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Jehovah Shammah

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." Isaiah 12:6


Its December again!!! The year is coming to an end and I'm meant to write about stock taking, counting my blessings for all the things that have happened this year. I started that post somewhere in my mind, but as I sit here, I can help but think about what I've lost this year. I'm grateful for all the good things that have come my way, but 2012 is a year i'm glad will soon end. I'm not despairing, I'll just heave a huge sigh of relief when this year is over. It doesn't mean that troubles won't come again, or that there won't be losses; it just means that 2012 is over and I survived it!
This morning, I am reminded of a name I loved so much as a little girl 'Jehovah Shammah' - [The Lord is with us]. Found in Ezekiel 35:10, it means 'The Lord was there'. I think this is my testimony of 2012. I've come through some pretty rough patches this year. Lost loved ones, friendships, some hopes were dashed, expectations were unfilled, joys lost, joys regained, dreams fulfilled, new friendships forged, (traveled to some interesting places), repentance ... its been one interesting year! As it draws to a close, all I can truly say is 'The Lord was there'. In my highs and my lows, in the most depressing parts of the year, in the months where I experienced extreme sorrow, on the days when I couldn't answer the question 'why Lord? why now?' on the days when I got really crazy, on the days when I despaired ... The Lord was there.
The Lord was there, very present, though I choose not to acknowledge Him. The Lord was there, working in the background, laying plans and nudging me silently in the right paths. The Lord was there, providing comfort, calling me back from slippery paths and offering solace in dark days. The Lord was there!
I don't know what you are going through as you read this post, but the same truth applies to your situation. The Lord is there! It doesn't matter whether its a dark dreary night or its a bright 'sunshiny' day. The Lord is there! and He's working in your situation and working things out for you. I am reminded of Jeremiah's words at a dark point in the history of the children of Israel:
'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11'
The Lord is there, and in this, we are comforted! This is a promise, this I will hold on to in the coming years, 'The Lord is There'. And it doesn't matter what the future holds, I'll face it with the strength drawn from God presence and the knowledge that He is with me always."And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE." Ezekiel 48:35.

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Location: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

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