El Shaddai

I was looking up translations and references for El Shaddai, and at first it seemed like it was very similar to El Elohe, the name from yesterday's blog.  But then I dug a little deeper, and realized that it had another facet to it.  Many scholars believe that El Shaddai is derived from the Hebrew word shad, meaning breast.  It refers to the way that God completely supplies His people with all their needs, much like a mother does for her child.  God is our sustainer; He will always give us His nourishment and blessings without reservation. 

The first time El Shaddai is mentioned in the Bible is with the covenant that God made with Abram (or Abraham, as his name was changed to during this encounter).  And boy, did God provide for Abram!  He blessed not only Abram, but also his descendants with children, power, prestige, and wealth.  It is fitting in a series on the names of the Lord to mention the name change that Abram received here.  God recognized the importance of a name, and thus He also changed Abram's name to Abraham as a part of his blessing.

There's a beautiful song by Avalon called El Shaddai.  Every time I listen to it, I am reminded of what a big God I serve.  I'd like to close this blog with the lyrics to it.  Hopefully you will be equally blessed by it.  If you want to listen to the full song, you can follow this link. 

El Shaddai

By Avalon

El Shaddai, El Shaddai, El-Elyon na Adonia,
Age to age You're still the same, By the power of the name.
El Shaddai, El Shaddai, Erkamka na Adonai,
We will praise and lift You high, El Shaddai.

Through your love and through the ram, You saved the son of Abraham;
Through the power of your hand, Turned the sea into dry land.
To the outcast on her knees, You were the God who really sees,
And by Your might, You set Your children free. 

El Shaddai, El Shaddai, El-Elyon na Adonia,
Age to age You're still the same, By the power of the name.
El Shaddai, El Shaddai, Erkamka na Adonai,
We will praise and lift You high, El Shaddai.

Through the years You've made it clear, That the time of Christ was near,
Though the people couldn't see What Messiah ought to be.
Though Your Word contained the plan, They just could not understand
Your most awesome work was done Through the frailty of Your Son.

Genesis 17:1-8

 ¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. ² Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
 ³ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. ⁵ No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. ⁷ I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ⁸ The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

The name game

Goodness gracious, I'm so glad that God is bigger than I am.  Ever since I heard about my Fulbright scholarship, things seem to have been spinning out of control.  I've got to get a full medical examination and other forms to them within the next few weeks; I've got like 3 awards ceremonies to attend in the next week; the campus publicity office wants to do an article on me, and so they're trying to set up a time for an interview and a photo shoot; I've got another round of tests coming up, plus final presentations in almost every class; graduation rehearsal; certification exams; work; class; church; yada, yada, yada....  I feel like I've barely had time to breathe - and when I do breathe, it's only shallowly.

It's easy to get overwhelmed.  In fact, it's hard not to get overwhelmed.  So I thought that today I would write about some of the names of God that exemplify who He is and show us His character.  Studying God's names has always been one of my favorite Biblical topics, and always leaves me feeling reasted and peaceful.  I trust that God will not let me down this time :).

El Shaddai: God Almighty or the All-Sufficient One (Genesis 17:1). He is the Author of all good things; without Him what can we do?? But with Him, who can stand against us?? It's so easy to say, but so much more difficult to really believe.  Do we really believe that God is truly all we need? I know that I often have trouble believing that....

Our Shepherd: Psalm 23. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
One of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible!! There is sooo much to this chapter! Ohhh, I pray that I will always remember that He will always bring me to the safety of green pastures, even when I don't want to go and He must "make" me.

Jevovah Jireh: the Lord will Provide. I have a banner over my bed with these words on it. It serves as a constant reminder to put my trust where it belongs. "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" (Luke 12:25-26) Oh, how He wants to lavish His love on us!!! I have experienced such an overwhelming downpour of His favor this past week that it is difficult to digest. And, I can be content in the knowledge that it is not a dream; my Daddy really does love me that much; just like he extravagantly loves all His children.

Jevovah-Rophe: the Lord who Heals (Exodus 15:22-26). He is the great physician. And the great thing about this Healer is that He is not limited to healing our bodies. Bodies are not the only things that break in this life. Hearts can be shattered, souls can become embittered, and minds worn down. And our Lord, our Adonai, our Master, our Daddy, can heal them all.

Jehovah-Shalom: the Lord our Peace (Judges 6:24). He is our peace! He is MY peace. If my world seems to be going crazy and falling apart, I know that I can lean on the Creator of the world! He is the Master Weaver; when we know that He holds the threads of our life, we can rest in the knowledge that He is creating a beautiful tapestry.

Jehovah-Shammah: the Lord is There (Ezekiel 48:35). That name warrants repeating. He is THERE! When you feel lonely, or scared, or unnoticed....He sees you; He sees me! And He's CRAZY about you!  He will never leave us, nor forsake us. I am reminded of the poem "Footprints". It speaks of a man who dreamed of his life one night, seeing two sets of footprints (his and God's) walking through most of the scenes of his life. But through the most difficult times of his life, there was only one set of footprints. He asked God why God would leave him when things got tough, and this is what God said, "My, son, my precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you have seen only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

I thank God that He is a God of many names, and that all of them minister to me in different ways, so that I am made whole.  It gives me chills just thinking about it :).