More than Enough

God revealed His Covenant Name to Abraham as El Shaddai – the God that is ‘More than Enough’, the ‘All Sufficient One’, the ‘Many Breasted One’! God said he would be the father of a multitude and Sarah the mother of nations. God blessed Abrhama and made him very rich!

God told Abraham his people would be as many as the stars above and as the sand on the seashore. God also revealed to him that his people would be oppressed for a while. Then God promised him that his people would come out with great substance. (Gen 17:1/15:13,14) Before Israel left Egypt they were overloaded with all the wealth of the Egyptians!

Because Abraham is the Father of our Faith we can enter the Covenant Blessing of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ. If we know God like Abraham knew God we can trust God like Abraham trusted God and obey God like Abraham obeyed.
Abraham heard the Gospel preached (Gal 3:8) and saw the day that Christ died for our sins and was resurrected (John 8:56) and believed it! Abraham also had a glimpse of the Eternal City of God and believed it (Heb 11:5-16). That is why nothing could shake his faith in El Shaddai! God was more than enough for Abraham and Sarah! God was more than enough for their children and their children’s children! He was more than enough for Isaac and Jacob!

Examples of El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough, in the Bible so that we can believe like Abraham believed:
Old Testament examples of El Shaddai in action
1. Moses at the Red Sea – El Shaddai was more than the flood of the Red Sea! He opened up a way for Israel to pass through where there was no way! The waters congealed on the one side and the east wind dried the ground so they could pass through! Moses means ‘taken out of the water’ and he led his nation through the water on dry ground because El Shaddai is more than enough to do it! (Ex 15:8)
2. Joshua commanded the sun to stand still and it obeyed him! Joshua needed more time to finish the battle and to gain the victory over his enemies and commanded the sun to stand still! (Josh 10:13) God is more than enough to make the sun stand still to help his servant win a battle! Joshua means ‘Savior’
3. Elijah (The Lord is God) on Mt. Carmel (‘Fruitful field’) called fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice and prove that God is a living God. (I Kings 18) El Shaddai was more than enough to consume the sacrifice!
4. David (‘Beloved’) slew Goliath the giant and his men also killed giants

New Testament examples of El Shaddai in action
1. Jesus constantly demonstrated El Shaddai’s ability and power! In John 6:9 He fed 5 000 with two fish and five loaves of bread after He taught them for 3 days that He is the Manna that comes down from heaven. He turned water into wine at the marriage feast in Cana (John 2:5). His mother Mary told the servants: ‘do what He tells you!’ That is the secret: to do what He tells you to do!
2. The widow of Nain (‘Pleasant’) saw how El Shaddia was more than enough even over the death of her only son. Jesus found out it was her only son and that he was the breadwinner in the house. He was touched. He touched the bier on which they carried the young man and the touched the young man and commanded him to rise up from the dead! Then he gave him back to his mother! El Shaddai is more than enough to care for a widow! (Luk 11:11-17)
3. Jesus raised Lazarus (‘God has helped’) from the dead after he was in the grave four days! He commanded the people to roll away the stone so that Lazarus could come out of the grave! (John 11)
4. Jesus gave blind Bartimaus his sight! Bartimaus means ‘son of one highly honored’ but he was a blind beggar! The richest man in Kuala Lumpur built the tallest two buildings in the city to celebrate his wealth, but confessed that his son was a Buddhist monk that walks around begging for food! (Mark 10:47) El Shaddai is more than blindness, more than begging! The children of the righteous will never beg bread!
5. Mary (‘Obstinate’) came to the grave of Jesus and thought He was the gardener that spoke to her. But then He revealed Him to her and told her ‘don’t touch me for I have not yet ascended to my father in heaven’. (John 20:17) El Shaddai can ascend up to heaven and come down again. He told her to tell His brothers that He will soon come to them! He went up to heaven to offer His own blood as a ransom for all our sins and then returned to appear to His disciples! That same Jesus is coming again to take us to be with Him forever!
6. Jesus appeared to His disciples and told Thomas: ‘touch me, for a ghost has no flesh and bones!’ He appeared in His resurrected form, a new body, a incorruptible body!
He was dead but He is alive forever more!
7. Jesus promised that He is always with us – El Shaddai is a present reality!

The demands of El Shaddai for those who believe in Him
1. Set your love upon Me
2. Know My Name
3. Call upon Me
4. Walk upright and be sincere
5. Be perfect (the Hebrew word means: ‘mature’)

God’s Promises made to our benefit
1. When we call He will answer (Jer 33:3/ John 14:12)
2. He will be with us (Ps 34:19/James 5:13, 14)
3. He will deliver us (Acts 10:38)
4. He will honor us
5. He will satisfy us with long life (Ps 34:12/ I Pet 3:10)
6. He will show us His salvation.
7. He will set us on high (Rev 3:21)

The only commandment with a promise is for children that obey and honor their parents! If we obey God and bring honor to Him that promise applies to us! He will satisfy us with long life!

How does El Shaddai show His salvation? Gypsy Smith told a story of a bookkeeper who stole $10 000 who could not get saved until he confessed his crime. He went to his employer and confessed his crime and expected to be fired and go to jail. Instead his employer told him: ‘Now that you have confessed your crime, I have just decided to promote you and increase your salary. You can repay your debt over the next ten years with your increase in salary!’ The bookkeeper saw the salvation of El Shaddai!

The world does not honor a spirit-filled believer but when God begins to honor you people will begin to seek your favor! What do you want: the honor of man or the honor of God?

How does El Shaddai set us up on high? We are seated in Christ Jesus in heavenly places already! (Rev 3:21)

El Shaddai is more than enough for us right now! He is more than the trouble we face. The troubles we face are indications of what El Shaddai wants to do for us! He is more than enough! The devil attacks you as a believer in the area that God wants to use you! He wants to stop your dreams from coming true, but El Shaddai is more than enough! El Shaddai is more than enough to save you, to heal you completely, to deliver you, to set you free! He is more than enough to provide for you! He is more than enough to protect you and to protect your children! He is more than enough to do exceeding abundantly above that we are able to think or even ask! (Eph 3:20)

Our God is more than enough because He is El Shaddai!

Turn your faith loose in El Shaddai today! Believe His promises today! Put your trust in Him today! Tell Him: ‘You are My El Shaddai! You are More than Enough for me! I will honor you and praise you! I will bow down before you and confess you as Lord! I believe in you!’

Let today be the first day of the rest of your life: God reveals Himself to you like He did to Abraham: He is El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough!

Amen.