God of the Impossible in 2016
Here we are on the threshold of 2016, and I want you to know that the Lord is setting us up for some incredible breakthroughs, increases, and transformations. A couple months ago when I began to pray into the New Year, I heard the Lord say that He wanted to re-introduce Himself to His people as “El Shaddai.” I knew that this was one of His names, and that it could be translated as “God Almighty” or “The All-Sufficient One,” but after hearing from the Lord, I was intrigued and I wanted to dig deeper. Why did He want to re-acquaint us with Himself as El Shaddai? What was He up to? What does this mean for the new season we’re entering?
When I did a word study on “El Shaddai,” I discovered that there were many times when the Lord announced to His people that He was “God” or that He was “All Mighty,” but there were only a few times when He declared that He was “El Shaddai – God Almighty, the All Sufficient One!” What was most intriguing to me was that the handful of times that He did this, profound things happened – seemingly impossible things that had been severely hindered, delayed, or even abandoned, suddenly were renewed, revived and released.
The first mention of “El Shaddai” in the Bible is in Genesis 17:1 when the Lord appears to Abram to remind Him of the promise He has made to give him an heir and a line of descendants who will inherit all God has blessed him with. What’s really interesting, is the context in which this happens. This promise of the Lord goes back to Genesis 15 when He first told Abram He would give him a son (15:4). Abram heard the word of the Lord and believed (15:6). This was a big step of faith for Abram as he and his wife, Sarai, had not been able to conceive up to that point. God told Abram that this was a “covenant” deal (15:18) – affirming that no matter how difficult or improbable, Abram could count on the promise because he could count on God. Amen! But as time passed and God did not move according to the schedule Abram and Sarai were expecting, doubt and impatience began to creep in. Can anyone relate?
In Genesis 16, Sarai and Abram decide to hatch their own scheme to bring forth the promise of God (16:1-3). Never a good idea. What results is years of headaches, heartaches, and hassles in their household, their lives and beyond (Genesis 16:4 – Genesis 17:1). Abram’s and Sarai’s scheming took a situation that was difficult and improbable and turned it into a complete mess that was seemingly impossible. This is the context in which God shows up and declares that He is “El Shaddai” – God Almighty, God All Sufficient, God All We Need; in other words, God of the Impossible! The end result of this announcement is that the promise of God is back on track, and Abram is forever changed. He goes from being “Abram, Exalted Father” to “Abraham, Father of Multitudes.” Do you see it? When God announces that He is El Shaddai, increase and transformation break forth! Messes become messages. Tests become testimonies. The impossible becomes possible. This is who El Shaddai is. This is what El Shaddai does. He is not limited by the past, by our mistakes, or by our insufficiencies. And He wants us to know that when we walk with Him, neither are we!
The Lord did not show up in Genesis 17 to punish Abram, to chastise him, or to announce that his blunders had disqualified him from the promise of God. No! He showed up to declare that He was “El Shaddai,” and to invite Abram to walk with Him
In the realization that He is God Almighty, God All Sufficient, God All We Need (17:1). He showed up to declare to Abram that He was God of the Impossible, and that He was well able to deal with the situation as it was (17:2). He showed up to invite Abram to rest in Him, trust in Him, and to rely completely, utterly and totally upon Him (17:4). Abram got the revelation of El Shaddai (17:3). He let go of trying to bring about the promises of God in his own strength and by his own means. He let go of the “flesh” and grabbed hold of God afresh (Genesis 17:11-12), and he was increased and transformed because of it!
Do you have a mess in your life? Are there promises of God that seem like they are just never going to happen? Do you sometimes fear that your inadequacies or mistakes have disqualified you? Are you wanting to give up? Don’t! Because we are entering an hour when God desires to reveal Himself to you as “El Shaddai” – God Almighty. God All Sufficient, God All You Need – God of the Impossible! He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is the Lord and He does not change (Malachi 3:6). What He did for Abram, He can do for you. Begin to welcome and worship Him as El Shaddai, and watch as He shows up and does the impossible for you!
Prayer Directives:
Let’s pray and declare that:
[1] Jesus Christ is El Shaddai – God Almighty, God All Sufficient, God All We Need!
[2] What is impossible with man is possible with God (Luke 18:27).
[3] The Lord will show up in notable and remarkable ways for His people in this new year, bringing breakthrough, increase and transformation. Messes will become messages, and tests will become testimonies!
[4] A new level of faith will be released to the church. We will not be moved by what we do or don’t see, or what we do or don’t feel. We will stand firm on the promises of God, knowing that He is well able to bring them about in His perfect timing!
[5] We will trust in the Lord, and rest in His goodness and glory!
[6] We will not fear, but only believe! (Mark 5:36)
