Did you see Toy Story?
Do you remember the toys? Some were pretty normal – sort of.
· There was our hero, Woody, who was afraid he would lose his place in Andy’s life.
· Mr. Potato Head had a chip on his shoulder and a face that kept falling off.
· There was the dinosaur that wanted to be a fearful Tyrannosaurs Rex fearful giant when he was just a cute piece of molded plastic.
· Of course, there was Buzz Light year who took himself way too seriously.
· And there were the mutant toys that had been maliciously broken by the hyperactive neighbor kid named Sid.
We are like rag dolls in the hands an evil demented child but God is in the business of sustaining people like me and people like you.
El Shaddai – All-Sufficient God
Last week we talked about El Elyon – God Most High
The God who forms our purpose
The God who is the source of our blessings
The God of is worthy of our service – our time – our life
BTW: Have you blessed someone today?
2.
Today we speak of El Shaddai – God Almighty
When we think of an Almighty God we think of a God with power. We think of “Arnold”
Wow! Who ever would have thought that Arnold, "The Terminator", would end up Governor of California.
As weird as that is - remember that actor Ronald Reagan was not only elected Governor of California but he also become the President of the United States.
Does this mean...??? Do you think...??? Nawww... It could never happen!!! His power is not sufficient...
Arnold usually plays the part of a mighty man (or syborg).
He has played the parts of the terminator, the barbarian, and a powerful combatant in "Predator" (All of them definitely guy movies!).
It is this definition of might and power that shapes our understanding of an "Almighty" God.
But this definition is so limiting. "El Shaddai’s" power and might go way beyond the application or raw force.
El Shaddai: Let’s break it down…
In the year 250 B.C., a group of Jewish scholars translated the Scriptures into Greek. This version of the Bible is called the Septaugint. These scholars translated the Hebrew Shaddai into the Greek word ikanos which means "all-sufficient". The word Shaddai occurs some 48 times in the Old Testament and is always translated "almighty" in the King James Version.
“El” is the name of God that speaks of power; but what does “Shaddai” mean? Scholars do not agree. Some say it comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to be strong”; others prefer a word meaning “mountain” certainly a mountain is a symbol of strength. But this alone is not enough. There is a deeper and more profound meaning of Shaddai. A meaning which is so much more than raw power but of quiet sufficiency.
The Hebrew word shad is used 24 times and is always translated as "breast". In the same way that a mother’s breast is "all-sufficient" for her newborn baby’s nourishment, God is "all-sufficient" for His people.
When we combine El (Almighty God) with Shaddai (All-sufficiency and strength) we have "The Almighty God who nurtures and strengthens you".
His might is one of strength and sufficiency. God has enough. God is enough - no matter what the situation or circumstances.
We could say it this way… “El Shaddai” is the name of “the all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need.”
Let’s look at three passages where we see El Shaddai at work. We see in each of these passages the sufficiency of God.
In each passage we see a different person – each broken and damaged by life in a different way. Each discovering El Shaddai.
El Shaddai was the God of Abraham
Genesis 17:1-2 (NCV)
1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Obey me and do what is right. 2 I will make an agreement between us, and I will make you the ancestor of many people.”
Let me fill you in a little about Abraham. Here is a man of great faith. He worshiped the one God – El. This he did in a world that had as many gods as they had tent pegs. And they lived in tents.
God made a covenant with Abraham. A holy promise that he would bless Abraham with a son and from that son would come so very much. Great numbers of children would come. Great nations would be built. Great Kings would be born and rule. But most of all there would be one through whom all the families of the world would be blessed and saved. From Abraham would come a great Messiah and a great kingdom.
He was here 99 years old and promised that he would have more children than the sand on the beach or stars in the universe. That’s a little tough to accept at face value.
Not just for Abraham but also for Sarah. In fact when Sarah heard this news she laughed! And God asked why she laughed.
The answer reveals something important about El Shaddai. El Shaddai is the “All-Sufficient God” even when you just don’t comprehend his purpose or plan for your life.
Genesis 18:13-14 (NCV)
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘I am too old to have a baby’? 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? No! I will return to you at the right time a year from now, and Sarah will have a son.”
They couldn’t get there minds around this promise
Abraham kept trying to help God. He kept saying things like “How about Ishmael? He’s my son.”
And God kept saying, “No, I’m going to do this through you and Sarah.” And he did!
When her son was born they named him Isaac – the name literally translates as “laughter”.
El Shaddai is sufficient! Even when you don’t understand what he is doing in your life. Just remember this one thing. God has enough power and enough strength to make your life valuable.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or how tired you are. It doesn’t matter how beat up you are or how damaged you are. God is sufficient. El Shaddai can make you more than you have ever dreamed or imagined!
Let me ask you a question…
What is God telling you he wants to do with your life?
Now listen to me – Don’t laugh! Believe, receive and rejoice because God is suffient.
El Shaddai was the God of Naomi and Job
Ruth 1:20-21 (The Message)
But she said, “Don’t call me Naomi; call me Bitter. The Strong One has dealt me a bitter blow. I left here full of life, and GOD has brought me back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi? God certainly doesn’t. The Strong One ruined me.”
Life can deal punishing blows… Many can understand the agony of Naomi. She had left her home and her family married a man and moved to another land. Then he had the audacity to up and die! She had nothing and no one. There was no welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, subsidized housing, employment bureau, jobs program, or social security. In short, there was no safety net at all.
Naomi had lost more than her husband – she had lost her entire life. It was gone. She had nothing. Her boys were grown and gone. They died too. She had nothing left.
So she says, don’t call me Naomi. Call me “Bitter”
Sound familiar?
You may well have experienced the damaging blows of life. You’re walking along and everything is good. The flowers are beautiful and blooming. The trees are green and shady. Then you rounded a corner in life and suddenly where there was green grass and lush life there was dry brown dirt. Life was no longer a garden – it had become a desert.
It may have been the death of your soul mate and friend in marriage. It may have been your child taken away suddenly in an unexplainable accident, or painfully in a terrible disease, tragically in a horrible crime.
It may have been the exposure of a crime you committed against society or a person who loved you. You have been falsely accused, unfairly punished, and beaten down.
We have all answered the phone and heard the words, “I’m sorry…” We have all opened the envelope and read the condolences of others… We have all sat alone and dry-eyed – unable to feel – on a vinyl couch in an antiseptic hospital room after being told… We have all sat in cold metal chairs under an awning that shields you from nothing in a field of marble stones and said good bye when you didn’t want to…
And if you haven’t – you will. What do you do then?
Job was like Naomi… He too lost it all. His wealth was lost in a day when thieves stole it all. Nothing was left. His money evaporated faster than Enron collapsed. His retirement program was gutted and there was nothing left.
His children were taken – 10 kids – when the house caved in they all died in one tragic moment.
And in the center of all of this pain… His health broke. The body with all of it’s wondrous ability to fight off disease and to regenerate life – broke. He was covered with sores. He was broken inside and out.
It was then he cried out against God Like Naomi.
But God answered him… from a storm. El Shaddai is the All-Sufficient God …even when we have nothing left and nowhere to turn
Job 38:4-7 (NCV)
4 Where were you when I made the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off how big it should be?
Surely you know!
Who stretched a ruler across it?
6 What were the earth’s foundations set on,
or who put its cornerstone in place
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted with joy?
Job 40:1-2 (NIV)
1 The LORD said to Job:
2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Who do you think you are? Just trust me. I know what I’m doing.
El Shaddai – The Almighty God – The All-Sufficient God is in the business of fixing broken people.
The Almighty God is the Strong God
Do you understand what God is doing in your life?
Have you been dealt a mighty blow?
Are you at the end of your strength, your positive thinking and your ability to withstand the pressures?
How strong is He? He is strong enough! El Shaddai is sufficient for us when we are insufficient. El Shaddai is enough for us when we don’t have enough.
El Shaddai is adequate for us in our time of inadequacy. Whatever you are dealing with in others or in your own self… He is sufficient
Maybe it’s time to trust God with your life…
I received this prayer request by email this week... Here is a woman - broken who has turned to El Shaddai. Maybe you should too.
I don’t know what I would do without all of you to pray with me. Thank you for being there and being the prayer-partners that you are.I thank the Lord for all He has done for me and never leaving me. I thank Him for restoring me to Him and praise Him for His loving kindness always!
This is my request....... I am still preplexed and weary over this thing. We need Gods guidence and hopefully blessing on this all important business deal we are about to get underway with. It has been a long hard hard road to get to this this point and there have been many pit falls and wrong turns. And when it comes to finances and this family , it has been an absolutely frightening disaster in the past. We have no room for mistakes. This is everything we have or will have in this lifetime. We must get it right . God ’s wisdom is so very sought after in this endevor. Please ask the Lord to be with us every step of the way, for Satan to be bound and cast out of this issue and this entire family as well. I am waiting for some’’ big phone call’’ to come in tonight. What will it be good or bad? Where will we go from here? Is this the right ’’deal’’ to be making with lives? Money couldn’t be any tighter for us . I don’t want to appear desperate in this , but we really are.
Then there is the problem with our boys [20&23]... they need to be doing better. They just ’’flit’’ around doing nothing, without a care in the world, not rooting their lives in the things of God, or focusing on their own future, school for one . They are not being bad as far as I know just not being what they ought to be. They need Christian friends worse than anything! They run with all the wrong people day and night! Please pray the blood of Jesus for their protection, I do not want to worry over them but they have lost [5] friends in car accidents. They have seen [2] deaths first hand. What will it take to wake them up?
Keep me in your prayers please.
Thank you so much, Maureen
Let’s go to a time of prayer and communion...
