JEHOVAH SHAMMAH

   Yesterday I talked about why the word, ultimately, is so important in my arsenal of faith. You know sometimes we have to go through some rough things in life (crying/trying times), either things we bring on ourselves, things that people cause to happen to us or things brought on because there is a lesson to be learned. Nevertheless,  what we have to remember is that, ultimately, it's up to the LORD and our lives are impacted by whatever HE allows to happen to us according to HIS plan.
     "Ultimately" carries me through my crying/trying times.  How so? This word allows me to look at my c/t times through the eyes of faith (with rose tinted glasses which make any adverse situation look better). Let me assure you that these kinds of times will come at various points in all of our lives. During some of the c/t times in my life, I have had to shed tears like I saw my mama do when I was just a little girl. But I have learned through my c/t times that HE can take my pain and my anguish and my "just not understanding" and wrap me in a cocoon of contentment while HE puts the finishing touches on HIS path for me. Do you know what I mean? You know that peace that surpasses all understanding? That's what I am talking about!
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"Ultimately" means that your Goliath and your Pharaoh(c/t times) have met their match. So, whether your c/t time is  composed of sickness, financial trouble, bullies, etc., "ultimately" says that they are going to get their comeuppance.

      

You know, when you are really doing something that’s worthwhile; when you are trying to do something for the LORD; when you have given it all you have; when you are working hard, not bothering anybody and when you are going on and doing what you think you have to do, you run across one of those people who thinks that they are so bad that they can do anything to anybody and get away with anything. Then they decide to target you. You wonder what they are bothering you for because you don’t bother anybody and you certainly have not bothered them. You know the Bible tells us in 1 Peter not to be surprised and not to think it strange when situations like this occur.  We have to remember that we are in a warfare and people like the ones just mentioned are part of  our c/t times.

      You see, Goliath thought that he was infallible; he thought that he was bad. He thought that he could taunt the people of GOD and terrify them. He taunted and terrified GOD’s people until he got the LORD stirred up. Then he found out that he was not as bad as he thought he was.  He found out that he didn’t even know the definition of bad! Pharaoh was one of those bad people too.  We know from Biblical history what happened to these two people.  (Some people learn a lesson when they get the LORD stirred and some don’t.)  Nevertheless, what we have to do as GOD’s child, is to keep our faith in GOD and not put our faith in mankind.  The Bible says that the battle is the LORD’s.  We are his children and HE is not called JEHOVAH NISSI for nothing. So, what do you do in crying/trying times?

·         You keep going.

·         You do not give up.

·         You remember who your FATHER is and you exercise the spiritual privilege of prayer.

·          You remember that all is never lost though the price of continued faith is often exorbitant! What you don’t do is give up on your faith. You keep those rose tinted glasses on.  Be mindful of the fact that if you give up on your faith, the next step is that you will give up on GOD. Then the adversary has you just where he wants you, at his mercy and he has none!

·         You read your Bible to call to mind the numerous times that the LORD has come to HIS children’s aid. You remember, Daniel, the Hebrew boys, and Joseph to name a few. Space and time 
will not allow me to talk about all of the times in the Bible that GOD has come to HIS children's aid.






Here is a scenario to help you see what I am talking about. I don't know about you,  but in the neighborhood where I grew up there were several large families. If you got caught without your big brother, then you might be in for a beat down from the neighborhood bullies.  But then you go home and tell your big brother and he takes you back to the scene of the fight and confronts the bully and takes care of business for you making sure that the bully knows not to bother his little sister again. Anybody reading this know what I'm talking about?

Well, I can  take that scenario and similarly, apply it to my Christian life. You see, Jesus is my big brother and when I am confronted with stressful situations, calamities, enemies, etc. I take it to my big brother.  You might ask, "How do you do that Alma? I do that through the avenue of prayer. As an aside, let me say that prayer must be a powerful tool! Why do I say that, because enemies get bothered when a Christian starts to pray. Whatever you do, don't allow someone to break your faith in God because if they break your faith in God then you won't pray. If you stop praying, you will stop talking to God and when you do that you have lost the source of your help, your best FRIEND. 

So, I want to encourage you to get  into the habit of talking to GOD. When you do, you will build that relationship of faith and trust that is so important to the LORD and is important to you, as well. You see, if you get into the habit of talking to HIM, you will look upon HIM, as not only your FATHER, but as your friend, too. There is a song that says, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and truer words were never spoken.  (As a side note, about this friend thing, I'm sure you realize that there are some things that you do not share with a "so called" friend. Some things you don't need to tell anybody but GOD. I'm just sayin'.) You better ask somebody! But, that is a topic for another day! 

• Always call to mind the times that the LORD has brought you out and remember that you felt just as helpless back then too! Then you can say to Calamity, "You have met your match."; to Financial Setback, "You have met your match."; to Illness,  "You have met your match."; to Your Enemy, "You have met your match."; to Whatever, "You have met your match."

Then you say like the Hebrew boys said, “Our GOD is able to deliver us and if HE does not deliver us, it is not because HE cannot!” Sometimes you have to be like Job and say, “Though HE slay me, yet will I trust HIM!"  And you have to keep your rose-tinted glasses on at all cost, for you would pay an even higher price if you took them off!

I hope that I have given you encouragement if you are experiencing c/t times. I further hope that I have given others of you fuel to be stored up for the day that you are visited with c/t times.

Allow me to leave you with these final words, "Ultimately, JEHOVAH NISSI still occupies heaven's throne and if you are HIS child, HE's got your back!"

Questions for Pondering:

1. Compare and contrast JEHOVAH NISSI and JEHOVAH SHAMMAH in a two paragraph essay.

2. Read about It: Find two other characters in the Bible where because their faith was tantamount, GOD came through for them. Expound upon these two scenarios by telling what might have happened if these characters had done the opposite of what they did.

3. Life Application: Give a positive and a negative example of similar situations in your life, the outcomes and the lessons learned from each.

4. For HIS Glory: Prepare a 2-3 minute speech for a non-Christian using numbers 1, 2, or 3 above. This is done in a restaurant setting.

 Until next we meet...

Note: (This one was a hard one to put down. Therefore, I am going to address "ultimately" in my upcoming inspirational volume for women and also in my soon to be published poetry anthology. I think that I will entitle the inspirational book, "Ultimately!"