Monthly Archives: October 2022

Accountability, Bible, Holy Spirit, Missionaries, Scripture, Service, Truth, Witnessing

SLEEPING ON THE JOB

NAHUM 3:18

“Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; your officers are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains.”

I have had a couple of jobs that required me to work the night shift (10 or 11 pm until 6 or 7 am). Those shifts can be tough if you are not used to them. I was never a regular on those shifts, so it was hard to stay awake unless I stayed busy. If I sat still, I was a goner – snooze city.

Nineveh’s shepherds and officers were slumbering, according to Nahum. They were sleeping on the job. They were nowhere to be found when it came to fighting or resisting the enemy. So, the people were scattered on the mountains. They fled! There was no one to protect them.

APPLICATION

Don’t be accused of sleeping on the job when it comes to Jesus. Time is short, and we need to be spreading the word. But so many Christians are asleep when it comes to being bold with their witness. They leave all that up to the “paid” Christians. You know, the preachers or evangelists or missionaries.

Surely, God doesn’t expect every believer to be proclaiming the message of truth. Well, I don’t see Jesus singling out any one person when He said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” He didn’t say, “Peter, you go!” He didn’t name anyone. It applies to us all.

I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to witnessing. It has to be a conscious effort on my part. I pray each day for the Holy Spirit to open a door of opportunity with someone I cross paths with. I want to be ready at all times. Will you join me? Wake up.

Lead me, Lord, to a place each day where I can share Jesus with someone.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Eternity, Loyalty, Promises, Relationships, Scripture

DISAPPEARING ACT

NAHUM 3:17

“Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, and the place where they are is not known.”

Who doesn’t love a good disappearing act?! I can still remember David Copperfield making a Boeing 747 disappear. That plane is probably still wandering somewhere, lol. We all know that the plane didn’t really disappear, but the illusion was breath taking.

Nineveh would soon disappear, just like the locusts as soon as the sun rises. During the cool nights, they piled on top of each other to stay warm. They were a mass of wiggly insects. Nineveh compares the army of Nineveh in that same fashion. They were so numerous they resembled this horde of locusts at night.

APPLICATION

Unlike the strength of Nineveh that disappeared never to return, our Lord will never disappear. He is with us forever. He remains by our side through this life. Then we will reign with Him forever in the eternal. He will never, never disappear.

I worked with a lot of children during my 30+ years in the Child Welfare system. Many of them had disappearing parents. Mom or dad or both deserted them. The damage done to those precious children would break your heart. I am so grateful for parents who were present in my life all the way up to the time of their homegoing. And one day we will be reunited.

I am also grateful that my heavenly Father is always there. I may not always feel that, but that is because I have drifted away. He is still there. Jesus will never disappear on you. He is there, faithful and true, always ready to lend you His hand. Will you take it?

Place your hand in the hand of the Man who stilled the waters. Place your hand in the hand of the Man who calmed the seas.

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Abiding, Bible, Choices, Contentment, God's Will, Scripture

BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER

NAHUM 3:16

“You have made your traders more numerous than the stars of heaven—the creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away.”

You may have heard the saying “You can tell a man from boys by the size of his toys.” We think bigger is always better. Or in Christian terms “busier is better.” If I just do this for God, He will love me more. If I just serve on this committee at church, people will like me more. If I could just sing on the Praise Team, I would be more spiritual.

Nineveh was the biggest and best in the trade world at that time. Because two rivers converged at Nineveh, it was a major trade route to the sea and beyond. And with all that trade, money flowed. There were many wealthy traders in Nineveh. Wealth brings its on set of temptations – idol worship, prostitution, drugs, etc. Bigger is not always better.

APPLICATION

Are you relying on the “size of your toys” to bring you happiness and contentment? It won’t happen. Oh, for a little while, you will be happy with that new car or truck. You will finally buy your dream home or land that dream job. But the things of this world are fleeting. They will not last.

As believers, our contentment is only in Christ. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 tells us something about contentment. “6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Then Paul tells us what to pursue in verse 11. “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” Those are eternal things. Those bring true happiness. Those are things worth chasing after with all the vigor you can muster. Let’s pursue the better over the bigger.

I desire to follow You, Lord, into a deeper relationship filled with righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”

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Belief, Bible, Fear, Hope, Salvation, Scripture, Strength, Victors

TO NO AVAIL

NAHUM 3:15

“There fire will consume you, the sword will cut you down; it will consume you as the creeping locust consumes a crop. Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, multiply yourself like the migratory locust.”

I do not like being told there is no hope, so quit trying. But there are sometimes when we just know we can’t do it. A few years ago, I had to go through a physical challenge and score so many points to become a Reserve Officer with my local Sheriff’s Office. Due to a bad, left shoulder I could not complete the necessary pull-ups or push-ups. My other scores were okay, but not good enough to accomplish the score needed. I had to stop the challenge before I finished. I hated that.

Today’s verse may not be clear at first glance. But Nahum is continuing the prophecy against Nineveh. He ends this verse basically daring Nineveh to try to strengthen themselves against the hand of God. They could become as numerous as the locusts, but they would not prevail. It was all to no avail.

APPLICATION

Don’t listen to the naysayers. While we are in Christ, we never give up. There is always hope. He will never leave you or forsake you. We know that because He tells us that repeatedly in Scripture. I have not personally counted them, but I have been told that “do not fear” occurs 365 times in the Bible. That’s enough for every day of the year!

When the world says, “Just give in. Quit trying” you look them right in the eye and tell them you have a Conqueror on your side who cannot be defeated. Your life is in Him, not your circumstances. Do not give in!!! Do not!

There have been times in my life when I wanted to throw in the towel. I had believed the lies. I thought it was all to no avail. Why keep trying? But my precious Lord and Savior reminded me of what He had saved me to accomplish for Him. He didn’t so much save me from something as He saved me toward something. Life was worth it because of Him. Believe that today.

I will believe in You, my Lord, when all else seems to fail. You are my rock and my salvation.

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Abiding, Accountability, Battles, Bible, Commands, Courage, Defense, Devil, Enemies, Fighting, Scripture

MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS

NAHUM 3:14

“Draw for yourself water for a siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick mold!

I love to watch old war movies. I especially love the battle scenes. I can just hear the ship captain commanding his sailors to man their battle stations. They would all scurry off to whatever position they had been assigned and trained to operate. They were responsible for their area and to back up others around them.

Nahum is sarcastically telling the Ninevites to “man their battle stations.” They were to: 1) get water and supplies to last during the siege 2) strengthen the city walls 3) prepare mortar 4) apply that mortar. You see, Nineveh was used to being the one who did the siege on others. Their walls were not built to withstand a siege. They, in fact, were under siege by their enemies for two years.

APPLICATION

Let me remind you that we are under siege. Yes, every day the enemy is banging on our “walls” and “gates” trying to defeat us. Rest assured; the captain is aware. He tells us to be ready. Put on our armor. Prepare for battle. Strengthen your fortifications through His Word and prayer. Suit up and fight.

That may all sound ominous. Don’t let it scare you. You see, we have a secret weapon – Jesus Christ, our Advocate. He is the one who fights for us. We just must surrender to His lordship over our lives. Just as sailors must obey the orders of their captain, we must obey our Lord. His Word directs us in every order He has for us.

I have made the decision to follow Jesus, no matter what. How about you? Are you a fair-weather follower or will you follow Jesus to very gates of hell, if necessary? He is looking for those kinds of followers. Let’s man our battle stations, friends.

I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.

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Battles, Bible, Destruction, Devil, Enemies, Fighting, Fire, Protection, Satan, Scripture

BOLT THE DOOR

NAHUM 3:13

“Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; fire consumes your gate bars.”

I grew up in an era when we did not worry too much about locked doors. The 60s and early 70’s did not warrant it. I cannot even recall if my grandma’s house had a bolt on it. I am sure the doors were locked at times, but it was not a huge concern. I lived in a small town with little crime.

Nahum tells Nineveh that their gate bars will be burned. This was a common practice in those days. The enemy would build a fire on the outside of the gate which would ignite the sun-dried wooden gate. This would burn the wooden bar on the inside or after burning for a while the iron or brass bar would simply fall off. The city was now wide open for invasion.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you something. What is barring your gate against the enemy? We cannot depend on any man-made protection against the enemy. He will set fire to your self-constructed methods. They will burst into flames. You will then be vulnerable to his attacks.

The Word of God is the only “bar” that can keep those gates shut. So many men have opened the gate to pornography, which will burn your house down. But with the Word of God as your  “bar” of protection, you can defend yourself. Better yet – the Word defends you. You have the ability to quench those flames that are set against you.

I try to keep my gates shut tight with His Word. My daily Quiet Times are key to that. Spending time with the Lord is my fortification. The water of the Word is my fire brigade. All I have to do is recall those Scriptures that pertain to the fire. That means you have to spend time in the Word. Are you? Is the Word your “bar”?

I know my gates are barred with Your Word, Lord. Help me show others how to bar their own gates, too.

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Abiding, Battles, Bible, Faithfulness, Scripture, Trust

UNSHAKEABLE

NAHUM 3:12

“All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit—when shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth.”

When I read this verse, my mind flashed back to an old Sandy Patty song, “Unshakeable Kingdom.” In case you don’t know that song, here is the link to see the video:

The chorus ends with this:

The kingdom of God
A kingdom that will never end
The living unshakeable kingdom of God, of God!

Nahum, of course, was prophesying just the opposite of the enemies of God. They were shakeable. They were vulnerable. They could be destroyed. God proved that by wiping them out. But thanks be to God, since we are in His kingdom, we are not.

APPLICATION

Maybe you have been shaken. Perhaps you have faced obstacles and challenges that have rocked you to your core. This life is hard sometimes, I know. We have all faced things that test our faith. I want to reassure you that God is not shaken by those things.

Whatever you are dealing with, God is bigger. There is nothing that He cannot deal with if you will let Him. He will lift you out of the miry clay and set you on solid ground. He will pick you up, dust you off and put you back on the path He has chosen for you.

Is it easy? No! Is it worth it to trust? You had better believe it. Speaking from experience, I can tell you it is. I have had my tests. I have not been faithful in some of them. I have failed some tests. What does God do? He allows me to try it again – til I get it right. That is really a privilege. That may sound crazy, but with each test I learn to trust Him more. So can you!

Father, I trust You. I want to prove my faithfulness to You. I am yours.

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Bible, Fortress, Hiding, Home, Safety, Scripture, Shelter

SEARCHING FOR REFUGE 

NAHUM 3:11 

“You too will become drunk, you will be hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.” 

We run, and we hide. We run, and we hide. But we can’t hide forever. The problems of life catch up to us. We can retreat to the deepest corners of our mind, but the thoughts still flood us like a tidal wave. There is no escape. Or is there? 

In the prophetic words of Nahum, “You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.” Those to whom Nahum prophesied knew far too well the reality of that statement. There was no refuge strong enough, no fortress with walls thick enough. Nothing on this earth could defend them. 

APPLICATION 

Awww, but there is where we are different. We have a shelter to run to. We have a strong tower to climb in. We are protected by the very One who spoke the world into creation. He has only to speak the word, and all our enemies would be vanquished. He is just waiting for us to come to Him. 

Even though there is a different Hebrew word used for “refuge” in Psalm 62:6-8, I still love to hear these words. “6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my refuge; I will not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my glory rest on God; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us.” 

Run to Him today. He is indeed your refuge from the enemy, your shelter from the storm. He will hide you in the cleft of the rock. He will put His mighty hand around you to shield you from the attacks of the evil one. He will guard your soul from the onslaught of those thoughts that you are not worthy of His love. You are! 

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land; He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand. 

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Affliction, Battles, Bible, Captivity, Defeat, Enemies, Protection, Scripture, Victors

CAPTIVITY 

NAHUM 3:10 

“Yet she became an exile, she went into captivity; also her small children were smashed to pieces at the head of every street; they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound with shackles.” 

In this study of Nahum, there has been a lot of talk about captivity. That got me thinking about what holds me captive. What do I allow in my life that holds me captive emotionally, spiritually or even relationally? I bet you have the same captors in your life. 

Nahum is continuing to address the Ninevites in his prophetic statements. He is painting a picture of the horrors of human captivity – children killed and adults led away as slaves in chains. Both their present and future were taken. How defeating.  

APPLICATION 

As horrible as that sounds in today’s verse (and it is horrible), we willingly or naively put ourselves in similar chains. We stay in relationships that we know are not good for us spiritually. We continue in behaviors that will only lead to trouble down the road. We even sit under teaching that floods our minds with ideas that run contrary to God’s Word. 

Paul warned the Colossians of this in chapter 2 of his letter to them. Colossians 2:8 reads, “See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ.” 

We have warnings all through Scripture, if we will just heed them. There lies the problem. We don’t read the Scriptures to know of these warnings. We don’t memorize and meditate on them to build our defenses. The only way to combat captivity is to take our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). Get in the Word today. 

I am armed with Your Word to battle against any evil force that may come my way. You are my tower of safety. 

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Abiding, Allies, Battles, Bible, Confidence, Disappointment, Faithfulness, God's Will, Promises, Scripture

MISPLACED CONFIDENCE 

NAHUM 3:9 

“Ethiopia was her might, Egypt too, without limits. Put and Lubim were among her helpers.” 

Have you ever had someone you were depending on let you down? It is no fun feeling. Your hopes seemed dashed. You get angry at that person and then you get sad. Emotions are always a part of this kind of disappointment. What do you do with those emotions? 

Nahum was reminding Nineveh that no one can depend on any earthly power. He gives the example of No-Amon who depended on Ethiopia and Egypt for her might. Historical records have shown their armies numbered in the millions, like sand on the seashore. But No-Amon still fell. Only God’s power is eternal. 

APPLICATION 

I pray you have not suffered the fate of misplaced dependence. Let me reassure you – people will let you down. I have promised people that I will eventually disappoint them. I am not perfect and have never claimed to be. I know my failures. Do you? 

As believers, we know our only certain source of strength lies in Jesus Christ. Only He can sustain us. Read these words from Psalm 62. “5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Hm. 6 Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” 

Aren’t those great words? I just love that He is my rest, my hope, my rock, my salvation, my fortress, my salvation, the source of my honor, my mighty rock and my refuge. If that doesn’t give you confidence, nothing will. Trust Him today! 

I shall trust in You at all times, my God and my Savior. 

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