El Shaddai; Almighty God

Another name of God is El Shaddai. We begin to learn about the meaning of this name in the book of Genesis.

In Genesis chapter 17 we read that when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him. This was twenty-four years after God had promised Abram He would make him a great nation. Abram and Sarai were waiting all those years for God to give them a child; and by this time they were way past the age of having children.

In verse 1, when God appears to Abram He tells Abram, "I am God Almighty." This is the meaning of God's name El Shaddai. "God is the almighty One, the powerful or mighty One. God is all-sufficient. He is all we need." (p. 59)

When Abram meets God, he falls on his face. God promises Abram he will be the father of a multitude of nations. How is it that even though Abram is 99 years old and without children, God can still fulfill His promise to Abram? "There is only one way: through El Shaddai. God is all-sufficient. He is God Almighty. He can do anything!" (p. 60)

Photo Credit
God changes Abram's name to Abraham. The added letter to this new name is the same that is found in the God's own name - Jehovah. Abram means "exalted" or "high father." His new name, Abraham, means "father of a multitude," to reflect the promise that God made to him.

"When Abram was weak, we see that God is strong. God was able to give Abram a child and make him the father of a multitude, even though Abram was past the age to father a child. God is our El Shaddai, our all-sufficient One. He is our rock and our refuge in times of trouble. When we are weak, He is strong. He is Almighty God. He has all the power you will ever need." (p. 60)

In 2 Corinthians chapter 12, we see this same message repeated. Verse nine tells us that God's grace is sufficient for us, that His power is perfected in our weakness. When we are weak, then the power of Christ can dwell in us. 

"When we are weak, we don't have to worry because God is strong!" (p. 61)

-Discover 4 Yourself Inductive Bible Studies for Kids!; God, What's Your Name?; Kay Arthur and Janna Arndt; pp. 58-61

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Benefits of Being a Child of God

Image
In her book "Breaking Free", Beth Moore writes about five benefits God intends "to be the daily experience of every child of God." (p. 23) The first benefit is to know God and believe Him . Beth Moore writes that "one of your chief purposes on this planet is to know God intimately and with reverent familiarity. That intimate relationship begins, but was never intended to end, with what we call the 'salvation experience.' So the first question to ask yourself is, Have you received Christ as your personal Savior?" "One of the most beautiful elements of salvation is its simplicity. Christ has already done all the work on the cross. Your response includes four elements: 1) Acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. 2) Acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and only He can save you. 3) Believe that His Crucifixion was for your personal sins and that His death was on your behalf. 4) Give Him your life and
Read more

Fuel Up with the Holy Spirit

Image
 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26 Once we decide to get on the road with Jesus, we discover that the Bible is like a road map for our journey; helping us to live in a way that pleases God. If we spend time in the Word everyday, we will grow to be more like Jesus. A car needs gasoline in order to work. In order for you to keep going, you have to fill the tank up. Well, just like our physical bodies need food for energy, and cars need gasoline in order to go, our spiritual bodies need a kind of fuel too. This "fuel" is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and energy for life. We know that God created us. We know that Jesus saved us. But you might wonder who the Holy Spirit is. In John 14:16-17 we see that before Jesus was going to die on the cross, He told the disciples that God would send another Helper to help them. This w
Read more

A Clamorous Woman

Image
Photo Credit A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing. For she sits at the door of her house. . . To call to those who pass by. . . "Whoever is simple, let him turn it here"; And as for him who lacks understanding, She says to him, "Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant." But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell. -Proverbs 9:13-18 (NKJV) A foolish woman is clamorous. To be clamorous is to murmur, growl, roar, rage, to be troubled, in an uproar, in a stir, a commotion, boisterous, turbulent, raging. Here is a big clue for us. Every one of these definitions describes anything but a meek and quiet spirit. Usually if we women make an uproar on the outside, it's because there's an uproar on the inside. A clamorous woman lures other people into her whirlpool - or maybe a better word is cesspool. I know that the first level of application of
Read more