In The Word
Read: Nahum 1
God Is Awesome
1 The pronouncement of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:
2 A jealous and avenging God is the Lord;
The Lord is avenging and wrathful.
The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
In the gale and the storm is His way,
And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
He dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither,
The blossoms of Lebanon wither.
5 Mountains quake because of Him,
And the hills come apart;
Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence,
The world and all the inhabitants in it.
6 Who can stand before His indignation?
Who can endure the burning of His anger?
His wrath gushes forth like fire,
And the rocks are broken up by Him.
7 The Lord is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
He will make a complete end of its site,
And will pursue His enemies into darkness.
9 Whatever you devise against the Lord,
He will make a complete end of it.
Distress will not rise up twice.
10 Like tangled thorns,
And like those who are drunken with their drink,
They are consumed
Like stubble completely dried up.
11 From you has gone out
One who plotted evil against the Lord,
A wicked counselor.
12 This is what the Lord says:
“Though they are at full strength and so they are many,
So also they will be cut off and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no longer.
13 So now, I will break his yoke from upon you,
And I will tear your shackles to pieces.”
14 The Lord has issued a command concerning you:
“Your name will no longer be perpetuated.
I will eliminate the carved image and the cast metal image
From the house of your gods.
I will prepare your grave,
For you are contemptible.”
15 Behold, on the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news,
Who announces peace!
Celebrate your feasts, Judah,
Pay your vows.
For never again will the wicked one pass through you;
He is eliminated completely.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
It seems that Nineveh has returned to its old ways. Even though an earlier generation listened to the Word of the Lord proclaimed by Jonah and repented, this new generation fought against God and His people. Even so, the Lord reminds His people that He is their avenger and that He is great in power. The whole earth and all that it contains is His, and it is in His control. He is a stronghold in the day of trouble. He knows those who take refuge in Him.
Our God is awesome. Ever just stop and meditate on that? Not because you need something in a circumstance or situation, but just because of who He is. He has the majesty and power to break every chain and calm every storm. If our God is for us, then who can be against us? No one and nothing can stand before His judgment. It may seem like those who fight against Him and His people prevail, but the enemy has already been defeated. Death couldn’t hold Him down. He is risen, He is alive. Our God reigns! How beautiful are the feet of those who bring this good news to all people? Proclaim this good news to those around you today; may they see Him in us. Shout out to God with the voice of triumph! Shout out to God with the voice of praise! Our God is awesome!