Lord, You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
You are with me today, and I know You are already in all of my tomorrows.
Focus of the Month: Promises, Promises
Have you ever daydreamed about what your life will look like years from now? Has anxiety invaded your thoughts, worry consumed you, or fear overtook you when faced with the possibilities in the distant future?
We all have plenty of opportunities to entertain emotions other than hope and faith when examining our lives and in planning for our future. How can we face each of our tomorrows and the vast array of circumstances we may experience and remain steadfast in hope, faith and trust?
Let’s look at a situation in the Bible. Over a period of years, the Israelites were taken captive and scattered far from Jerusalem. The temple destroyed. The silver, the gold, and the furnishings carried away. Yet, in the midst of loss, regret, heartache and fear, God provided a vision to the prophet Ezekiel. In this vision, Ezekiel saw the City of Jerusalem rebuilt and the Temple of God restored. “And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE” (Ezekiel 48:35).
Jehovah-Shammah, The Lord God is There. The One who is with us everywhere, for He is omnipresent.
Fast forward hundreds of years. The exiles had returned to Jerusalem and the temple rebuilt. Then, on the appointed day, the infant Jesus was presented to the Lord in the Temple of God, in the City of Jerusalem. THE LORD IS THERE.
Those days of exile, those years of ruin. The suffering, the heartache. Those moments of return and those seasons of rebuilding. That sweat while working. Those years of waiting. Those tears while hoping. All the while, the Lord was there. Suddenly, on that certain day – that appointed time – that moment of Jesus’ dedication – the Lord was there. Every moment since – the Lord was there. Every moment to come – the Lord is there!
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says,”I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Hebrews 13:5 confirms this promise: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The Lord spoke this promise way back in Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” We can go nowhere from His presence. King David also wrote of God’s omnipresence. In Psalm 139:7 he penned, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”
God is with us always! We are never alone. And He is not only the God of our past and the Lord of our present, but He is the Lord God of our future! He has been with us in all of our yesterdays. He is with us today. And He is already in all of our tomorrows! He has planned for each one of us, plans of goodness, to give us a future and a hope. We don’t have to face any day, any moment, any circumstance apart from Him. He is Jehovah-Shammah – THE LORD GOD IS THERE.
Holding Fast to Hope,
Maryann
Scripture References: Revelation 22:13; Luke 2:22; Jeremiah 29:11
