Jehovah-Shammah

“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. “And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE. (Ezekiel 48:35)

           

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH “The Lord who is present”

          I have to begin this with a disclaimer. It seems to me that this passage says that the name of the city is Jehovah-Shammah, not that a name of God is Jehovah-Shammah. That being  said, Scripture makes it clear that God is Jehovah-Shammah even if this passage doesn't. Jehovah-Shammah was present in Abraham's life, and Isaac's, Jacob's and Joseph's, in Moses' and Joshua's. Read Hebrews 11 as a Cliff Notes version of the Bible with regard to God's presence. 
         There are many times when I fail to keep Jehovah-Shammah in mind, times when I don't see His face or hand, and when I don't hear His voice. The fault is mine, whether through weakness or through the willful ignore-ance of spiritually putting my fingers in my ears, closing my eyes and saying "lalalalalala." Yes, His voice is often quiet. We have to look and listen for it, sometimes for a long time. It doesn't always come to us the way we want it to, when we want it to, or with the answer we want to get. 

         I've told this story before. I tend to get lost partly because I'm not paying close enough attention to where I'm going. I have whined to God many times that I am worried that I'll miss the "exit" I'm supposed to take. After years of my whining, He asked me whether I missed the exit when I went to college, when I came home from college, when I went back to college, and a series of other examples in my life. To each I had to (sheepishly) say, "Well, no." He then asked, "Then what makes you think I'll let you miss the next exit?" He has not. He has been with me through changes and struggles, guiding and protecting. He continues to be with me through good times and bad, richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, and He has promised to remain as long as we both shall live.