More valuable than sparrows

"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. (Luke 12:4-7 NASB)

Jesus understood fear. When He began to talk about people killing the body, His disciples must have sat up and listened. People are going to kill us? Yes, Jesus seemed to say, people are going to kill you, but you don't have to be afraid of them. 

If there was ever a time to fear, it would be when someone is killing you. But no. Even then, there is no cause for fear. Why not? The disciples did not have to be afraid because they were precious to God. 

Sparrows were the cheapest, most worthless birds in the marketplace, yet God knows every one of them. Not even one of the tiny little birds is forgotten by God. He has known the birds and He continues knowing the birds. God remembers them and He does not forget them.

"God knows every hair on your heads," Jesus told the disciples. Those hairs are numbered. He knows every single one of them. 

Run your fingers through your hair. God knows about every single one of those hairs. If the hairs on our head are numbered by God, you can be sure He cares about every single one of us, too. 

That's what Jesus said. "You are more valuable than many sparrows, and God knows about every one of them." God is not just peripherally aware of us. He knows us. We are precious to Him. Valuable to Him. 

That knowledge is more than I can comprehend. Almighty God, Jehovah, Creator and Sustainer of the universe knows me, cares about me, treasures me. He knows, cares, and treasures you, too. There is never a time when He does not know us, care about us, treasure us. Regardless of what happens politically, socially, or professionally in our world, He still cares about us, still treasures us. Nothing escapes His eye. 

He loves us, but hard times will still come our way. Some of us will be persecuted. Some of us will give our lives for Christ. That doesn't change the fact that He loves us. He will be with us every step of the way. There is no need to fear because we do not go through hard times alone. El Shaddai, God Almighty, goes with us through every situation, every circumstance, every difficulty.

We are not alone.

Take comfort in those words. Whatever we face, wherever we are, we are not alone. So don't be afraid. Emmanuel. God is with us. 

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O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off... Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me... (Psalms 139:1-2, 7-10 KJV)

Thank you, Lord, that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Thank you that You are with me in every circumstance. It's more than I can comprehend, but I praise You for Your presence. Help me to honor You with my life and let you lead me through the darkest places. In Jesus' name, Amen

Teach us to pray, part 18: Jehovah Shammah

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

Jehovah Shammah

Although we could continue the study of Jehovah Rapha for several more days, we are moving to Jehovah Shammah today. We have seen previously that Jehovah comes from the word Havah, meaning "to be" or "to exist". Jehovah, then, means "The Existing One" or "Lord" and is an indication that we have a God who makes Himself known to us, He reveals Himself. One of those ways in which He reveals Himself is through His name. 

Shammah comes from the Hebrew word sham, meaning "there". Jehovah Shammah, then, means "The Lord is There". This name of God is used only once in Scripture and is found is Ezekiel 48:35, where Ezekiel relates his vision of the holy city. It is not specifically named as Jerusalem, but is felt to represent the new Jerusalem, the holy city. Ezekiel ends by telling us something wonderful about the city. 

"and the name of the city from that day shall be 'the Lord is there'." Ezekiel 48:35 NASB

The name of the city will be Jehovah Shammah because the Lord dwells there. His presence fills the city, just as His presence filled the temple in Isaiah's vision. (Isaiah 6) It is that presence that gives us comfort and hope, and Jesus also spoke of His presence with His people as He was returning to Heaven. 

"and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20b

This truth of the presence of God is vitally important to our understanding of the Christian life. No matter what trial, difficulty, sorrow, or circumstance we face, the presence of God in the midst of it is certain. We are not alone, for He is with us. 

We are not alone.

I am writing from the comfort of my bed, mug of steaming coffee at hand, two dogs dozing peacefully next to me. Through the windows, I can see the day dawning as the sun begins to rise. The riotous concerto of birds provides my background music. It's a beautiful morning and peace reigns. God is here and I am not alone. 

There have been times, however, when the presence of God was less obvious, times were less certain, comfort was less apparent, the future of peace less solid, yet God was no less present. I was never alone. There is a song we sing in choir that says, "Never once did He leave me on My own." It is absolute truth. Jehovah Shammah has been here for every step of my path, and He has been present for every step of your path, too. You have not been alone, and you never will be alone because Jehovah Shammah, The Lord is there. No matter how difficult your circumstances, Jehovah Shammah is with you in those circumstances.

What a comfort it is to know that the presence of God is with us! How, then, do we hallow the name of Jehovah Shammah? We acknowledge His presence, celebrate that He is with us, every step of the way, from now and through eternity, and we order our steps to honor His presence. He is there. Wherever we are, He is there. 

We serve a God who cares enough about us to be with us always. What could possibly be better than that?