When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the Almighty God. Obey me and always do what is right." Genesis 17:1, GNT

 

Then I heard what sounded like a large crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder. I heard them say, "Praise God! For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King!” Revelation 19:6, GNT

 

This verse in Genesis is the first time in the Bible that God calls himself the Almighty. The covenant he made with Abram at an earlier stage is confirmed here. When God promised Abram and his descendants to be their God. It was the custom in those days when a sovereign made a covenant with someone, to announce his title. The title that God announced here is above all other titles: “I am the Almighty God.” Nobody could present a higher title than this.

 

In the vision that John had in the book of Revelation, the theme of God sitting on the throne is a continuous one. John heard “what sounded like a large crowd” who acclaimed God as the Almighty. It is significant that in both the first and the last books of the Bible, God is hailed as the Almighty. The Apostles Creed also begins with the words: “I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”

 

Why is it important to us that God is the Almighty? The Pocket Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘almighty’ as follows: Infinitely powerful or very great. On the Internet I found: having complete power or having absolute power over all, omnipotent. Many political and other figures think they also conform to this definition, so when we think of God as almighty or omnipotent, it has to mean more than what a mere human can achieve.

 

The omnipotence of God is completely different than that of earthly rulers. His omnipotence not only encompasses the world with its plants, animals and humans, but also the whole universe. Above all, it encompasses our lives, yes, it is even stronger than death. He is the King of kings; our God not only from generation to generation, but into all eternity.

 

Prayer: How can we ever praise you as the Almighty when we do not really understand you? Please help us to understand and be humble in your mighty presence, God, so that we may praise you earnestly. Amen