Jehovah Shammah – The Lord Is There
Jehovah Shammah – The Lord Is There
Ill. Satan roams through countryside and sees this small country church. He decides to have some fun so he burst through doors or church and everyone including the pastor ran out of the church when they saw Satan. Satan laughed but then noticed one little old man sitting up on front pew. He said to him, “Do you know who I am?” Yep. “Aren’t you afraid of me?” Nope. “Why not?” “You ain’t got nothing I am afraid of. I’ve been married to your sister for 40 years.”
This name for God is used for Jerusalem’s future. It is a message of hope. Israel went through of time of idolatry so bad that the glory departed from the Temple. It’s as if God said He had enough. God allowed His people to be scattered to the four corners of the earth. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. However through the prophet Ezekiel, God promised a restoration of Israel and that God’s manifested Presence would return to Jerusalem in her future. This amazing name of God is revealed in only one place in the last verse of the book of Ezekiel.
“the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord Is There.” Ezekiel 48:35
This prophecy came true 600 years later as Mary and Joseph brought a tiny baby to Jerusalem to dedicate Him to God.
God can easily tell us what will happen in our future because He is Jehovah Shammah – the Lord is there. He is already in our future. He exists outside of time.
Ill. Often we can look back in our past and now see what we could not see then that God was there. He arranged for us to meet a certain person or be in the right place at the right time. When I was 19 on a whim I went to the army recruiter’s office. All the various branches of service had recruiters’ offices next door to each other. The Army recruiter had a line of people waiting to talk to him. So I went to the Air force and he had a line of people. Nave had a line but there was no one in the Marine Corps recruiter’s office so I went in and talked to him. It’s kind of funny now. I could not see God in any of this at that time, but now looking back I can. It was after bootcamp I met a young man who shared the gospel with me and I got saved. This was Jehovah Shammah.
But this is also true for the present. He is present now and things we call coincidences are God’s subtle ways to showing us He is Present.
Now consider your future.
How does this apply to us today? You may have something you are concerned about in your future. Some looming date or something potentially that causes you stress or worry. God is speaking to you today through this revelation of His name saying, “I know you are worried about something in your future, but when you get there I will already be there to help you navigate through it. He is timeless and is the God who is present with you.
I personally love when I can sense or see or feel the manifested presence of God. I have had a few glorious experiences that I would love to have happen again. Why doesn’t this happen more often? I don’t know but I do know most of the time I do not feel anything.
Ill. Elijah in the cave with God – earthquake, wind, and fire but God was not in them. He can be but it seems He rather be in the still small voice. We have got to get weaned off of needing a feeling or seeing or hearing something. He is present if we see or feel anything or not!
“Where shall I go from Your Spirit, or where shall I flee from Your Presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.” Psalm 139:7-ff.
Ill. You can’t run away or hide from God! God called Jonah to a task and Jonah told God no way. The Bible describes it this way.
“Jonah rose to feel to Tarshish from the Presence of the Lord.” Jonah 1:2-3
But wherever Jonah went – God was already there. This expression does not mean god was not there but that Jonah removed the awareness of the Lord from his mind.
“If we believe not – He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself.”
You can’t be in your future yet, but He can and He will walk you through it when the time comes for you to do it. “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord (Jehovah Shammah). They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer. 29:11
You can’t control future events but He can. This may be hard for your mind to grasp but it is truth, He is already in your future! God is already there is your tomorrow and He wants you to trust Him when you get there.
Ill. I saw a movie called the Time Machine when I was just a kid. I was fascinated with the idea of being able to go back in time and yet already know what the future would be like. To go back in time and already know the outcome of things would give you such confidence and courage to deal with present situations. This is the attitude of faith in God about our uncertain future. He is already there and will guide us through it.
We all go through tough times where we may begin to doubt that God is with us. Everyone has to go through their own time of discovering what you believe about God. It could be a crisis of faith time.
Ill. When Teenagers leave home for college or to be on their own have to go through this time of personal discovery of what they believe for themselves. Just because you were raised in America and in a Xn home – you became a Xn? What about if you were born and raised in India – you might be a Hindu or if in Arabia you might be a Muslim. You have to find out for yourself the truth and come to faith in Jesus. This is our own personal journey.
God is always present – but we have to discover this truth for ourselves.
The purpose of the church is not a house for God! WE can gather anywhere even without a building. The purpose for the church is to connect people to the awareness of God’s Presence.
Today happens to be the Feast of Pentecost. What happened on Pentecost? After Jesus’ resurrection He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. 50 days after first fruits HS came down in power in and upon the disciples in the upper room. They spoke in tongues and 3000 were saved that day. From now on the church was not to be associated with a building but a people with God living inside them.
He is Immanuel – God with us. He is HS – God In us. But today you also know Him as Jehovah Shammah – He is the God who is already in your future. When you get there you will discover He was there.
Concl: Today why not rest your worries or concerns about the future that you do not control into the hands of Jehovah Shammah – who is already there in your future waiting for you.
4 things will keep you from living in the awareness of God’s Presence.
1. Distractions – decide to press in with more time with God and you will discover distractions. Satan has customized distractions for you.
2. Discouragement – in the form of condemnation. Conviction comes from God to help you. “Son, let me show you something that needs to be straightened out.” Condemnation is the enemy pointing the finger at you telling you how bad off you are.
3. Depression – focusing our yourself too much.
4. Despair – hopelessness is a lie the enemy has sold you.
Thursday while writing this message I stopped from writing and took a prayer walk around the property. Came back to the cross in the front. Knelt down and committed my cares about my future to God at the foot of the cross. After I noticed and thought on this.
Cross – Passover – then the lightpole after the cross “I am the resurrection and the light” or Firstfruits. Then I noticed the fountain in front to me represents Pentecost or HS. Then the building with the name Tabernacle on it which represents where the church (people of God) gather together to experience the corporate Presence of God.