Jehovah-Shammah

Jehovah-Shammah

“The Lord Is There”

My Bible; My help; My hope

Psalm 139:7 -10(ESV)

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Introduction

For the past few weeks, we have been talking about the names of God.

Jehovah Rapha-The Lord our Healer

Jehovah Shalom-The Lord our Peace

Jehovah Rohi-The Lord our Shepherd

Today we are going to talk about Jehovah Shammah-The Lord is There.

The Psalmist asks two questions in Psalm 139:7.

He asks, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?"

These are rhetorical questions, of course.

The Psalmist is not asking where he can escape from God, but rather affirming that there is no place, no circumstance, where God is not.

As we engage with this powerful scripture today, we will affirm the omnipresence of God, encounter God in every circumstance, and experience the unfailing presence of Jehovah-Shammah.

We will not just intellectually understand these truths, but we will feel them, deep in our hearts, in the marrow of our bones.

We will know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are not alone.

God’s Omnipresence

The omnipresence of God is a fundamental truth that we find woven throughout the tapestry of Scripture.

It's a truth that's as comforting as it is profound.

It's the assurance that no matter where we are, no matter what we're going through, God is there with us.

Psalm 139:7, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?"

The Psalmist is not seeking an escape route from God's presence.

Rather, he's expressing the profound realization that there's absolutely no place in the universe where he could possibly go to escape God's presence.

This is a truth that's echoed throughout the Bible.

In Jeremiah 23:24, God declares, "Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?"

God's presence isn't confined to a specific location.

He fills heaven and earth.

He's everywhere, all the time.

But what does this mean for us?

What does it mean to live in the reality of God's omnipresence?

Firstly, it means that we're never alone.

Even when we feel isolated, even when we're in the midst of circumstances that make us feel abandoned, we're not.

God is there with us.

He's not a distant God, watching from afar.

He's a close God, a God who is with us in every moment of our lives.

Secondly, God's omnipresence means that we're always in His care.

There's no place we can go where His love and care can't reach us.

Even in our darkest moments, even when we're walking through the valley of the shadow of death, we're not beyond His reach.

His love and care envelop us, even when we're not aware of it.

Thirdly, God's omnipresence means that He's always at work in our lives.

He's not a passive observer.

He's an active participant in our lives, working all things together for our good.

Even when we can't see it, even when we don't understand it, God is at work.

Lastly, God's omnipresence means that we can always turn to Him.

No matter where we are, no matter what we're going through, we can always turn to God.

We can always reach out to Him.

We can always find comfort, guidance, and strength in His presence.

In conclusion, the omnipresence of God is a profound and comforting truth.

It's a truth that assures us that we're never alone, that we're always in His care, that He's always at work in our lives, and that we can always turn to Him.

It's a truth that can transform our lives and our faith.

God Is Ever-present

Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

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

God is always there!

We encounter Him in every circumstance of our lives.

Our first consideration takes us to the story of Daniel in the lion's den.

In this familiar narrative, we find Daniel, a faithful servant of God, thrown into a den of lions because of his unwavering commitment to prayer.

Despite the imminent danger, Daniel remains calm, trusting in God's protection.

Here, we see a clear demonstration of encountering God in the midst of a life-threatening situation.

Daniel's faith did not waver, even when faced with the ferocity of the lions.

His trust in God was unshaken, and he was rewarded with divine protection.

In the same vein, we find a similar narrative in the life of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

These three young men, when faced with the fiery furnace, did not bow to the golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar.

Their faith in God was so strong that they were willing to face death rather than deny Him.

In the midst of the flames, they encountered God in a powerful way.

They were not consumed by the fire, but instead, they walked out of the furnace unscathed, a testament to God's protective presence.

The third narrative that comes to mind is that of Jonah, who found himself in the belly of a great fish.

Jonah, a prophet of God, had tried to run away from his calling.

But even in the depths of the sea, inside the belly of the fish, Jonah encountered God.

He prayed to God from that place of despair and was delivered.

This story serves as a reminder that no matter how far we try to run from God, His presence is always with us, and He is always ready to deliver us when we call on Him.

In each of these stories, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Jonah turned to God in their circumstances.

As we continue, we see this same principle at work in the New Testament.

In the story of the woman with the issue of blood, we see her turning to Jesus in her desperate circumstance.

She had suffered for twelve long years, but when she heard about Jesus, she made her way through the crowd and touched the hem of His garment.

In that moment, she encountered God in a powerful way and received her healing.

Finally, we turn our attention to the apostle Paul.

In his many trials and tribulations, Paul learned to encounter God in every circumstance.

Whether he was shipwrecked, imprisoned, or facing death, Paul knew that God was with him.

He wrote in Philippians 4:11-13, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Paul's life serves as a powerful testament to encountering God in every circumstance.

In all these narratives, we see a common thread.

Each individual, in their unique circumstance, turned to God.

They encountered His presence, His power, and His provision.

This is the essence of encountering God in every circumstance.

It's about turning to Him, seeking His face, and experiencing His divine intervention.

It's about recognizing that no matter what we face, God is there with us, ready to show Himself strong on our behalf.

Jehovah-Shammah

As we move deeper into the heart of our message, we find ourselves standing on the threshold of a grand revelation.

This revelation is about the unfailing presence of Jehovah-Shammah, a name that translates to "The Lord is There."

This name, this divine title, is a testament to the omnipresence of God, a reminder that He is with us always, in every circumstance, in every moment of our lives.

The first aspect we need to understand about Jehovah-Shammah is that His presence is a promise.

This promise is not a fleeting guarantee, but a steadfast assurance that echoes through the ages.

It's a promise that was made to the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness, a promise that was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, and a promise that continues to be fulfilled in our lives today.

God's presence is not contingent on our worthiness, our actions, or our faithfulness.

It's a promise that is based solely on His love for us, His desire to be with us, His commitment to never leave us nor forsake us.

These words echo the promise of Jehovah-Shammah, reminding us that God's presence is not confined to a specific location or a specific time.

He is with us always, in every moment, in every circumstance.

His presence is a promise, a promise that we can rely on, a promise that we can trust.

The second aspect of Jehovah-Shammah that we need to grasp is that His presence is a power.

It's not a passive presence, but an active force that works in our lives, that shapes our circumstances, that transforms our realities.

This power is not a destructive force, but a creative energy that brings forth life, that brings forth hope, that brings forth transformation.

It's a power that can turn our mourning into dancing, our sorrow into joy, our despair into hope.

The third aspect of Jehovah-Shammah that we need to embrace is that His presence is a privilege.

This privilege is not a right that we have earned, but a gift that we have been given.

It's a privilege that comes with responsibilities, responsibilities to acknowledge His presence, to seek His guidance, to live in accordance with His will.

It's a privilege that calls us to action, to live our lives in a way that reflects His presence, His love, His grace.

The final aspect of Jehovah-Shammah that we need to celebrate is that His presence is a peace.

This peace is not a temporary respite, but a lasting tranquility that surpasses all understanding.

It's a peace that guards our hearts and minds, a peace that anchors us in the midst of storms, a peace that gives us the courage to face our fears, to overcome our challenges, to triumph over our trials.

As we stand in the presence of Jehovah-Shammah, as we experience His promise, His power, His privilege, and His peace, let us take a moment to reflect on what this means for us, for our lives, for our faith.

Let us not just hear these truths, but let us live them, let us embody them, let us be transformed by them.

Let us be the people of God, the people of Jehovah-Shammah, the people who know, who believe, who proclaim that The Lord is There.

Conclusion

As we close our time together today, let's hold onto the truth that we've been reminded of.

We are never alone.

Not in the highest of highs or the lowest of lows. God is with us, always.

He's in the laughter and the tears, the triumphs and the trials. He's in the mundane moments and the monumental ones.

He's there in the quiet whispers of the morning and in the loud chaos of the day.

God's presence is as sure as the ground beneath our feet and as certain as the air we breathe.

And this God, this ever-present, ever-loving God, He's not just with us, He's for us.

He's our biggest cheerleader, our most faithful friend.

He's the father waiting for the prodigal, the shepherd searching for the one lost sheep.

His love for us is fierce and unwavering, unending and unconditional.

It's a love that sent Jesus to the cross, a love that defeated death, a love that promises us eternity.

So, as we step out from this place, let's carry this truth in our hearts.

Let's live like we're loved, because we are.

Let's live like we're never alone, because we're not.

Let's live with the confidence and courage that comes from knowing we are held by the God of the universe, the Rock of Ages, our ever-present help in times of trouble.

Let's pray.