My daughter is afraid of the dark. She always has been really nervous in the dark. She doesn’t like being alone much either so if she wakes up in the night, she will always find her way to our bed. She cuddles in and then in the morning tells me that she came in because it is where she felt safe.
I love the part is Psalm 139 when it says “…To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.” In Ezekiel 48:35 we hear God known as Jehovah Shammah for the first time. It means God is There.
I really love the idea that to God the darkness around us doesn’t exist. Nothing deters him. Nothing scares him. Nothing stops him. He is everywhere, among all of us, always working, always part of us.
When my son was born, he stayed a few days in the NICU because he had a bit of trouble clearing his lungs and struggled breathing. He was hooked up to all these machines. He was so little. I was released from the hospital before him and I remember them telling me to go home and rest and then come back in the morning. It had been a really tough labor that resulted in my needing a blood transfusion. I didn’t want to go, but I had to take a few steps to care for myself so that I could care for him. Leaving him there and returning home for the night was really hard. He was a tiny, new baby and I couldn’t do anything for him. I felt like I was leaving part of myself behind.
Psalm 139:7 says “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!”
I am so grateful for this verse because it reminds me that God was surrounding my sweet baby in the hospital while also caring for me at home. Soon enough (only 1 night!) we were able to reunite and start our journey as mother and son. God was with us, even when we were apart. My son is 10 now and I feel the need for God’s presence with him as he navigates school and growing into a young man.
Jehovah Shammah: God Is There
You do not need to fear the darkness because God is there. You do not need to worry about the future because God is there. You aren’t alone. You have never been alone. You will never be alone.
God is there.
Psalm 139:7-12 – I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.
