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20th October 2024
SundayReflection
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'Lisa Lewolt'
'The FireLife Foundation'
"Jehovah Shammah"
The LORD is Here
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The total length of the wall on all four sides of the city is 10,080 yards. The name of the city from now on will be "The-Lord-Is-Here!"
..... Ezekiel 48:35 NKJV
Jehovah is translated as "The Existing One" or "Lord."
The chief meaning of Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word Havah meaning "to be'' or "to exist."
It also suggests "to become'' or specifically "to become known" - this denotes a God who reveals Himself unceasingly.
Shammah is derived from the Hebrew word sham, which can be translated as "there."
Jehovah Shammah is a symbolic name for the earthly Jerusalem as God's presence quite literally dwelled in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle.
The name indicates that God has not abandoned Jerusalem, leaving it in ruins, but that there will be a restoration.
St. John's representation of that blessed state does indeed far exceed this in many respects.
That is all gold, pearls, and precious stones.
It is much larger than this, and much brighter, for it does not need the light of the sun.
But, in making the presence of God the principal matter of its bliss, they both agree.
The city and temple Ezekiel saw never became a literal reality in Ezekiel's day.
God did restore His people, and the city and temple were rebuilt - but never on the grand scale envisioned in the closing chapters of Ezekiel's book.
And the Holy City, New Jerusalem, that John describes is still to come in the future.
The name of the city-Jehovah Shammah, GOD IS THERE-was intended as a divine promise to give hope to the Jewish exiles.
When this vision of a glorious, restored city came to Ezekiel, the Jews had already spent twenty-five years in exile in Babylon.
He had promised to bring them back from exile and restore them in their native land - if they would repent and turn to Him.
And the very name of the restored city would stand as a promise they could depend on - GOD IS THERE.
Like the Israelites so many centuries ago, we have the promise of a glorious city where we will live with God.
God is there for us.
There are many texts in the Bible emphasizing the fact that God is always there for us - It's as if He wants to make sure we don't forget!
Let's think about how this name, Jehovah-Shammah, applies to us.
So often you live in life looking ahead to some event, some time in our lives, some potential disaster, some looming date.
We may wonder what that date will bring to our lives or how we will survive it.
Perhaps it is a doctor's appointment or a court date or your child leaving home or your mate passing away.
It could be a new job, a divorce, or moving from a place that you have called home for many years.
Whatever this future event is, it causes you to have a knot in the pit of your stomach every time you think about it.
Be it real or imagined, this future occurrence causes you huge amounts of stress, angst, and worry.
Our God is already in your tomorrow.
He already knows what your future looks like and He has complete control over it.
THE LORD IS THERE!
You cannot be in your future now, but He can.
You can't control the future events of your life, but He can.
Jehovah-Shammah will walk with you into whatever tomorrow holds because of His great love for you.
God is THERE in your tomorrow and in my tomorrow.
He simply desires that we trust His heart.
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This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
'The FireLife Foundation'
is based out of Thousand Oaks, California.
Our aim is to motivate, educate, and inspire teens to make life choices that will lead them down the right path and give them the tools necessary to overcome obstacles, develop their abilities, and achieve their dreams.
Lisa Lewolt
is the founder of the Firelife Foundation - a non-profit for at-risk youth.
She is one of the keynote speakers for the Power Of A Dream Tour in which she spoke a message of encouragement at over 200 events held at schools, challenge programs, churches and hospitals.
She has encouraged the troops on bases all over Germany, Norway, Cuba and Japan and had the privileged to speak at the United Nations this year.
Contact the Rector
The Revd.
Nic.Edwards
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BUGBROOKE,
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NN7 3PB
Land Line: 01604 - 815496
(Can be accessed from the mobile device)
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thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
Contact the Benefice Office
Sunday School Rooms, Church Lane,
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Land Line: 01604 830373
E-mail:
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please contact the Benefice Office to arrange
an appointment.
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