When God Seems Silent, El Shaddai Is Near

Sep 20, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: El Shaddai in the Valley of Delay

When God breaks a 13-year silence with "I am Almighty," He declares His strength meets us in prolonged waiting. This name – El Shaddai – isn’t a distant title but a present reality for those stuck between dead dreams and delayed promises. He works deepest in seasons when His voice feels absent, using delays to forge character that can carry His calling. The same God who rewrote Abraham’s story after decades of waiting still reshapes barren places into birthplaces of purpose. [46:44]

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.”
(Genesis 17:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What prolonged wait in your life feels like a “13-year silence”? How might God be using this delay to prepare you for what’s next rather than punish you?

Day 2: When the Dream Dies, God Still Speaks

Sarai’s barrenness became a tomb for her hope, yet God resurrected dead places with four words: “I will surely give.” Seasons of spiritual dryness often precede divine interruptions. El Shaddai specializes in speaking life to buried promises, not despite our despair but through it. His timing turns human impossibilities into testimonies of His sufficiency. [53:14]

And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
(Genesis 18:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you stopped praying about a situation because it feels “too dead”? What would it look like to invite El Shaddai into that space today?

Day 3: Proximity in the Shadow of Suffering

God’s command to “walk before me” is an invitation to stay close enough for His shadow to cover us. Suffering tempts us to flee from God, but crisis is when we most need His nearness. Like a parent guarding a child near a busy road, El Shaddai protects those who trust His presence more than their perception of progress. [59:24]

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
(Psalm 91:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What current struggle makes you want to distance yourself from God? How could leaning into His nearness – not solutions – change your posture?

Day 4: The Posture That Changes Everything

Abraham’s facedown worship after 25 years of following God reveals humility precedes breakthrough. Getting low before El Shaddai isn’t defeat – it’s positioning ourselves to receive His perspective. Physical postures of surrender (kneeling, weeping, silence) often precede spiritual breakthroughs we cannot engineer. [01:03:51]

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
(James 4:8-10, ESV)

Reflection: When was the last time your body physically expressed your heart’s desperation for God? What might He want to say if you got face-down before Him today?

Day 5: Laughter at the Promise of New Life

Abraham’s joy-filled laugh at 99 reminds us that God’s goodness often arrives in absurd packaging. El Shaddai delights in writing punchlines to life’s tragedies – not minimizing pain, but overwhelming it with grace. Our tears water the soil where His jokes (like a baby named “He Laughs”) take root. [01:08:51]

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
(Genesis 17:17, ESV)

Reflection: What situation seems so hopeless that only divine humor could redeem it? How might thanking God for His unexpected goodness shift your perspective?

Sermon Summary

Genesis 17 opens after a thirteen-year silence, and God breaks into Abraham’s long delay with the words, “I am God Almighty.” El Shaddai means God is strong and sufficient in the lowest valley or the deepest suffering. The delay had been long, but the delay had not meant that God was absent, weak, or finished with His promise.

Abraham’s journey of faith had already moved from the known and comfortable into the unknown, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable. God had called Abraham to go without knowing every detail, and God had revealed Himself as El Elyon, God Most High, and Adonai, the sovereign Lord. El Shaddai now meets Abraham where a man-made plan with Hagar had produced Ishmael, family dysfunction, and a painful reminder that God’s promise still had not come through Sarah.

The thirteen years expose the danger of speed. Speed is the enemy of depth, and the work of God in a life takes time. The delay that feels like punishment may actually be preparation, because character must be ready for calling. Sarah’s barren years had become more than a delay. Her dream had died. Yet El Shaddai shows up precisely where human hope has run out and where the promise seems like a joke.

The name El Shaddai appears most often in Job, the book of deepest suffering. God does not always give an explanation for suffering, but God gives identification. God Himself becomes the answer. When suffering is greatest, God is strongest and most sufficient. When God is all a person has, God is all that person needs.

God’s call to Abraham is a call to walk close. The enemy wants suffering to produce distance, anger, and bitterness toward God, but El Shaddai calls His people nearer. Psalm 91 pictures those who dwell near God abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, and a shadow only covers someone who stays close.

God’s command to walk before Him also carries protection and correction. God sees the danger ahead like a loving father watching a child near a busy road. Blameless does not mean perfect. Blameless means returning quickly, confessing sin, and getting right with God.

Abraham falls face down because dependence is the right response to Almighty God. El Shaddai then gives Abraham a new name, a covenant sign, and a renewed legacy through Sarah. Abraham’s laughter becomes joy, not unbelief, because a ninety-nine-year-old man receives the best news of his life: God had been faithful all along.

Key Takeaways

1. Speed is the enemy of depth [50:23] The long road can feel pointless when a heart wants immediate movement. God often uses delay to do the deeper work that quick answers cannot accomplish. Character must be formed before calling can be carried without breaking under its weight. [50:23]
2. God remains strong in suffering [56:56] El Shaddai does not minimize pain or pretend the valley is easy. God meets suffering with His own sufficient presence, not always with a full explanation. Job’s ache receives God Himself as the answer when every human answer falls short. [56:56]
3. Stay close in the hard season [58:15] Suffering can tempt a heart to click away from God, grow bitter, or run ahead. El Shaddai calls His children to walk beside Him and live under His shadow. Nearness to God does not erase every hardship, but it changes where a wounded heart finds shelter. [58:15]
4. Blameless means returning quickly to God [01:02:33] Blamelessness is not sinless perfection or a polished religious image. God calls for a heart that confesses, turns back, and refuses to stay distant after failure. The Almighty God who corrects His children also protects them with a Father’s care. [62:33]
5. God gives a new name [01:05:18] El Shaddai renames Abram because God’s covenant creates a new identity and legacy. Christ gives His people a truer name than shame, failure, fear, or the enemy’s lies. God’s declaration over a life carries more authority than any old label.

## [65:18]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[38:06] - God Almighty Appears to Abraham
[41:30] - Abraham’s Journey of Faith
[43:53] - El Elyon and Adonai
[45:46] - Ishmael and the Man-Made Plan
[46:23] - Thirteen Years of Silence
[50:23] - Speed Is the Enemy of Depth
[52:28] - When a Delayed Dream Dies
[54:15] - El Shaddai in Suffering
[57:42] - The Call to Walk Close
[59:47] - God’s Protection and Correction
[63:06] - Falling Face Down Before God
[65:18] - A New Name and Covenant Sign
[67:22] - Abraham Laughs With Joy
[69:47] - Calling on El Shaddai

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Genesis 17:1–3
“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.’ Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,” [38:06]

Psalm 91:1
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” [59:06]

Job (multiple references)
“The book of Job contains 31 of the 48 occurrences of ‘El Shaddai’ in Scripture, emphasizing God’s strength and sufficiency in suffering.” [55:26]

Genesis 15:2
“But Abram said, ‘O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’” [45:11]

Observation questions

What does God tell Abram about Himself before He gives Abram any instruction or restates His covenant in Genesis 17:1–3? [54:15]
What actions and attitudes are named in Genesis 17:1–3 as Abram’s response to God: walking before Him, being blameless, and falling face down?
What had happened in Abraham’s family during the thirteen-year gap between Ishmael’s birth and God’s appearance in Genesis 17? [48:13]
According to Psalm 91:1, what two images describe the place of safety for the person who stays near God? [58:58]

Interpretation questions

Why might God introduce Himself as “God Almighty” after such a long silence and in the middle of Abraham and Sarah’s unresolved pain? [54:34]
What does the connection between El Shaddai and the book of Job suggest about what God offers people in suffering, even when He does not give them a full explanation? [56:17]
What does God’s command to “walk before me, and be blameless” mean if blamelessness is not sinless perfection but returning quickly to God after failure? [01:02:33]
Why is falling face down an appropriate response to God Almighty, and what does that posture communicate about dependence on Him? [01:04:00]

Application questions

Is there an area of life where the delay has made you tired, discouraged, or tempted to create your own solution instead of waiting on God? What would it look like to slow down and let God form depth in you during that season? [50:37]
Has a delayed hope become something that feels impossible—or even feels like a joke—to you? What would it mean to bring that specific situation honestly before El Shaddai? [52:48]
When suffering, disappointment, or confusion comes, do you tend to move closer to God or pull away from Him? What is one simple way you can intentionally “dwell” near Him this week? [58:17]
Is there a sin, attitude, relationship conflict, or habit that has created distance between you and God? What would returning quickly to Him through honest confession and repentance look like today? [01:02:33]
What old label—failure, shame, fear, rejection, or something else—most often tries to define you? How does your identity in Christ speak a truer word over that label? [01:05:18]
Abraham responded to God by falling face down in dependence. What would a practical posture of dependence look like in your current situation: prayer, asking for help, surrendering control, or obeying a step God has already made clear? [01:04:15]

Sermon Clips

56s

#RunToGod

“Anybody here got something in their life where it just seems like a joke? It's never gonna change. It's always gonna be the same. You had a dream, you had a plan that was delayed and somewhere along the way it died and you might not you might not even know it died. And God shows up this morning and says, I am God almighty. Strong and sufficient in the lowest valley or the deepest suffering. My child this morning, for somebody, stay in close proximity. Instead of running away from me, run into me.”

50s

#PreparedForPurpose

“I wonder if there's anyone here today that's going through a season where you're just ready to move on. Like, lord, I'm over this season. I'm in a hurry to get to the next season. I'm tired of this school. I'm tired of of this assignment. I'm tired of this ministry. I'm tired of this illness. I'm tired of this grief. God, I'm just tired. And the Lord wants to say to you this morning, I've got you waiting right now because your character isn't quite ready for your calling. When your character's ready, the calling will come. I'm not punishing you right now. I'm preparing you for the next season and the next assignment. And you're ready to be done, and God's working to develop.”

44s

#NewIdentityInChrist

“El Shaddai gives a new name. you realize that you have a new name if you're in Christ this morning? Did you realize this morning that if you are in Christ this morning that El Shaddai, God Almighty has given you a new name? He has given you a new name, he's given you a new identity, he's given you a new family, and he's gonna give you a new legacy. Amen? You're a precious child of king Jesus. A daughter, a son of the most high god. You are who he says you are. God, may I live in the declaration of who you say I am, not the lies and the deception of the enemy.”

43s

#GodIsTheAnswer

“And God doesn't give any kind of justification. He doesn't give any explanation. What he gives is identification. In the midst of the deepest suffering, when he and his friends are trying to make sense of it, And he's looking for the answer. God shows him the answer you're looking for is me. I am the answer. He doesn't give explanation, he gives identification.”

25s

#TrustGodsTiming

“And God wants to say to somebody, as he said to Abraham, after a thirteen year delay, instead of this time and this season walking away from God and getting farther away from God, this is the time that you need to be closer to God than you ever have been. Draw close to him. Instead of getting bitter in the situation, get better by trusting in God.”

26s

#SeekGodFirst

“I wonder if there's anybody here this morning that may need to get on their face before God almighty. You've gone to a lot of places. You've gone to doctors. You've gone to therapists. You've gone to counselors. You've gone to medicines. You've gone to magazines. You've gone so many places. Have you gone on to your face before almighty God. Because it was on his face that Abraham did business with God.”

61s

#GodIsStillGod

“God shows up in in this chapter and he he breaks in. Watch this. After thirteen years, God finally says something and it's very powerful. He breaks into a thirteen year silence and look what he says closely. When Abraham was 99, the Lord appeared to him and the first words out of his mouth were, I am God Almighty. Just let that linger for a minute. In the midst of a long and a painful delay, God says, I am still God almighty. the all powerful, all present, all knowing, overcoming He's strong and sufficient in the lowest valley or the deepest suffering.”

34s

#DesperateForGod

“There's something special, Millbrook. There's something special that happens when we get on our face before almighty God. When we get on our face before almighty God, what we're saying is is that, God, I realize who you are and I realize who I am. I'm on my face before you, God. I'm I'm in the most powerful place I could possibly be in. Because I'm showing that I'm desperate for and I'm dependent on you.”

39s

#WalkWithGod

“But the imagery is to of a of a loving father, of a protective father watching out for his kids. He never he he he he you you never get out of his eyesight. He's letting you walk a little bit. He's letting you run a little bit ahead, but you never lost his sight. He never left his sight. It's for protection, but it's also for correction. before me and be blameless. Be blameless. Not perfect. Just means blameless doesn't mean perfect. Just means when you when you mess up, get right back with him.”

40s

#NewCreation

“When you came into the family of God, there was a sign, there was a symbol, was called baptism. That's why we that's why we we baptists are passionate about baptism. We're not saying you you could be sprinkled, you can be dipped, whatever. You know what I'm saying? We like to be dunked. Y'all don't look so serious. We like to be dunked. Why do we like to be dunked? Because what we're saying is I'm a new creation in Christ Jesus and I'm happy to be on Jesus' family. I want everybody to know it. I'm proud of it. There's no doubt about what God's doing on the inside of my life.”

41s

#BlessedBeyondMeasure

“Have you ever had a moment where you just wondered, I mean, you you just you just wondered, I, God, how could you be so good to me? I know where I've come from. I know where I've been. Man, how could you bless me in this way? How could you bless me? Man, how could you bless my family? How could you do this in my life? And Abraham is a man, after following God for twenty five years, That is just overcome with emotion. That God would bless him this way.”

35s

#LaughterOfJoy

“Because this is this is what, as I've studied all week and I've I've poured over this verse, y'all, this was a laughter of a 99 year old man getting the best news of his life. This was a 99 year old man that is overcome with emotion. He is laughing with joy. How could God be so good to me? He just got news that Sarai, his 90 year old bride, was gonna be the mother of the promise.”

24s

#NothingIsImpossible

“It's a joke that God could bring forth a child from this body. It's a joke that God could act in this way. And God wants to come to us this morning, to somebody very specific this morning, and ask you a question this morning. Is there anybody here this morning that has given up on God's ability to do something?”

32s

#TrustThePromise

“And so she made her own plan, but watch this. Somewhere between the delay, it died. Her dream died. Thirteen years into this thing, she had given up any hope that God could possibly move. How do we know that? Because when God comes to her in the next chapter, she laughs out loud in God's face. Literally, the word Isaac could be translated maybe better in English as joke.”

38s

#WalkFaithfully

“That's exactly a picture of what God says, walk before me. Don't miss it this morning. He is God almighty. He says, stay close to me, walk in close proximity, but walk before me because two things, number one, I need I need, you need my protection. this crisis, in this struggle, in this suffering, man, I I walk before me faithfully because when you walk before me, I could see you and I I I can protect you.”

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