Have you prayed for something year after year, yet you don’t see an answer? I know my faith has worn thin after decades of prayer for a certain thing without seeing results. If you’re like me, you’ll get a faith boost from seeing how God revealed himself to someone who was struggling in their wait for God to answer his prayer.

When we think of God’s power, we tend to associate it with bringing justice, punishing, and even destroying. (That’s because rebellion, and the hurt it causes must be eradicated so we can be happy.) And that is indeed part of what his power does. But did you ever think about his power making happy promises come true, and bringing great blessings?

The first account in the Bible of God calling himself God Almighty (El Shaddai in Hebrew) was when he made an impossible, happy promise to elderly Abram. God’s promises were completely out of the realm of human possibility. After all, a hundred-year-old man and a ninety-year-old woman couldn’t produce a baby. God used a new name for himself and gave Abram a new name, as well as Sarai. God, the All-Powerful One, wanted to have a covenant relationship with Abraham and his promised offspring. He told Abraham to live in constant awareness of him, (literal translation; walk in my presence) and obey him. God intended to give Abraham his heart’s desires- a son, many descendants, the land, and a close relationship with God. These blessings would be made possible by the power of God.

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you. This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
. .This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:1-2,4-7

Abraham believed the promises of the all powerful God.

” for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir. . . And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Genesis 15:4,6

Abraham lived long before God gave Moses the Law. Before the Law, Abraham was considered righteous on the basis of his faith. In that way, he is the father of all those who have faith. The New Testament explains how the All-powerful God kept his promise to Abraham to make him the father of many nations.

“The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 18:18). So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.” Galatians 3:7-9

Did you ever think of yourself as being the fulfillment of a promise made thousands of years ago?!  We believers are part of the many nations God promised Abraham.  And like Abraham, we are made right in God’s sight because we have faith in God’s promise:  “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Much later, Abraham’s son, Isaac, now old and wanting to bless his own son invoked the name of God Almighty to bless him.

“May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.” Genesis 28:3-4.

After this blessing, Isaac sent his son, Jacob, away to find a wife among their relatives far away. Twenty years after Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him off to find a wife, Jacob began the return trip see to his father having received the blessing of a big family. But his brother who he had cheated was living between him and their father. Jacob would have to face his wronged, estranged brother. He didn’t know if there would be a bloody get-even confrontation or if he would be allowed to continue peacefully on his journey to see his father. The night before the frightening encounter, God himself affirmed the blessing spoken over Jacob by his father. Once again, these blessings were guaranteed by the All-powerful One. And once again, God changed the recipient’s name.

“Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel. 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 35:10-12

When our personal lives or the world is uncertain, it’s such a comfort to lean into the one Person in the universe who has control, who wields the power to bless and judge- God Almighty. When we’re weary of waiting and doubts darken the corners of our broken hearts, let’s lean into the God who is All-powerful and who delights in blessing us as he did for Abraham. When fear and uncertainty try to overwhelm us, let’s run to our Almighty God who protects and guides us as he did for Jacob.