El-Shaddai

In Gen. 17: 1, God appears to Abram and says, "I am God Almighty." In the Hebrew language this name is "El-Shaddai." This divine name appears forty-eight times in the Old Testament, and this name reveals to us that God is more than able to keep all his promises to Abram - and to us, because he is El-Shaddai - he is God Almighty.

How great is our God, El-Shaddai? How mighty is he? In Gen. 18 God promises a natural-born child to an elderly Abraham and Sarah. Sarah laughed when she heard this. El-Shaddai responded with these words:
(Gen 18:14) "Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

"Is anything too hard for the LORD?" The correct answer, the only answer, the answer that everyone knows, is this: No, nothing is too hard for the Lord. Because he is God Almighty.

How great is our God, El-Shaddai? Israel was in the wilderness where God provided them manna and water. They began to crave other food: meat, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic. So they cried to the Lord and complained to the Lord. God promises the people would eat meat for a month. (Num 11:20). This time it was Moses who doubted the word of the Lord. Listen to the response of El-Shaddai:
(Num 11:23) "Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."

"Is the Lord's arm too short?" Do the Lord's arms not reach far enough is be able to help us when we are in need?
The only answer, the answer that everyone knows, is this: No, the Lord's arm is not too short. Because he is El-Shaddai.

Do you see what our God, what El-Shaddai, what God Almighty can do?
He can do anything, anything at all.

In Christ, we who are sinners are renewed. The old, weak, sinful person is buried and a new person rises through faith. We are declared righteous in God's sight. God can do this, because he is El-Shaddai. He is God Almighty. He can do anything, anything he wants to do.