It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.
(Ezek. 48:35)

The Hebrew word translated "Lord" in this verse is "Jehovah Shammah," which means the Lord is there. From this point on, God is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there. Jehovah Shammah is the name associated with the restoration of Jerusalem, God's dwelling place.

Have you ever felt as if you were all alone in life? Has it ever seemed as though everyone was arrayed against you and no one was for you?

Well, I have been there, and I want to you know that you are not alone. Even if we may feel isolated and as if we have been left on our own, we are not alone in this life. Jehovah Shammah is who He says He is. He is the Lord who is with us—when times are good and when times are bad. He is always by our side, because He is the God who will never forsake us.

In Matthew 28:20, Jesus said, "...I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world...." Jesus also said He will never leave us, nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). People may forsake us, but Jesus never will.

I've been in the people business for more than twenty-two years. I've been in the business of ministering to people. And I know that people will forsake you. I'm not into people slapping me on the back for doing a good job. Now, it's not that I don't appreciate it.

In other words, I'm not moved by people who slap me on the back and say how great I am or how great everything is, because those same people, instead of slapping me on the back, might later stick a knife in my back—and turn that sucker too! So I can't be moved by that. I have to know what's right and do what's right; then, I just let the chips fall where they may.

People turned on Jesus. In Mark chapter 11, Jesus went into town and the people all said, "Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Lord!" They cut down palms and branches and knelt before Him. They said He was the greatest. And the same crowd, when asked a few days later, "What shall we do with Jesus called the Christ," shouted, "Crucify Him! Away with Him! We don't even want to see His face!" (Mark 15).

Since people turned so quickly and easily on Jesus, we shouldn't be upset or surprised when they turn on us the same way. If it happened to Jesus, then we know it's no big deal for it to happen to us.

The only One who has ever had the right to say, "My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" was Jesus (Mark 15:34). When He was on the Cross, He became sin for the first time ever and became separated from God the Father.

God has never forsaken us. Even when we forsook Him and went our own way and did our own thing for our own selfish reasons, He still continued to woo us! Jehovah Shammah was still interested in us! And even now, He is still working with us.

Jehovah Shammah is still with us now, even when we feel alone. Remember, we don't go by what we feel, but by what we believe! And we ought to believe that He is Jehovah Shammah!

And because we know God is there with us all the time, we ought to talk like that's so. And we ought to praise Him like that's so. And we ought to see victory like that's so. And we ought to dance before the Lord like that's so. And we ought to lean back and have peace and confidence like that's so. And we ought to laugh at the situation like that's so!

He has never left us! He has never forsaken us! He is on our side! And we need to know who He is. He is Jehovah Shammah—the One who is with us always, even till the end of the world.

Source: Faith Pleases by Keith Butler
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers