Episode #217 Part 2: Experience the Rest and Joy of God Almighty – Names of God

Hey, friends. We're getting to know God more by his good reputation, by his names, and we're taking a look again at the Hebrew name El Shaddai, which means God Almighty.

If you missed the very last episode, looking at how God shared this name with Abram, when he changed his name to Abraham, I encourage you pause this, go back and catch that episode because this is part two, as we're now talking more with God about how he wants to show this name uniquely to each one of us.

And we get to do this because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He shares this name with Abraham, and it's recorded in scripture as a way that God is sharing his name with us.

But we don't just have to read about it and marvel from afar that other people got to know God this way. We also get to know God this way.

In Genesis 17:1, it says,

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am El-Shaddai—God Almighty.’” (Genesis 17:1)

And we are those who still get to take refuge in him.
In Psalm 91:1 in the NLT, it says,

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

We get to be those who find rest in the shadow, who find shelter in God's presence. We also get to receive the goodness of our almighty God in times of correction and training.

In Job 15:17, again, in the NLT, it says,

“But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin." (Job 15:17)

And I wanted to share both of these because it can feel joyous and safe and comforting to know that we can rest in God's shadow. But sometimes it doesn't feel joyous and safe and comforting to consider God's discipline or his correction.

But that also is a good thing. We can have joy when God corrects us because his character is true and trustworthy. Because of all of the aspects of His character and His loving kindness for us, the Almighty God can meet us in our times of needing correction and give joy to us in discipline because He is training us in righteousness.

A. W. Tozer says that “God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.”

El Shaddai calls us beyond what we can achieve on our own to experience his all sufficient strength. I love the emphasis on strength here, which I also see reiterated in a quote from Jackie Hill, Perry. She says, “we often try to hold ourselves up. But El Shada reminds us that we are not the strong ones. He is the strength we lean into when we've come to the end of ourselves.”

I see these themes in all of the passages we've been talking about today.

When Abraham and Sarah have come to the end of themselves, God's saying, Hey, you need to live holy, righteous lives, which could be directly addressing how they mistreated Hagar and that they're not to take matters into their own hands. And he says, I will be the one who will give you a multitude of children. I am El Shaddai, God Almighty.

When we come to the end of ourselves and we need refuge, and we need rest in his shadow, when we need correction and discipline, we can receive it with joy because we don't have to stop where our strength stops.
We don't have to plan only for things we can accomplish for ourselves.

And so let's take this topic and turn it into a conversation with Him. And here's your question:

God, what part of my life am I holding back instead of trusting you to be God Almighty, the strong one?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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