May 4, 2021
I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our God, who created and formed us and who never ever forgets us. The blessed word that God has given for you, today is from the book of 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.”
From the above context we learn that the Lord appeared to Abram and made a covenant with him. The Righteous God made a covenant with the most righteous man Abraham during his time. Likewise we see that God found Noah as righteous man during his period in all the generations. Only to such people God demonstrates His power. Throughout the Scripture, we see how God, gently and gradually unveils His gracious character and His eternal attributes, first to one person and then to another. To David, God proved Himself to be his Shepherd. To Hagar, God revealed himself, as the all-seeing One. He became a Banner and Standard to the wandering Israelites in the wilderness, and to the frightened Gideon He became Shalom – the Lord is my Peace. He appeared to Abram when he was ninety one years old, and changed his name to Abraham. God also changed the name of Sarai to Sarah. He wanted to have close relationship with both of them as a united family.
There was an occasion when the Lord revealed Himself to Abraham as his Provider, but in this unique and touching episode, God disclosed Himself to the aging Abraham as Almighty God (El-Shaddai). It speaks of His majesty, strength, greatness, and power. And yet the name, ‘El Shaddai’, identifies our heavenly Father as the all-sufficient God – the God who is totally adequate to provide ALL we need according to His riches in mercy. We see that God made a personal encounter with Abraham to remind him that he had not forgotten His promise to him that he would bless him as the father of the nation and he will multiply him as the stars in the heaven, and expand his generation. The Bible says, “Abraham believed in God, and so it was accounted to him for righteousness”. Abraham believed that He would surely bless him with a child because God considered that which does not exist as though they existed.
God had promised Abraham with the Seed through whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. His advancing years appeared to contradict God’s former Word. It seemed impossible that the 90-year-old Sarah and her 100-year-old husband could parent a child, as God had promised some time before. Yet, in this gracious encounter, God reveals Himself to Abraham in a new and wonderful way – as ‘God Almighty’ – ‘El Shaddai’ – ‘the All-Sufficient God’. And as it was with Abraham, so it is with all of God’s people. The All-sufficiency of God enriches, empowers, and provides for all God’s children. The precious promise of God’s all-embracing sufficiency, is equally relevant today as it was in those dim and distant days, when God called Abram, a Gentile, out of Ur, to leave his land, his wealth, and his relatives, and go to the land God promised to show him. Abraham obeyed God implicitly and so he was blessed.
The young Abram had obeyed the Lord many years earlier and his faith was already credited to him as righteousness. But many years later, when that same man of faith was ninety-nine years of age, the Lord appeared to him in a new and special way. And Said to him, “I am God Almighty, “I am El Shaddai – the All-Sufficient One. Walk before Me and be blameless.”God wanted Abraham to walk as an upright man on the face of this earth. God always promises on certain conditions. Here we see that God promised Abraham to bless him with son Isaac, if he would walk uprightly before Him. God overshadowed and stirred the womb of the elderly Sarah, and empowered old Abraham to father this child, so God is able and willing to work His all-sufficient grace in the lives of each of His children. For there is no partiality with God.
Are you righteous and blameless before God. Then God will perform a miracle for you even if you have grown old, and will magnify your name before your people as God blessed Abraham with a Child and honoured his faith. His faith in God was accounted to him as righteousness. Are you in need of a solution to your problem? Are you in need of a financial breakthrough? Are you struggling in your business? Are you waiting for God to bless you with a Child? What is it that you want God to do for you? Do only one thing. Walk uprightly before God. God wants to make a covenant with you just as He made a Covenant with Abraham, He says, “You walk uprightly before Me, then I will fulfil the desires of your heart.” Abraham waited for God’s appropriate time and so was blessed. Make Abraham the “Father of Faith,” your model in life. Then you shall receive what you have been expecting over a long period of time. God expects a change in you. If you decide to live in obedience to God then He will bless you. Walk uprightly before God. Then God will bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord, we recognise Your almighty power and great glory, for the heavens declare its truth. You are also our great Provider for which we thank You. Your gracious provision is all-sufficient and we long to serve You faithfully, and to live a blameless life before You. Lord, we know that living blamelessly before You, will help us to receive Your blessings. Teach us to be obedient to You. Help us to live as You desire.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
