El Shaddai
When Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly”. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, giving him wonderful promises. The Lord also told Abram, “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham: for a father of many nations have I made thee” (Gen.17:1-4)
Here, the Lord revealed Himself to Abram as the Almighty God, which means, in Hebrew, “El Shaddai”.
Some people of God in our midst are in their old age. They may be worried about their old age or their life of retirement. In their old age, their strength may fail. They may not get due love and affection from their kith and kin. But the God of Abraham reveals Himself to them, “I am the Almighty God”. In Isaiah 46:4, God gives this wonderful promise to them:
“Even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear: even I will carry, and will deliver you”.
God will never forsake them. He will carry them on His shoulders and will take them into the Heaven after their death. Like Abraham, they can also get wonderful promises from God for their children, grand children, etc. God will honor His promises made to them concerning their posterity. They are better than the Abraham of the Old Covenant is. All the promises of God to them are Amen in Christ Jesus.
The Lord asked Abram to walk before Him, and to be perfect. The Old Testament saints had to obey God’s commandments with their own strength. However, under the New Testament, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable us to overcome the sin, and to obey His commandments. We can walk before our God and can be perfect, not by our own strength but His grace through the Spirit.
Dearly beloved in Christ Jesus, are you facing a difficult situation in your life today? The Almighty God is with you because you are in Christ Jesus. Our God is greater than your problem and is mightier than your enemies or the devil. “El Shaddai” is His Name! You should fall on your face and pray to Him like Abraham, to get His personal promises for you. If you fall on your face before Him, it will show that you are completely dependent on Him, realizing your unworthiness. God will move mightily in your life and ministry. These days, we find it difficult to kneel down even on the cushions in our churches and pray. Whenever I faced some problem in life, I used to fall prostrate in my secret chambers, and pray to God. The Lord did move mightily in my life, and performed miracles for me.
Today let us pray for the aged parents, grand parents, or the old people in our families.
“Oh, our loving Heavenly Father, We thank and praise You for our dear parents/grand parents who are with us. As You had blessed Abraham in his old age, we pray that You may bless our aged parents/grand parents with good health and long life. Forsake them not when their bodily strength fails. We pray that You may give them revelations and visions, according to Your promise that in the last days our old people would see dreams. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.”
- Job Anbalagan