GOD IS OUR REFUGE
Opening Prayer
Thank you, Lord God, that there is no challenge or turmoil that you are unable to see me through—and through which you cannot bring yourself glory.
Read NAHUM 1
1 A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
and vents his wrath against his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
and clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither
and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
5 The mountains quake before him
and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence,
the world and all who live in it.
6 Who can withstand his indignation?
Who can endure his fierce anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire;
the rocks are shattered before him.
7 The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,
8 but with an overwhelming flood
he will make an end of Nineveh;
he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.
9 Whatever they plot against the Lord
he will bring[a] to an end;
trouble will not come a second time.
10 They will be entangled among thorns
and drunk from their wine;
they will be consumed like dry stubble.[b]
11 From you, Nineveh, has one come forth
who plots evil against the Lord
and devises wicked plans.
12 This is what the Lord says:
“Although they have allies and are numerous,
they will be destroyed and pass away.
Although I have afflicted you, Judah,
I will afflict you no more.
13 Now I will break their yoke from your neck
and tear your shackles away.”
14 The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:
“You will have no descendants to bear your name.
I will destroy the images and idols
that are in the temple of your gods.
I will prepare your grave,
for you are vile.”
15 Look, there on the mountains,
the feet of one who brings good news,
who proclaims peace!
Celebrate your festivals, Judah,
and fulfill your vows.
No more will the wicked invade you;
they will be completely destroyed.[c]
Footnotes
- Nahum 1:9 Or What do you foes plot against the Lord? / He will bring it
- Nahum 1:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- Nahum 1:15 In Hebrew texts this verse (1:15) is numbered 2:1.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Imagine your life as a rollercoaster. Do you feel God with you in the most frightening parts of the ride?I’ve never been on a rollercoaster, but this passage resonates with images I’ve seen of them. They are scary! There is rapid acceleration through the first six verses as God’s anger builds up through natural forces. The earth itself trembles (v. 5). Then there is a little—but significant—pause in verse 7. An oasis in the storm. God cares for all who trust in him. Then momentum picks up again. God really is on the warpath against the warmongering, idolatrous Nineveh (of Jonah fame more than a century earlier)—and heaven help his foes (v. 8)! Another pause in verse 15: peace at last.
How would we survive in life without the pauses, the times when we can be sheltered from the forces and storms around us? Would we cope without God’s care? Sometimes, it’s hard to accept our peace when we know others elsewhere are suffering.
In our rollercoaster lives, we can be flung battered onto the pause. Sometimes we have to make a determined effort to breathe and take in a little piece of God’s goodness before we are off again.
Apply
Is there someone you know who needs the promise of calm and security in their life? How might you be a place of refuge for them?
Closing prayer
Thank you, Lord God, for being the Rock of my salvation—for today and for eternity.
Book and Author Intros
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