Nougat 6

Hello,

Top of the week to you. I pray you well. Please receive today’s Holy Nougat

“ “Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.”” Genesis‬ ‭35:11-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

He met God as God of his fathers; as Protector, as Covenant Maker and Keeper; and here he was; meeting God as El Shaddai: God All-Mighty. It wasn’t an unfamiliar title; his father Isaac, used it to bless him just before sending him to Padan-Aram. But Good speaking God’s character to Jacob; especially as that was God’s self-revelation to Abram prior to Abram’s name-change.

The promise God gave him was not new – God had shared the same in two previous visits. The details of the covenant was at Bethel and the renaming occurred after Jacob successfully wrestled with God. It was probably God’s assurance that the promises spoken were still in effect. God had not changed.

Have you encountered God recently? It’s nice if we’ve had a previous encounter; but this is ascertaining whether we’re still consciously meeting God. If yes, what has God said? What characteristics of God have you experienced? And if not, what has changed? Could we, like Jacob, be plagued with doubts and fears that distorted our ability to hear and believe? If so, then God’s self-revelation is perhaps sent to you (and me) as a reminder in uncertain times.

Of course, our name might not be changed (we’ve been adopted long ago), but God is still El Shaddai. And the promise to us is about inheritance of an eternal home. Where the King of kings reigns forever.

The other promise of El Shaddai is for fruitfulness. We are already God’s great nation. So let’s consider what fruitful entails. Fruitfulness could be understood as reproductive increase; isuch as childbearing or us sharing about our experience of God’s provision. But fruitfulness also speaks to success in our endeavors. The labor of our hands (hearts or minds) bringing increase. With the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic; that is an essential for many that only El Shaddai can do.

My prayer is for each of us to be fruitful and multiply, being successful in our every endeavor.

In Christ’s love and grace . . .