17 August | EVERYONE
«The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.» Nahum 1:7
Has the idea ever come into your mind that it is important to walk in God’s ways because otherwise you will bear the consequences in the day of His wrath? The prophet Nahum describes God, in chapter 1, in a frightening way: “God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies,” verse 2 says.
However, interwoven with the concepts of vengeance, wrath, anger, power, tempest, whirlwind, threat, trembling, and others found in that chapter, we come across this encouraging description of the Lord’s character: “the Lord is good.” The goodness of His being is born of His love. God is love. Where He is present, so are his love and goodness.
The problem is that his enemies, those who turn away from him and live as if the Lord did not exist, cannot see his love because of their rebelliousness. The goodness of God can only be seen and lived by those who “trust in him.” For them, God is “a stronghold in the day of trouble.” It should be noted that the “day of trouble” is not something fictitious, nor is it just the fruit of the imagination of weak people. It is a reality present in the lives of God’s children. He never promised that if you gave Him your Heart, your path would be a haven of calm waters. As long as you live in this world of sin, anguish will be part of the human experience, but you will be safe because God will be your strength.
But this verse not only guarantees security for those who trust in the Lord but affirms that God “knows those who trust in Him”; that is, He maintains an intimate relationship with them.
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The Lord knows your tears and prayers, your desires and frustrations. He knows your aspirations, sighs, and moans. You are never alone. Do you want to trust Him?