Names of God Devotion
El Shaddai
By Leah Adams
The story is told of a very wealthy man who was asked the question regarding his money, “How much is enough?”
“Just a little bit more,” was his reply.
Our culture is replete with messages trying to convince us that we can never have enough…never enough money, fame, food, control, love….never enough. You don’t believe me? Turn on the television or open a magazine. Advertisers seek to lure us to purchase their products by trying to convince that we need more. We need something bigger, better, more expensive and the product they are selling is that “little bit more” that will bring us real happiness.
Let’s delve into one of God’s names that speaks of His sufficiency, His enough-ness. Whenever we hear God speaking of Himself in the Bible as ‘God Almighty’ we are hearing the Hebrew name El Shaddai. As we join Abram in Genesis 17: 1-9 (NKJV) we hear the Lord proclaiming this name to the patriarch.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.”
In this passage of Scripture, the covenant that is being enacted relies almost completely upon God. No less than eight times, the Lord tells Abram something that He will do for him. The only thing God asks of Abram is to keep the covenant; walk before God and be blameless. If Abram walks in obedience, there is great blessing ahead for not only himself, but all his descendants.
Notice in this passage that God does not inquire if Abram is able to do what is being asked. Rather, God begins by proclaiming to him that He will be Abram’s sufficiency and if Abram will walk before God, He will be enabled to keep the covenant. God would be sufficient for Abram’s every need. He would be Abram’s El Shaddai.
God never calls us to walk before Him and then disappears, leaving us to map out the best path to take by ourselves. Through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, El Shaddai provides everything we need to walk the path which God is taking us.
Perhaps there is a place in your life where God is saying, “I am your El Shaddai; walk before me and be blameless. I am enough for everything that I will ask of you. Trust Me, walk before Me and see the blessing that I will bring to you.” Friend, He promises to be sufficient for anything that He allows in your life. Do you trust Him? Will you, in faith, walk before Him, believing that He is enough?
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Speaker and author Leah Adams is the founder of The Point Ministries. Her passion is for others to understand the grace and second chances offered by Jesus to all who ask. She is a CLASS certified speaker and the author of From the Trash Pile to the Treasure Chest: Creating a Godly Legacy Bible study. Leah is a regular contributor at CBN.com and Internet Café Devotions. She and her husband, Greg, live in northern Georgia.
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