A New Name

"And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE." Ezekiel 48:35

The end of Ezekiel discusses the restoration of Israel and the division of the land. After everything that Israel had done, God still promised to be with them. He promised to give the city a new name. And not just any name. The Lord is there. They will be known not for an ancestor or a particular tribe, not for a product or landmark in their territory. They will be known for being a place where God is.

Lisbon's glory days were long ago. The Portuguese explored the world. They were innovators and merchants and explorers. Basically the center of the world was once here. On our beautiful river there is a tall stone monument to the discoveries. On the stone designed to look like the mast of a great ship are carved the faces of people important to the discoveries--to our glory days. Prince Henry the Navigator is at the front. Not too far behind him is a man holding a cross. On the ships that went out full of explorers, navigators, sailors, and merchants were also priests and missionaries. These early explorers wanted to bring glory to Lisbon, to Portugal, to themselves....but they also wanted to reach the world and bring glory to God.

Lisbon was once a city known far and wide.

My prayer is that this city will be truly great again--that it will be famous and well known.

But that it will be known by a new name. It will no longer be Lisbon. It will once again be consumed with spreading the gospel and bringing glory to God.

It will be known as "The Lord is there."