Today the Lord is drawing me to one of His names that speaks of His sufficiency; His enough-ness. Whenever we see God speaking of Himself as ‘God Almighty’ we are hearing the Hebrew name El Shaddai.
As we join Abram in Genesis 17 (NKJV) we hear the Lord proclaiming this name to the patriarch. Even though it is a long passage, I want us to peer into it for a moment and see something about our El Shaddai. Let’s listen in.
1 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. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 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. 8 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.” 9 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 on God. No less than eight times, the Lord tells Abram something that He will do for or to Abram. The only thing God asks of Abram is to keep the covenant; walk before God and be blameless. If Abram obeys, there is great blessing ahead for not only himself, but all his descendants.
In this passage, God does not ask Abram if he is able to do what is being asked. Rather, God begins by proclaiming to Abram 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.
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 your sufficiency for everything that I am or will ask of you. Trust Me and walk before Me.” 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?
