Personal Reflection on El Shaddai

One of my favorite parts of the book, "16 Names of God: a Strong Tower to Run to" is the personal reflections. Each of the 16 chapters in the book contains a personal reflection written by a different girl.

These personal reflections are moving! They challenge us. They are thought-provoking and we are better off having read them.

​I want to share one of these with you so that you can get just a bite-sized sample of what to expect when you read "16 Names of God."

I appreciate Tiffany's reflection and perspective on the name of God El Shaddai—Lord God Almighty. Dive deep into her personal journey with chronic pain and see how she discovers God's all-sufficient and sustaining grace in the moments of greatest weakness.

"​El Shaddai is a frequently used name of God that translates to either “God Almighty” or “all-sufficient One.” It is first used by God in Genesis 17:1, where the Bible records “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty [El Shaddai]; walk before Me, and be blameless….'”

In this passage, God is reaching out to Abram for the first time in 13 long years. Prior to this, Abram and his wife had doubted God’s promise to them that they would have a son from Sarai’s (very old) womb. As they waited for God to fulfill this promise, Sarai convinced Abram to impregnate her servant in order to give them a child. 

But this is not what God had planned for them. And I wonder if God’s silence for 13 years made Abram doubt that God still cared for him and had a plan for him.

So, after all that time, God shows up once again and calls Himself ‘El Shaddai’—the all-sufficient One or God Almighty. Why would God choose to use this name for Himself under these circumstances?

One possible reason is that He is showing Abram that He is sufficient to deal with the mess Abram had made—God is big enough, strong enough, powerful enough to fix whatever problems Abram has. He is telling Abram that He is sufficient to bring about His promise, and He is also sufficient to redeem the mess Abram and Sarai created. ​

He is also mighty—powerful, strong, and capable. Do you remember in Sunday school class singing “My God is so Great?” We sing this song with our kids, now and the lyrics are a simple, joyful reminder of Who God is: “My God is so great, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do.”

Do you believe this, friend? Our God is so great, so strong, so mighty. There is nothing in our lives that He can’t handle. 

But so often we feel beyond God’s reach—or like we don’t matter enough for God to reach us. We may feel flawed, broken beyond fixing, and just an all-around hot mess. Which is what Abram might have felt after 13 years of silence from God. After he had seemingly messed up God’s plan. But none of that is outside God’s powerful reach. And that’s what God was reminding Abram of when He called Himself “El Shaddai.”

My journey with chronic pain started about twelve years ago. One of my earliest symptoms was difficulty breathing—literally “air hunger.” I was getting enough oxygen, but my body felt like I needed more. In the early days of this symptom, I would get panicky; I was afraid I would suffocate. I felt crippled—how could I be useful to God if I could barely talk? My life dwindled to sheer survival, and I doubted God’s power and sufficiency. 

One of the thoughts that helped me get through these moments was the fact that God gave me breath. The very breath that I was struggling with, God was in control of. He could give, and He could take away. He had sustained me through the last breath I took, and the one before that, and the one before that. He had gotten me through every day before, and He would get me through this day.

One of my favorite verses became: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

In this verse, God is telling Paul that his weakness (the thorn in his flesh) won’t keep him from being loved by God or useful to him. God’s grace is “sufficient”—it will sustain him, carry him through, surround him, and uphold him.

Through this verse and so much more, God showed me He is a powerful sustainer. And that’s the message He has put on my heart today for you: No matter what is going on in your life, remember that God is El Shaddai—the God Who is mighty and sufficient." —Tiffany

Share your personal reflection on the name of God El Shaddai​ in the comments.

Read more: El Shaddai: Lord God Almighty

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