Jehovah Shammah or El Shammah–this is probably a something that you might have come across. Although, it is not the official name of God, it does refer to an amazing character of God–A Compassionate Listener who is with us and for us. The Hebrew root of the name “Shammah” is “sham,” which means “there” or “at that place” in English. The name Jehovah Shammah is a divine declaration of God’s nearness. We are told in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that “you are a temple of God and the spirit of God dwells in you.” It is written in Deuteronomy 31:6 that “the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, He will not fail or forsake you.”

The Hebrew root of the name “Shammah” is “sham,” which means “there” or “at that place” in English. The name Jehovah Shammah is a divine declaration of God’s nearness

You might be familiar with the story of Hagar, where God deeply reflects the attribute associated with this name. In Genesis 16:11-12, we read about God’s promise to Hagar,

Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
He will be a wild donkey of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against his kinsmen.

God’s concern for Hagar is evident in verse 11. He had witnessed her pain at Sarai’s hands and heard her cries of anguish. “This child,” He says, “will be a son”. It was highly valued to have sons back then. There was no social security, so older people had to depend on their sons to take care of them.
The name “Ishmael” is a combination of “sham” and “el”, which is symbolic of the God’s promise to Hagar.

Psalm 17: 6 says,

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
    turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

This is the promise God has given us as well, just like the one He gave to Hagar. He is close to us–He is still the Jehovah Shammah who listened to Hagar’s affliction. And He has ears and eyes for you and me. I am not sure when was the last time that you felt God heard you but with today’s story, I want to encourage you to continually communicate with God and deeply understand the essence of what Jehovah Shammah truly means; how God hears even the groanings of our heart.

A month ago, I got the chance to work with a young boy, called Rajveer, from one of our homes in Bengaluru, India. He came into this “Home” when he was very little. As I am closely associated with the home, I always have a soft corner for the kids there. When it came to Rajveer, the staffers at the home faced a couple of challenges as he had behavioural issues. It got increasingly difficult for the ones round him to deal with it. At this point we had to speak to the agency from which we got him. Rajveer’s mother was a part of the agency from which we got him into our home. The condition that was laid out –if he does not straighten out his attitude, he would have to go back to his mother. This was not an ideal case for him, but something had to be done. 

One of the trustees from this home, a person who also has a deep affection for him and has known him since he was a toddler took time to understand why Rajveer was behaving the way he was. Rajveer told him: “I want my mother to stay with me for three days, and if I see my mother, I promise, I will change!” To give you some context, Rajveer’s mother is a woman who has hesitated to come and visit her son despite many reminders, pressure from the agency and invitations to the home. It had been three years since Rajveer met his mother and it was bogging him down. This was probably because he saw parents or relatives of other children paying visits.

We had a challenge before us–we could either help resolve the issue by having his mother stay with him for three days as he requested or send him away from the “Home,” and back to his mother. We knew for a fact that Rajveer has massive potential, and that God has a big plan for his life. When he first joined the home, he couldn’t communicate well but within a short time of observing and mentoring, he aced his communication game. He speaks English so beautifully now, and he is an excellent orator. Leaving the home and going back meant a halt to the mentoring, and other aspects related to his holistic wellbeing. This wasn’t something we wanted. So, we prayed about it and I contacted the agency multiple times to get the mother to meet Rajveer. After much prodding, the agency got back to me with some good news. The mother agreed to meet Rajveer. Having said that, I had withheld the bit about Rajveer’s request of three days.

We fixed on a particular date and I quickly informed the trustee about the mother’s visit. He promptly reminded me, “Did you tell them that Rajveer wants his mother to stay with him for three days?” I responded, “No” and thought to myself, “ We are going to have to push it!”
“Will this sway the mother’s decision?”Although these thoughts crossed my mind, I was not ready to give up. We prayed together and I contacted the agency again. I asked if the mother could spend a few days with Rajveer and didn’t bring up anything else. And the agency came back to me and said, “That’s a wonderful idea!” All this happened in a span of 20 minutes and that is the quickest time the agency has gotten back to me. And the best part is that the staffer from the agency came back to me and said, “The mother would be staying with Rajveer for three days!” I was so surprised when I heard the number three. Not one, two or four, but THREE. This was testament of the fact that God heard Rajveer’s request and granted it. He heard the groanings of that young lad’s heart. The awesomeness of our God brought me to tears for days.
How wonderful is our God, who hears and responds to prayer. The One you can trust on, in the midst of any difficulty. Make your pain, wishes, groanings known to Him, for He hears and He answers.
I hope Rajveer’s story inspires you to seek God continually and make known even your silliest requests to Him. Continue to grow in your connection with God and be aware of that He is there with you, listening to you and helping you out, no matter what.

What a wonderful promise it is!

---

To do In a volatile and uncertain world, Christians have assurances that bring peace in the midst of any storm. Psalm 23 is one such chapter, filled with assurances. It teaches us to have confidence in God and be aware of His presence in our lives. This week I urge you to read this very familiar chapter:   -Declare it loudly over you, for it is a chapter that speaks of God’s nearness to us. -Place your name and own this chapter. -Make it your personal prayer and keep reminding yourself of the promises in this chapter.