Genesis 17:1 
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.” (NLT)

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

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Faithful and blameless lives are possible, as we saw a few days ago in Noah’s story. The words “faithful” and “blameless” refer to the person’s habitual lifestyle and are not an indication of spiritual perfection. Father Abraham was a good, good guy. He lived the kind of life God could bless, and he did. 

If God appeared to you and said, “Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life,” how would you interpret that? What does a faithful, blameless life look like?

It would be good for us to remember who God is as he revealed himself to Abraham. Here, for the first time, he calls himself “El-Shaddai—God Almighty.” He is the One who makes things happen by his majestic power and might. Great things happen when our thoughts align with God’s thoughts and when God’s instructions shape our direction. 

Psalm 23 begins, “The LORD is my shepherd . . .” The Creator who spoke this world into existence, who formed Adam from dust and Eve from Adam’s side, is in charge of our journeys. 

This God has bigger and better plans for us than any we make for ourselves. The Apostle Paul’s benedictory address to his friends in Thessalonica says, 

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul calls God Almighty the Covenant-Keeping God, the God of Peace. He says God is Faithful. The Old Testament, with its variety of literary types and styles, repeatedly refers to God’s goodness and faithfulness, which endure forever. 

• God is all-powerful.
• God keeps all of his promises. 
• God’s nature is perfect peace and perfect love. 
• God is good.
• God is faithful forever. 

With this wind at our backs, with this power, provision, and protection surrounding us, what keeps us from living the life of God’s dreams for us?

Before there was a rule book (Exodus 20 and following along with Leviticus), there was a story book (Genesis). Reading Genesis helps us understand why we need a common set of rules. We can make rules based on observed and experienced wrongs, or we can receive God’s rules focused on taking the right lead actions in concert with God’s grace, mercy, and peace. 

Living a life God can bless sets God’s character and nature to overflow into the lives of every person we meet. The Butterfly Effect of God-Blessed Habitual Blamelessness is incalculable in its effect. 

Our All-Powerful God wants to empower us to live the lives that bless our families, workplaces, communities, and world. His invitation to Noah and Abraham is open to us as well: “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.”

Get ready for a bigger, better, broader life.

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I will serve God faithfully and live a habitually blameless life. 

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Our Father, “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming,” (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭27‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬). My heart has heard you say, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.” Because you are forever faithful and true, great and good, completely trustworthy and perfectly loving, I will live a life you can bless. I will become an instrument of your peace. Amen.