Times of Trouble
“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 the realm of darkness.”
Today’s Text: Nahum 1:1-8 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Just to put things into historical context, Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Jonah, who delivered a message of warning to Nineveh (to which, they repented), was a prophet between 785-760BC, give or take. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 722BC. Nahum was a prophet of Judah sometime around 660-610BC, and his prophecy was probably given some time during the reign of King Manasseh, who was a terrible but powerful king. Ultimately, it was because of Manasseh’s disobedience and idolatry that Judah was conquered by Babylon.
Assyria was the big bully in the regions of Syria (north) and Palestine (south) during that time, but they were starting to lose some of their power and stability. Eventually they were conquered by a coalition that included Babylon in 612BC.
A flood did not directly destroy Nineveh. However, flooding of the Tigris River helped to breach the defenses of the Ninevites, making it easier for the invading armies.
The curse of sin in this world means that the people of God (“those who trust in Him”) will encounter times of trouble. But the LORD is our refuge during such times.
And the LORD is our refuge in two ways. First, God protects His people according to His sovereign grace. And, yes, sometimes the people of God do experience tragedy, sickness, and even death in this life. But even in death, God is still our refuge.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
— Romans 8:37-39
That is our hope. And that hope is the second way that God is our refuge. Because of faith, we conscientiously put our trust in God. We conscientiously make Him our refuge. And it is ultimately that faith and trust that saves us.
Here in the United States, we rarely have to face destruction or war on a massive scale. I think it would do us well to consider the earthquakes that just happened in Venezuela and to recognize that such destruction could happen to us on any given day. Thinking about the possibility of disaster and destruction is not for the sake of making ourselves depressed and morose. That possibility ought to (1) make us cherish every day we are given and (2) conscientiously make God our refuge.
Father, You are my Refuge. You are my Shield. You are my Reward. You have given us each day to rejoice in the blessings of life that comes from You. Forgive me for losing sight of that. But even in times of distress, I will put my hope in You alone. You alone are my Refuge. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
