Timothy 1:7   For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

7. JOY...John 15:11  I have told you these things so My joy may be in you and your joy may be full.

Scripture is clear that all of life is about being in God’s relational presence.  This is why David proclaims in Psalms 16:11, “in Your presence there is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore”  

The presence of God brings life.  His presence will take you through every situation you face.  What a privilege it is to have God’s presence in your life!

Father, I pray Ephesians 3:17-19: Christ may dwell in our hearts through our faith.  And may we, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love,  be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love];  and [that we may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that we may be filled up [throughout our being] to all the fullness of God [so that we may have the richest experience of God’s presence in our lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

JEHOVAH SHAMMAH

Our relationship with God grows as we begin to learn about, and know Who God is.  God reveals facets of His nature and character through His name. Jehovah Shammah means “God is there”.

 This name is first found in Ezekiel 48:35, “and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.”  God was promising His people that He would be there in a new temple that was to be built.  God’s heart is the same today. He desires to have a relationship with His creation, to be there.  God no longer needs temples made of stone, because as born again believers, WE are now the temple where God lives.  No matter where you are, God is there. He will not leave you because His presence is with you. We are told in 1st Corinthians 3:16, “ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”   In 2nd Corinthians 6:16 God says, “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  

Jehovah Shammah is here with you and in you.  When our circumstances seem impossible, we must remember God is right there with us.   

In Daniel chapter 3, three Jewish men, who were being held captive, were ordered to bow and worship a golden idol.  Because they refused to worship another god, the king vowed to throw them into a fiery furnace. The men responded by saying in Daniel 3:16-18, “ We do not need to defend ourselves before you.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us.  He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty, but even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”  The king was so angry, he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. The three men were bound, thrown into the furnace, and fell into the midst of the fire (Daniel 3:19-23). When the king looked into the fire, this is what he saw: verse 25:  “Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”  Verse 27 goes on to say, “they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed, nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.”   Jehovah Shammah was there with them as they were going through the fire.

Are you going through a situation, like the three Jewish men, that may look as though it is impossible? When you are surrounded by difficult circumstances, know that Jehovah Shammah is there with you. You are not alone.

Father, thank You for always being with us and never leaving us alone.  I pray that we would continue to have revelation of how powerful your presence is in our lives.

JEHOVAH SHALOM Part3

In Ephesians 6:11 Paul encourages us to, “ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”  He continues in verse 15 by saying, “and having shod your feet (put on shoes) with the preparation of the gospel of peace.“  In the Greek, preparation is defined as a solid foundation and peace is defined as: a state of rest, quietness, calmness, absence of strife, or a peace that rules in all situations.

 Paul is telling us to put on shoes of peace, which come from God, so that we will be fully prepared to face life’s challenges. He is comparing peace to the shoe the Roman soldiers wore in battle.  This shoe consisted of two parts, the greave and the shoe itself. The greave was a metal tube which began at the knee and extended down the length of the leg, ending at the upper portion of the foot.  It completely shielded the lower leg from being bruised, cut, or broken. The greave was a defensive weapon which protected the soldier and kept him from being vulnerable to attacks. Like the greave, God’s peace protects your mind and emotions from fears which could make you defenseless by weakening your faith. God's peace is a divine weapon that will insulate you from satan’s attacks and enable you to navigate successfully through every situation in life.

On the bottom of the soldier’s shoes were spikes which were one to three inches in length.  As the soldiers stood ready for battle, the spikes in his shoes were planted firmly into the earth allowing them to stand their ground.  Similar to these spikes, the supernatural peace of God causes you to: stand firm, be immovable, and hold in place.

Philippians 4:7 portrays a promise to all believers.  “And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is YOURS].”

We do not have to live a life full of chaos, confusion, and fear.  As we surrender our life to God and begin to trust in Him completely, His peace will guard our hearts and minds.

Father, I thank You for Your gift of peace. Help us to trust you in all things and surrender all that we are to you.