Whats In a Name: El Shaddai

What’s in a Name? El Shaddai

Scripture: Genesis 17:1-6

Date: August 10, 2025

Introduction

What’s in a name? Everything! Names carry power, identity, and meaning. In life’s toughest moments—when doubt, fear, or challenges overwhelm us—there’s a name that brings hope and strength: El Shaddai. This name for God, revealed to Abram in Genesis 17, reminds us that when we’re at our breaking point, God is just getting started. El Shaddai is the Almighty, the Compassionate Nurturer, and the Source of All Blessing. Today, let’s explore what this name means and how it speaks to our struggles.

The Meaning of El Shaddai

El Shaddai combines two Hebrew words: El, meaning God, and Shaddai, which carries two rich layers of meaning. Let’s dive into three aspects of this name and what they mean for us.

1. El Shaddai: The Almighty God

• El signifies God’s strength and might.
  
  
• Shaddai is often translated “Almighty,” reflecting God’s limitless power. No matter how impossible your situation feels—job loss, family struggles, or personal despair—El Shaddai is greater.
  
  
• In the Book of Job, where El Shaddai appears 31 times, God reveals Himself as Almighty to a man whose world was crumbling. When life feels bigger than you, El Shaddai is bigger still (James 2:19).

2. El Shaddai: The Compassionate Nurturer

• The Hebrew root shad in Shaddai means “breast,” symbolizing nurturing and care. Isaiah 66:10-12 compares God’s comfort to a mother nursing her child, offering peace and security.
  
  
• El Shaddai is both mighty and tender. He’s the God who wipes away every tear, carries you close like a shepherd with His lambs (Isaiah 40:11), and sees your pain with compassion.
  
  
• This balance of power and gentleness shows God’s heart: He’s strong enough to conquer any challenge and tender enough to love you through it.

3. El Shaddai: The Source of All Blessing

• El Shaddai is linked to blessing and provision. In Genesis 49:25, Jacob blesses Joseph in the name of El Shaddai, invoking God as the source of life and abundance.
  
  
• Just as a mother’s milk sustains a child, El Shaddai provides comfort, security, and peace. He is the source of every good thing in our lives.

Application: What El Shaddai Means for You

1. He Can Do Anything:
   No obstacle is too big for El Shaddai. Whether it’s financial ruin, broken relationships, or despair, God is able. Call on His name and trust His power. When you’re at the end of your strength, El Shaddai has only begun.
   
   
2. He Cares Deeply:
   El Shaddai sees every tear and offers compassion. Like a mother comforting her child, He carries you close. Rest in His nurturing love.
   
   
3. He Blesses Abundantly:
   El Shaddai is the source of all blessing. Just as He brought life to Sarah’s barren womb, He can bring hope to your impossible situations. Trust Him as your source of peace and provision.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Prayer:

Dear, El Shaddai, Almighty God, the one who comforts

We come before You with humble hearts, awed by Your boundless power and infinite love. You are the All-Sufficient One, who nurtures and sustains us with Your unending grace.

Your name, El Shaddai, reminds us that You are more than enough—our refuge, our provider, and our peace. Guide us, O Lord, to walk in Your truth and rest in Your promises. Fill us with Your Spirit, that we may reflect Your love and glorify Your holy name. Protect us from harm, grant us wisdom, and let Your mercy renew us each day.

We lift up those in need, asking that Your abundant grace touch their lives, bringing healing, hope, and restoration. May all who seek You find comfort in Your everlasting arms.

In Your mighty and precious name, El Shaddai, we pray, Amen.