Discussion Guide for Sunday, March 22, 2020

EL SHADDAI: GOD ALMIGHTY

Series: Knowing God by Name: The Power of God’s Names

Big Idea

In this week’s message, Abram was introduced to another name for God in Genesis 17:1: “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless.’” God introduced Himself to Abram as El Shaddai, God Almighty. It means that God is all powerful and all-sufficient to do whatever it takes to meet your need. There’s nothing too hard for Him. In the original language, this name comes from the root shad which gives us two word pictures to help us understand more about the nature of God.

First of all, it represented a mother’s breast, which is designed to nourish the baby until he develops enough to eat food on his own. El Shaddai is the God of Process. He knows how to sustain you while you develop through the delays of life. Sometimes that may even mean keeping you while you deal with the consequence of your bad decisions. The second word picture is that of a mountain, and it represents the strength of a fortress or stronghold. El Shaddai is the God of Power. When things are too hard for you, they’re just right for Him. Matter of fact, God has a track record of letting you come to the end of yourself before He steps in. Why? Because He wants all the glory for Himself. Seven times in eight verses God says I will as He re-establishes His covenant with Abram. He wanted Abram to know that promise was still good and that He was responsible for its fulfillment. El Shaddai is the God of Promise. And so Abram and Sarai wouldn’t forget the promise, God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. Every time they heard their names, they were reminded of God’s promise.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever felt like God was taking too long? What did you do? How did you try to make sense of it? Did you take matters into your own hands?
• Are there times when you need to be reassured of God’s promises? How has God met that need for you?

Prayer Focus

Lord, help me to know you as my All-Powerful and All-Sufficient God, who is able to sustain and keep me and to fulfill every promise You make. Increase my awe of You and of Your power so that, like Abraham, I may follow you faithfully, always believing that You’re God enough to handle my situation.

Next Steps

Sometimes it’s easier to believe that God has more important things to attend to than to look out for “little old me”. We are often tempted to give God a way out of doing what He’s promised to do in our lives. Consciously resist those thoughts this week. Every time it feels like God’s not going to do what He said, remind yourself: “GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME OR MY SITUATION!”

Want to Get Ahead?

Read and meditate on Genesis 22:1-14 in your devotional time this week.