“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 17:1-4, NASB)
Recently, I listened to a song called “El Shaddai”.
Now, I like to know the meaning of the songs I sing, so that when I sing my praises and worship unto the Lord, I’m singing it with full intention knowing the gravity of my words.
So I was curious as to what “El Shaddai” meant. A Google search showed me that the term carried a few meanings: The more commonly accepted one is “God Almighty”.
We hear it often enough that we serve an Almighty God, one who is omnipotent and omnipresent.
We know that God is almighty: Nothing in this world can come close to the majesty of our God. But we take this knowledge for granted more often than not.
If God is almighty then there are certain implications. It means that in the face of any challenge or adversity – God is always greater. And if the Almighty God is sovereign, then we must fully relent and submit to God, to what He has ordained and commissioned us to do.
Living under an Almighty God means that in the face of depression, no matter how the devil lies or how unwanted and unloved you feel – you can trust in El Shaddai.
He sent His Son down to die on the cross for the redemption of our sins, to give us a new beginning and relationship with Him – one that overflows with pure love.
When we trust in El Shaddai, regardless of how lost or abandoned we feel, whatever crossroads we’re at in our lives or anxiety we might have – we are able to look to the Almighty God of hope.
He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He knows the big picture and the plans (Jeremiah 29:11) He has for us. In His time He will pave the way according to His will for our lives.
He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Since we serve an Almighty God, we need to put God above anything of ourselves. He comes first as we place our trust in Him – the God who holds the world in His hands.
When God first revealed who He was to Abraham, the latter’s response was to fall to the ground in reverence and adoration. Abraham knew and understood who God was. His response was utter humility and surrender.
We need that same humility in our lives. We need to be humble, knowing that our God has already won the battle. And knowing that though the road ahead may be ridiculously tough, with God Almighty on our side, we need not fear.
We need to surrender: To submit to God’s sovereign will for our lives. We need to surrender all our earthly thoughts and things that we have placed ahead of God’s plans.
And knowing who He is, we can faithfully surrender our whole lives to El Shaddai.