El Shaddai

Susan Hunt quotes from the book," The Glorious Names of God", in her book, "Spiritual Mothering."
"The traditional translations of Scripture have consistently rendered this name " Almighty." But to appreciate its full flavor, it will be helpful to examine its Hebrew roots. El is a shortened form of Elohim. It sets forth the might, the strength, and the excellence of God. Shad is the Hebrew word for breast. Shaddai pictures God's fullness or bounty, His tenderness, His generosity, His desire to nurture us and make us fruitful. In one name, God's attributes of might and tenderness are brought together."

John the Beloved writes that Jesus is the One in the bosom of the Father. He also writes that he was the one who leaned on Jesus bosom. Did he know that he was leaning on the bosom of the One who is in the bosom of God?

Micah, my four year old nephew, was sitting on my lap facing me. He pressed his whole body into my bosom. I said to his mother, "This gives whole new meaning to 'pressing into the bosom of God.' Ever since then, when I pray and worship, I imagine myself pressing hard into the bosom of God.

Psalm 131 sings:
Lord, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Nor do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

A weaned child is no longer wanting to be fed from his mother's breast. He is at rest and enjoys just sitting on his mother's lap. I want to be like that with God. I want to press into Him and rest in His bosom beside Jesus. Somehow He makes us feel like we are the only ones there and that we have His full attention. But there is plenty of room for more to come rest. I'll move over.