By Andrew Williams
Series: He Is (Week 2: The Covenant Names of Provision)
Opening Prayer
Lord, our ever-present God, thank You that we are never alone. In every place and every moment, help us to be aware of Your abiding presence.
Today’s Scripture (NLT)
Ezekiel 48:35
“The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be Yahweh-Shammah (which means ‘the Lord is there’).”
At the very end of the book of Ezekiel, after visions of judgment, destruction, and the exile of God’s people, the prophet is given a glorious vision of a restored city and a new temple. The final, triumphant note of the entire book is the new name of this city: Yahweh Shammah, “The Lord Is There.”
This name reveals God’s ultimate desire and promise: to dwell with His people. It is the promise of His abiding, personal, and permanent presence. After a long season of feeling abandoned by God, this name was a profound hope for Israel. It declared that the day was coming when His presence would be their central reality.
To know God as Yahweh Shammah is to live in the confidence of His presence. Through the Holy Spirit, the promise is fulfilled in us now. In our loneliness, in our suffering, in our joy, and in our daily routines, He is there. The ultimate fulfillment will be in the new Jerusalem, when God will dwell with us forever. But the promise begins today. Wherever you are, The Lord Is There.
Disciple’s Life Tip: Interact with God as Yahweh Shammah. As you move through different places today—your car, your office, your home—pause in each location and acknowledge His presence by praying, “Thank you, Yahweh Shammah, that you are here with me in this place.”
Closing Prayer: Yahweh Shammah, thank You for the incredible gift of Your constant presence. May the awareness that “The Lord is There” be my greatest comfort and my deepest joy today. Amen.
