El Shaddai: God's Provision in Our Weakness

Summary

Today, we explored the profound truth that God reveals Himself not only as the transcendent, all-powerful Creator—Elohim—but also as El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough, who draws near to supply, nurture, and care for His people. While God’s greatness can leave us in awe and even trembling, His self-revelation as El Shaddai assures us that His power is not distant or indifferent, but is poured out in loving provision for our deepest needs. The names of God are not random; they are relational, showing us both who He is and who we are in relation to Him.

El Shaddai, a name first revealed to Abraham in Genesis 17, combines the might of God (“El”) with the nurturing, supplying character (“Shaddai”), evoking the image of a mother nourishing her child. This is a God who has all things, yet chooses to share His abundance with us in our hour of need. The Berlin Airlift of 1948, when planes supplied a besieged city with everything necessary for life, serves as a powerful illustration of how God “airlifts” His provision into our lives, not just so we survive, but so we thrive.

We are reminded that our needs are many: we are burdened like Abraham, waiting and sometimes doubting God’s promises; we are bitter like Naomi, wounded by loss and tempted to blame God; we are beat down like Job, suffering in ways we cannot understand. In each case, God’s answer is not to leave us in our struggle, but to reveal Himself as El Shaddai—the one who supplies, restores, and redeems. Our greatest barrier is often our pride, our refusal to admit our need and bring our troubles to God first. Humility is the key that opens the door to God’s provision.

We are called to stop pretending we are fine, to bring our troubles to God before anyone or anything else, and to surrender what we cannot fix. In Christ, El Shaddai has come near, meeting our greatest need by giving Himself for us. When we humble ourselves and trust Him, He promises to meet us in our hour of need, supplying all that we lack from His infinite resources and love.

Key Takeaways

- God’s Names Reveal His Heart and Our Need
Each name God reveals is an invitation to know Him more deeply and to see ourselves more honestly. El Shaddai is not just a title of power, but a declaration of God’s willingness to nurture, supply, and care for us in our weakness. When we reflect on His names, we are reminded both of His sufficiency and our dependency, leading us to greater trust and worship. [11:46]

- Our Attempts to Be Our Own Provider Lead to Trouble
Like Abraham, when we try to take matters into our own hands and become our own “El Shaddai,” we create more problems than we solve. True rest and resolution come not from self-sufficiency, but from surrendering our burdens to the God who alone is able to provide. Our stories of striving and failing are transformed when we let God be the supplier of our needs. [18:17]

- Bitterness Can Blind Us to God’s Provision
Naomi’s story shows how loss and disappointment can turn our hearts bitter, even toward God. Yet even in her bitterness, God was working out a plan for her good, providing through unexpected means. When we are honest about our pain and bring it to God, He can turn our bitterness into blessing, revealing His faithfulness in ways we could not have imagined. [24:48]

- Humility is the Gateway to God’s Supply
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Admitting our need is not weakness, but the first step toward experiencing God’s sufficiency. Humility opens us to receive what only God can give—wisdom, strength, provision, and ultimately, salvation through Christ, our El Shaddai in the flesh. [33:04]

- Surrender is the Path to Peace and Provision
We are called to stop pretending, to bring our troubles to God first, and to surrender what we cannot fix. This is not resignation, but an act of faith that trusts God’s character and promises. When we place our burdens, bitterness, and brokenness in His hands, He meets us with all we need, not just to survive, but to thrive in His love and purpose. [40:45]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - Introduction to the Names of God
[03:05] - Prayer and Setting Our Hearts
[05:00] - The Relational Nature of God’s Names
[07:36] - The Berlin Airlift: A Picture of God’s Provision
[11:46] - The Meaning of El Shaddai
[13:38] - God’s Abundance and Willingness to Share
[15:44] - Our Neediness: Burdened Like Abraham
[18:17] - The Dangers of Self-Sufficiency
[21:12] - Bitter Like Naomi: When Life Falls Apart
[24:48] - Wrestling with Bitterness Toward God
[28:14] - Beat Down Like Job: Enduring Suffering
[31:49] - The Call to Humility
[33:04] - Christ, Our El Shaddai
[35:37] - Stop Pretending, Start Bringing God In
[38:26] - Surrendering What We Can’t Fix
[40:45] - Prayer and Final Challenge

Study Guide

Small Group Bible Study Guide: El Shaddai—The God Who Is More Than Enough

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### Bible Reading

- Genesis 17:1-8 (God reveals Himself as El Shaddai to Abraham)
- Ruth 1:19-21 (Naomi’s bitterness and her reference to El Shaddai)
- Job 5:17-18 (Job’s response to suffering and the discipline of the Almighty)

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### Observation Questions

1. In Genesis 17, what is Abraham’s situation when God introduces Himself as El Shaddai? What does Abraham do in response?
[[15:44]]

2. How does Naomi describe her experience with God in Ruth 1:20-21? What name does she use for God, and what does it reveal about her feelings?
[[23:04]]

3. According to Job 5:17-18, how does Job interpret the hardships and discipline he faces? What title does he use for God?
[[28:14]]

4. The sermon compared God’s provision to the Berlin Airlift. What was the main point of this illustration?
[[07:36]]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God chose to reveal Himself as El Shaddai—“God Almighty” and “the God who is more than enough”—to Abraham at that specific moment in his life?
[[15:44]]

2. Naomi’s bitterness led her to blame God for her losses. What does her story teach about how pain and disappointment can affect our view of God’s character and provision?
[[24:48]]

3. The sermon said that our greatest barrier to experiencing God’s provision is often our pride and refusal to admit our need. Why is humility so essential to receiving from God?
[[33:04]]

4. The pastor said, “When we try to be our own El Shaddai, we create more problems than we solve.” What are some ways people try to be their own provider, and why does this usually fail?
[[18:17]]

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### Application Questions

1. The sermon challenged us to “stop pretending we are fine” and to bring our troubles to God first. Is there an area of your life where you have been pretending or hiding your need? What would it look like to bring that honestly to God this week?
[[35:37]]

2. Abraham, Naomi, and Job each faced situations they could not fix on their own. Is there a burden, bitterness, or area of brokenness in your life that you have been trying to handle by yourself? What would it mean to surrender that to El Shaddai?
[[40:45]]

3. The sermon said, “Bitterness can blind us to God’s provision.” Are there disappointments or losses in your life that have made you bitter or closed off to God? How might you begin to bring that pain to God and ask Him to meet you there?
[[24:48]]

4. The Berlin Airlift was used as a picture of God’s provision—He supplies not just enough to survive, but to thrive. Can you recall a time when God provided for you in a way you didn’t expect? How did that change your trust in Him?
[[07:36]]

5. The sermon emphasized humility as the gateway to God’s supply. What is one practical way you can practice humility this week—either in prayer, in relationships, or in admitting your need to God or others?
[[33:04]]

6. Jesus, our El Shaddai, invites us to come to Him with our burdens. What is one specific step you can take this week to “seek Him first” when you are anxious or in need, rather than turning to other solutions first?
[[38:26]]

7. The pastor said, “Surrender is the path to peace and provision.” What is one thing you need to surrender to God today? What might be holding you back from doing so?
[[40:45]]

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Close in prayer, asking God to help each person trust Him as El Shaddai—the God who is more than enough for every need.

Devotional

Day 1: El Shaddai—God Almighty, Our All-Sufficient Nurturer
God reveals Himself as El Shaddai, not only as the all-powerful and sovereign Creator, but also as the One who lovingly nourishes, provides, and cares for His people in their deepest needs. Just as a mother tenderly nourishes her child, God desires to supply us with everything we lack, inviting us to trust Him as the source of all sufficiency. In every season of want or weakness, He is both mighty and intimately present, ready to pour out His abundance and grace upon those who call on His name. [11:46]

Genesis 17:1 (ESV)
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.”

Reflection: Where in your life do you most need to experience God’s nurturing provision today, and how can you invite Him to meet that need as El Shaddai?


Day 2: God Meets Us in Our Burdens—Learning from Abraham
Like Abraham, we often carry heavy burdens and try to solve our problems in our own strength, only to find ourselves weary and frustrated. Yet God, as El Shaddai, steps into our story at the very point of our exhaustion and inability, inviting us to lay down our burdens and trust Him to do what we cannot. When we surrender our striving and self-reliance, God brings rest and fulfillment, showing Himself faithful to His promises even when our circumstances seem impossible. [18:17]

Genesis 17:1-2 (ESV)
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.”

Reflection: What is one burden you have been carrying on your own that you need to release to God’s care today?


Day 3: God Heals Our Bitterness—The Story of Naomi
When life’s losses and disappointments leave us bitter and empty, God does not abandon us. Even in our anger and grief, He remains El Shaddai, able to transform our bitterness into hope and restoration. Like Naomi, we may feel that God has dealt harshly with us, but He is quietly working behind the scenes, providing for us in unexpected ways and inviting us to trust His goodness, even when we cannot see the outcome. [26:36]

Ruth 1:20-21 (ESV)
She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

Reflection: In what area of your life are you struggling with bitterness or disappointment, and how can you open your heart to God’s healing and provision?


Day 4: God Sustains Us When We Are Beat Down—The Example of Job
When we are beaten down by trials, loss, or suffering, God remains sovereign and compassionate, using even our hardships to shape us and reveal His faithfulness. Job’s story reminds us that God’s discipline and plans are not meant to destroy us, but to bless us and draw us closer to Him. In our lowest moments, we are invited to trust that El Shaddai is working for our good, even when we do not understand His ways. [28:14]

Job 5:17 (ESV)
“Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.”

Reflection: How can you choose to trust God’s purpose and presence in the midst of your current struggles or pain?


Day 5: Humility—The Posture to Receive from El Shaddai
The key to experiencing God’s sufficiency is humility—admitting our need, ceasing to pretend we have it all together, and bringing our troubles to God first. When we stop relying on our own strength and surrender what we cannot fix, we make room for El Shaddai to supply, restore, and guide us. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble; as we bow before Him, we discover the fullness of His love and provision for every need. [31:49]

James 4:6-7 (ESV)
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Reflection: What is one area where you need to stop pretending you’re fine and humbly invite God to take control today?

Quotes

Here's what El Shaddai means. This is what God is going to tell us. God says, I have everything I need. I have everything I could ever desire. I have everything I could ever want. I've got a cattle on a thousand hills. I've got rubies. I've got diamonds. I've got precious stones more than I could ever need. What he says is, I see you in your hour of need, and I'm going to take all that I have, and instead of keeping it for myself, I am El Shaddai. I'm going to nurture. I'm going to nourish. I'm going to give what I have so that you can be better. [00:13:38] (00:00:36 seconds) Edit Clip

You see, what happens is, is when we take into our own hands, when we become, listen, when we become our own El Shaddai, we create problems. We create problems way more than we ever would if we would trust God. Some of us have stories, have experiences where we have taken our life into our own hands because what did we want to do? We wanted to be El Shaddai. We wanted to be the Almighty One. We wanted to be the one who supplied our needs. We wanted to be the one who took care of the things that concerned us. [00:18:06] (00:00:31 seconds) Edit Clip

Humility is the recognition that I don't have it all figured out. Humility is the recognition that I don't have all the answers. Humility is the response of someone who has the knowledge that they don't have all that it's going to require. Listen to me very carefully. You and I do not have in any area of our life what is needed to be successful. Let me say that again. You and I do not have the requisite wisdom, finances, strength, ability, margin. We don't have any of it. And so humility says, I can't do this. Humility says, I will never be able to be equal to the things that come my way. I'll never be able to do it on my own. [00:32:02] (00:00:55 seconds) Edit Clip

And that's why Jesus Christ, El Shaddai in human flesh, came. Because not only were we a needy people, but we were a sinful people. And humility says, not only am I needy, but I have thrown away. I have burnt every bridge to the answer to my problems. I am at war with God. I should have been at peace with God because I'm proud. I'm arrogant. I'm not humble. And here's what El Shaddai in the New Testament tells us, that God, El Shaddai, demonstrated his love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [00:32:58] (00:00:41 seconds) Edit Clip

What we need to do is we need to recognize when we are standing in the presence of El Shaddai, he's great. He's grand. We're broken. We're needy. We bring all our problems and no solution. God brings no problems and all the solutions to us. And so what we will miss out on the blessing is if we tell God, God and his people, we're fine. We miss out on the blessing of El Shaddai meeting our needs as he promises that he will. [00:36:52] (00:00:32 seconds) Edit Clip

And so we just need to be honest. And what we need to do is we need to, with open hands, take the things that burden us, take the things that embitter us, take the things that beat us down, and we hand them to the only one who is able to address, listen to me, church, everything that comes your way. And the person that that is, is El Shaddai. Will you get to know El Shaddai? Will you trust El Shaddai? Will you give all of your problems to El Shaddai? And El Shaddai promises that he will meet you in your hour of need, and he will supply from on high all that you need. [00:42:21] (00:00:37 seconds) Edit Clip