Series: Flowers in the Desert
Nahum 1:7 ESV
Isaiah 35:1-4 ESV
Romans 8:19-22 ESV
Psalm 86:8-10 MSG
Most of us who have a few years under our belt have seen our share of trouble. We may not have experienced the same kind of trouble, but truth be told, when we experience hard times we come out on the other side a different person.
Some people who have experienced hard times cave in to it and end up carrying it around like a boulder. They never really recover from it.
Many of those people are fighters. They took up their gauntlet and stood firm. They stood and fought on their own by selves. They refused to accept pity or help, even from God.
They did grow stronger and more resolute but the boulder they carry with them every day gives them deep scars.
There is very little doubt that they haven’t been wounded and they continue to carry their wounds.
They trust no man.
Some do believe in God but they did not and do not rely on God for help or healing.
You know this person.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who experienced trouble and instead of fighting through it, they stopped and recognized that this kind of trouble was much more than they could bear.
Instead of standing firm they crumbled and when they crumbled they realized the pain was too great to bear it alone.
They turned to God and sought God’s face.
They readily admitted their weakness.
They collapsed into the arms of Almighty God and surrendered the matter to Holy God.
The Prophet Nahum knew that weakness that renders us helpless before God is a Holy matter. In Nahum 1:7 he wrote, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;he knows those who take refuge in him.”
Nahum knew that the man (or wo-man) who turns to God and seeks refuge in God will always, always find refuge.
The Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 35:1-4,
“The desert and the dry ground will be glad. The dry places will be full of joy. Flowers will grow there.Like the first crocus in the spring,
the desert will bloom with flowers. It will be very glad and shout for joy.The glorious beauty of Lebanon will be given to it. It will be as beautiful as the rich lands of Carmel and Sharon.Everyone will see the glory of the Lord. They will see the beauty of our God.
Strengthen the hands of those who are weak. Help those whose knees give way.
Say to those whose hearts are afraid, “Be strong and do not fear.Your God will come. He will pay your enemies back. He will come to save you.”
Isaiah’s words were two-fold. The prophecy both applied to Israel in 538 B.C.E. when the Babylonian captivity ended and the Jews were allowed to return home. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were told they could return to their homeland after Babylon conquered Judah in 598 and 587 B.C.E. We remember when Babylon conquered Judah the brightest and the best Hebrew boys were taken off to Babylon.
The prophecy also applies to future earth when all will be restored.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:19-22, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
The offer Nahum wrote about in Nahum 1:7 is timeless.
God was, is, and will be a stronghold in the day of trouble.
God was, is, and will be our refuge.
Psalm 86:8-10 in The Message says,
“There’s no one quite like you among the gods, O Lord, and nothing to compare with your works.All the nations you made are on their way, ready to give honor to you, O Lord,Ready to put your beauty on display, parading your greatness,And the great things you do— God, you’re the one, there’s no one but you!”
Yesterday, today, and through eternity, there is no one and nothing that compares to God!
Spiritual Practice: Celebrate Creation
A rare white bloom on the Ironwood tree in the desert survives harsh conditions and emerges seemingly unscathed by the environment. The tree survives and the fruit on the tree is a beautiful thing to behold. This desert tree created by God serves as a reminder of the lasting beauty in creation that can withstand extreme heat and drought.
Today, celebrate God’s creation in you.
In God, Deborah
Comments