QUICK! Describe, in your mind, this picture of a mountain. Any and everything, and I'm not talking about just physical description; I'm talking about the attributes of the mountain. Got 'em? Are they similar to: majestic, big, powerful, awe-invoking, immovable, strong and immense? If so, then you can begin to jive with where I'm headed in part one of our new series: Names of God.
Today, we're looking at the name "God Almighty" or "God of the Mountain." This is the Hebrew name El Shaddai that anyone that has been around church very long has heard. But did you know what El Shaddai meant? I know I never did. Let's look at it in Scripture and then discuss it.
"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life." -Genesis 17:1, NLT
The name we translate as God Almighty refers to God in a manner similar to how one would refer to a mountain: powerful, unmoving, strong. You see, we have a powerful God. By powerful, I mean POWERFUL. There is literally nothing in the universe that can move or wound Him. What could be a more difficult opponent than Mt. Everest? Can you imagine trying to take on Mt. Kilimanjaro? It would be impossible to defeat one of those mountains, right? In the same stream, who could possibly defeat God?! He's unmovable.
This directly relates to our life. The verse goes on to have God saying for Abraham to "serve [God] faithfully and live a blameless life." The King James Version puts it even more bluntly: "be perfect." Ha! How on earth are we supposed to do that?!
Obviously, we will not be 100% blameless and perfect. God is not being unreasonable here. He knows our limitations and abilities even better than we do. So why would he say that? Simple: he wants us to put our faith in Him and lean on Him. What is better to put all your trust and hope in something as solid as a mountain? How much easier is it to follow Him when we know how solid and secure He is? He wants us to rely on Him, and it only makes sense to do so. Putting our faith in anything else would be settling for less.
How does this affect your view of God? How does it change your thoughts and amount of trust you feel like you can put in Him?
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