All-Sufficient God
As a child, I remember times when I would beg Dad or Mom to buy me something in particular. When I heard the words, “We can’t afford that,” I always had what seemed like the simplest solution. With all the confidence of a child, I would respond, “Then just write a check!”
In my mind, that little rectangular piece of paper solved everything. If money was needed, you simply wrote in the amount and handed it over. I couldn’t understand that the other end of that transaction was a bank account with limits. My parents knew that their checking account was not an all-sufficient resource.
In Genesis 17, God speaks to Abraham, who had failed miserably some thirteen years prior with the birth of Ishmael. Now that Abraham is approaching one hundred years old, the idea of a “promised son” seems like a fantasy.
“And 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.”
—Genesis 17:1
Abraham’s failure with the birth of Ishmael was because he stepped outside of God’s will in an attempt to fulfill God’s promise in his own way. Now God appears again and utters these words: “I am the Almighty God.”
The Name
The Hebrew name in this passage is “El Shaddai”, which literally carries the meaning of the All-Sufficient One. God was reminding Abraham that His resources, His power, and His ability were not limited in the way human resources are. This was not merely an encouraging title for Abraham’s comfort alone. God immediately followed with a command: “Walk before me, and be thou perfect.” In other words, because God is all-sufficient, Abraham had no excuse to live in compromise or disbelief. The God who called him was more than able to sustain him.
How often do we excuse our spiritual struggles by saying things like, “I’m just not strong enough,” or “I just can’t live that kind of life,” or “I’ve failed too many times”? But when we say those things, we forget something very important. Our ability to live for the Lord was never meant to come from our own strength in the first place.
We serve El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One!
Our own human willpower, discipline, or determination does not sustain us. The sufficiency of God Himself is the life-giving source that sustains us. His grace is sufficient. His strength is sufficient. His power is sufficient.
The Grace
Paul later expressed the same truth when the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Our weakness does not limit God, but it highlights the perfect strength of the Almighty One!
Maybe you feel discouraged about a seemingly unfulfilled promise. Maybe you look at your own failures and wonder if you will ever overcome them. Maybe God has called you to serve in a capacity that seems too difficult. All you can see is your insufficiency.
It’s time to stop believing the lie that you cannot live for Him. Stop measuring your ability by your own resources. When we say that we cannot obey God, we are denying the sufficiency of the One who called us.
The God Who sustained Abraham, gave him a promised son, and fulfilled every promise is the same God who walks with you today. If He calls you to walk before Him, it is because He is more than enough to help you do it. Don’t forget, you serve El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient God!