Day 199 – Nahum: Judgement and rule

“The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.” Nahum 1:3 NLT

God is slow to get angry, but when He is ready to punish, even the earth trembles. Often, people avoid God because they see so much evil in the world, as well as misconduct and hypocrisy in the church. They don’t realise that because God is slow to anger, He gives His true followers time to share His love and truth with evildoers. But judgment will come; God will not allow sin to go unchecked forever. When people wonder why God doesn’t punish evil immediately, help them remember that if he did, none of us would be here. We can all be thankful that God gives people time to turn to Him.

Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, was in the crosshairs of God’s wrath once more because of its evil lifestyle of idolatry, pride, murder, lies, treachery, and social injustice. The news of its coming destruction was a relief for Judah, which was subject to Assyrian domination. No longer would they be forced to pay tribute as insurance against invasions. They were comforted to know that God was still in control and still loved them.

Assyria might have been mighty and feared across the world, but God is all-powerful, and no one can thwart His plans. He will overcome anyone who attempts to defy Him. Human power is futile against God. So, if you are impressed by or afraid of any weapons, armies, or powerful people, remember that God alone can truly rescue you from fear and oppression. Place your confidence in God because He alone rules all of history, all the present, all the future, all the earth, and all our lives.

Prayer: Father, thank You for showing us that Your justice remains in our modern world today, but with it also Your mercy. Help us Lord, to guide as many people as we can to You before Your wrath rains on this earth. Amen.