May 22, 2026; Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is There

Daily Dose of Hope May 22, 2026   Name of God: Jehovah Shammah – The Lord Is There Scripture:  Ezekiel 48   Prayer:  Jehovah-Shammah, thank you for being the One who goes with me. Thank you for the hope I have that you will not fail or forsake me. Thank you for the strength I find in your presence today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently on a reading plan covering the names of God in the Old Testament.  As we have talked about, names held huge significance in the ancient world.  They reflected identity, purpose, and character.  It was the same for God's names.  Each name really reflects a different aspect of God's character.  We will discuss sixteen names of God and today is our thirteenth.  Just to remind you, on June 1, we will start our next reading plan, 1 & 2 Kings.   Today's name for God is Jehovah Shammah, which means the Lord is There.  As we know, Jehovah means God.  Shammah means there, as in a specific location. The root of Shammah is similar to the root of the Hebrew word for tabernacle, dwell, abide. Jehovah Shammah is the name of God that promises His presence   In the Old Testament, the Temple was built as a place for God to dwell. But the Israelites were deep into worshipping other gods and oppressing the poor.  They broke covenant with God many times.  And God, in his grace, gave them numerous opportunities to repent from their rebellion, but they stubbornly refused. Thus, God withdrew His presence not only from the temple, but also from the city of Jerusalem. God lifted his hand of protection.  He allowed his people to be taken into exile and he allowed the city to be destroyed.   But God also promised the nation would be restored and His presence would return to Jerusalem.  We can see this in Ezekiel's prophecy in our reading today.  God is planning for when He will return to Jerusalem.  Ezekiel 48:35, The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be 'The Lord is There.  Jehovah-Shammah is the name of God that means I am the Lord who is there and is symbolic of Jerusalem. This name promises His presence. God wants us to experience His presence every moment of every day.   Prophesy was fulfilled when God's presence returned to the temple.  But we know, sitting on the other side of the cross, that God's presence became fully realized in the person of Jesus.  God's presence was restored to Jerusalem in the form of a tiny baby brought to the temple to be offered back to God by his parents, Joseph and Mary.  How extraordinary!    So a quick review:  God's presence went from being in the Temple to being found in the person of Jesus. Then, after Pentecost, God's presence was to be found in the Holy Spirit.  God's presence was poured out on all believers!   And that is where we are now.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God's presence is actually found in us.  The same power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in us.  Jehovah Shammah.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki