It is the Lord’s Day, and many of you will be worshipping God in various houses of faith. How fitting to call him, El Shaddai-The Lord God Almighty; Adonai-The Lord, our Master; Jehovah Nissi-The Lord My Banner; Jehovah Raah-The Lord My Shepherd; Jehovah Rapha-The Lord that Heals; Jehovah Shammah-The Lord who is There; Jehovah Tsidkenu-The Lord Our Righteousness; Jehovah Jireh-The Lord Who Provides; Jehovah Sabaoth-The Lord of Hosts. He is all these things and more. Today, I am overwhelmed by his goodness as Rahab and I journey into the heartland. Six months ago, I didn’t know her and now she is my soul sister as we partner together in this part of God’s vineyard. Sometimes you just must wonder, was it all meant to be? Was Jehovah Shammah, The Lord who is There, orchestrating events in such a way that his divine design should happen-Hmmmmmh? Only God can weave such mysterious tapestry!
We will be traveling by bus, 271.6 miles (437.1 km), which will take us between 7.5-8.0 hours at Kenyan bus speed. It’s faster by car, at least half that time, but just this once we’ll take the same transportation the girls take, we’ll gaze at the scenery that they see, experience the jolts and bumps that they feel (the potholes on Kenyan roads are legendary) and perhaps somehow get into that mental, emotional and spiritual space that will help us to communicate God’s unfailing love and grace, even if the result of the interview is, “I’m sorry, you didn’t make it.” The teachers have been preparing the students; the students are all jittery and excited; and we are revving to go and meet all the beautiful faces whose life stories are just beginning to unfold. And we know without a shadow of doubt, that Jehovah Shammah-The Lord who is There, will be right there with them and with us.
So, on this Lord’s Day, let us together give thanks to the Creator who formed everything in this world with a command, but fashioned us with his own hand, breathed his life-giving breath into us, gave us the same explosive power that raised Jesus from the dead, and then said to us, “Go!” And all the while God knew, that no matter where we went, he, Jehovah Shammah-The Lord who is There, would be right beside us, whether in the United States, some other part of the world or in the Kenyan heartland. "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Hebrews 13: 5b-6)"