• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Connect
    • Tuesday Together
  • Encourage
    • Rule of Life
    • Lectio Divina
    • Personal Year-end Examen
    • Reading Recommendations
  • Prepare
    • Leadership Training
    • LSM Facilitator Resources
  • Formation Zoé
Lifesprings International Ministries

Lifesprings International Ministries

Encouraging, preparing, and connecting women to impact their communities with the love of God.

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Give
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

El Shaddai: God Almighty

February 15, 2022 by Ezers Leave a Comment

Listen:

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)

Reflect:

This Psalm names God as El Shaddai – God Almighty. Of all the names of God, perhaps El Shaddai comes closest to an all-encompassing name for God. But close is not really close due to the limitations of language and our human condition.

El Shaddai was translated as God Almighty in the King James Version. These words make me think of power on a grand scale. I imagine El Shaddai leading an army of believers to conquer evil and sending peals of thunder and bolts of lightning to illuminate the night sky. We might even give El Shaddai a human stereotype – maybe a strong, protective man with biceps of steel. 

But that stereotype limits God. “Shaddai” is taken from the Hebrew word “shad”, which means “breast.” This means that El Shaddai provides maternal nourishment – provision, nurture and blessing, in other words. The first time El Shaddai’s name is used, it is spoken in the context of fruitfulness and blessing for Abraham and Sarah. Their fruitfulness and blessing was not limited to Isaac. El Shaddai created generational flourishing for the faithful, who have spread to every country of the world. And El Shaddai shows us what fruitfulness and blessing means in the context of the One who was wrongfully executed. Death is not a limitation in El Shaddai’s world.

So when the Psalmist encourages us to trust El Shaddai in a world where everything seems upside down – pandemic, wars and rumors of war, divisiveness, a languishing church, personal problems – what is our response? Should we limit El Shaddai to some words in a human language and order up a serving of worry on the side? Or can we just smile and know that there are no limits on flourishing through El Shaddai?

Prayer of Response:

Living God, we flourish in you! Help us to trust you, and receive your blessings and live lives of fruitfulness in Christ. Amen.

Questions to Ponder:

How have you noticed God helping you to flourish, even in difficult times?
What limitations and worry are you being invited to release to God?

—Submitted by Libby Rutherford

 Libby has been a Lifespringer for about 15 years, and is on its Executive Team. She is wife to Jay, mom to John (Te) and Sarah (Pascal), and grandmother to Malcolm! She has way too many chickens and more eggs in the incubator. She thinks chickens make the best sermon illustrations.

Category iconUncategorized

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Celebrating Fall with Thanksgiving and Praise
  • Celebrating Fall with Thanksgiving and Praise
  • Celebrating Fall with Thanksgiving and Praise
  • Celebrating Fall with Thanksgiving and Praise
  • Celebrating Fall with Thanksgiving and Praise

Archives

  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Give
Give via Check in the U.S.

 

Make check out to:
 Faith and Learning International

IMPORTANT, please write:
LIFESPRINGS GENERAL FUND in the MEMO line

Mail to:
Faith and Learning International
PO Box 480
Wheaton, IL 60187-0480

To give by bank transfer in Euros:

 

IBAN: FR76 1009 6180 4100 0576 2590 144
Account: 00057625901
Bank: CIC FERNEY VOLTAIRE 10096
BIC: CMCIFRPP

Association name: Lifesprings France
Bank: CIC FERNEY VOLTAIRE
Address: 1 Avenue Voltaire
01210 Ferney Voltaire, FRANCE

Phone: +33 8 20 30 05 83