Jehovah-shammah

I have entitiled this poem "Jehovah-shammah" which means "The Lord is There." In Ezekial 48:35 it says, "It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there." In biblical times a name usually described the character of the one who bore it. So when God named the city Jehovah-shammah, He was giving the people assurance that He, Jehovah, would be there. For these were His people who had been in captivity, what life it was meant to bring, such hope, such encouragement! He gave them a vision for the future. He gave them a city that bore His name! Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish." He sustains His people. He is there.

Also, when noting they were captive, He brought them OUT of the captivity of the pagan culture they were immersed in, and instead, brought them to their city, the city He named after Himself, because He was there.

Jehovah-shammah

He sees the tears that fall,

He's sovereign amid it all.

He's good in all His ways,

He's deserving of my praise!

No words will catch His essence,

You must be still within His presence.

He's glory and He's grace,

On earth it's but a taste;

Til I meet Him face to face

With diligence I run the race.

His tender love will hold me,

For while hanging on a tree

His blood atoned on calvary

The darkest sin in me.

Death He did triumph and defeat,

Through His righteousness, I am complete.

So when I cannot ascertain

Why life is filled with pain,

I lift my eyes above,

For Jehovah-shammah holds me in his love.