The God Who is Enough

THE GOD WHO IS ENOUGH

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appear to Abram and said to Him, ‘I am Almighty God walk before Me and be blameless.’’ (Genesis 17:1)

God revealed Himself to Abram in a significant way at a strategic time. The promise of a son had been given him many years before. Now when all reasonable hope had vanished, He renewed the promise, using a fresh identifying title for Himself – Almighty God. In previous instances, He was spoken of as God, a translation of the Hebrew word Elohim. That term contained the idea of His power and a possible reference to His triune personality. Now, however, this name is coupled with another description of His character – Almighty.

This word is based on the Hebrew word for breast. It was used to express two ideas. First, it communicated the idea of the breast of a warrior, the key to strength for using a spear or sword. God identifies Himself to Abram as the powerful warrior who could overcome the obstacles and fulfill His promise.

The root word was also used to refer to the breast of a woman and symbolized the source of sustenance for the dependent child. Thus in the one title two precious provisions are combined. God is the overcome and the sustainer for His trusting child. He is the all-sufficient One – the God who is enough. Abram needed that assurance.

This introduction of the Lord was followed by the instruction by the Lord. He said to Abram “walk before Me and be blameless.” Such a command would be fruitless if God had not first presented Himself as the God who is enough. His character became the resource for his fulfilling of the command. The action required is literally, walk face to face with Me. Here is a lesson for our day. We must base our behavior on His sufficiency and not on our ability. The New Testament commentary on this verse is 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." Pastor Bill A. Raws was the grandson of the founder of America's KESWICK and served for 50+ years until his homegoing in July 2008.

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 4; Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6

Great Quote: To be forged upon the anvil of God's purpose, to be at once His hammer,His tongs, and His molten iron; to hear words that rend the heart, seevisions that pierce the chest; to be emptied like an urn, again andagain and again until one desires only rest, only an end to therefilling -- and to know one cannot live without the refilling. To begiven words that one dare not speak, and to feel those words churningand boiling in the belly until one must speak them aloud, or die. To bedespised, soon or late, by everyone except Adonai -- and to desire itso, while hating it. This is to be a prophet. Thom Lemmons