Nahum 1:2-3, 7-8

Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.

Bible Reading

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 maintains His wrath against His enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished…The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him, but with an overwhelming flood He will make an end of Nineveh; He will pursue His foes into darkness.

– Nahum 1:2-3, 7-8

Devotion

Nahum was a prophet in the last half of the seventh century B.C. He prophesied at the same time as Jeremiah and Habakkuk. Nahum is a book of prophecy against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. The prophet describes the cruelty of the Assyrians. He predicts the siege and destruction of the kingdom of Assyria. Nahum also writes concerning God’s character. He points out that God is a God of vengeance, and yet he notes that God is slow to anger. Nahum’s description of God’s character shows that He is holy, jealous, just, righteous, patient, powerful, good, a refuge for those in need and caring toward those who trust in Him.

The Big Question

Like Habakkuk, we sometimes question God’s will. We wonder “What is God up to?” Nahum had a strong sense of who God was. This enabled him to deliver a very harsh message to the Assyrian Empire. So what do you do when you struggle to understand God’s purposes in your struggles? Bob once said in a message: “When you struggle to understand God’s ways, continue to trust in His character.” How do we come to know and understand His character? We spend time getting to know Him through prayer and reading His Word. Are you setting aside God time each day, so that, you can know Him better? Is your life’s pursuit to know Him more intimately?

Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what God has revealed to you today.