Monthly Archives: October 2022

Abiding, Allegiance, Battles, Belief, Bible, Courage, Defeat, Enemies, God's Will, Opponents, Promises, Rescue, Scripture

LIONS’ DEN

NAHUM 2:11

“Where is the den of the lions and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub went with nothing to disturb them?”

I love going to the zoo. We have a small one here in Chattanooga, TN where I live. Almost any zoo has “the king of the jungle” – the African lion. These beasts are huge. It is hard to really understand how big they are until you see one in person. A full-grown male lion does not have many threats. They rule the jungle or African plain.

That is the analogy Nahum is using in today’s verse. Nineveh had devoured all its enemies. None seemed able to stand against it. So, that is why it is so appalling that Nineveh is so desolate and defeated. Nahum is asking, “Where is the den of lions”? All their fierceness was gone. They were defeated.

APPLICATION

I want you to know that as a child of the King, your enemies will not stand. They will all bow before Him. They may appear to be triumphant right now, but their day will come. You may not see it in your lifetime, but it will come. No enemy of our King will remain.

How do I know that? Because His Word says it. Romans 14:11 says, “For it is written: ‘AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE WILL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.’” If God’s Word says it, that settles it. It will be just as He has said. Do you believe that?

I know I can trust Him when He says something. I believe all my enemies will bow, just as I will. I will bow willingly. They will bow because they know they are defeated. Oh, how sweet to know in Whom I can trust.

I praise You, O God, for Your faithfulness to all generations.

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Abiding, Advice, Affliction, Battles, Bible, Caregiver, Comfort, Dependence, Faith, Promises, Protection, Salvation, Scripture

IN TIMES LIKE THESE

NAHUM 2:10

“She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees wobbling! Also trembling is in the entire body, and all their faces have become pale!”

A couple of years ago, when I was going through treatment for my Amyloidosis, I got very weak. I was deathly ill. I had fainting spells and lost a lot of weight because I could not keep anything down I ate. My face was pale. My knees were wobbly. I felt as if my heart was melting. I guess you could say I could relate to the description in today’s verse.

Nahum, of course, is describing the condition of the Ninevites. Joel uses a similar description in Joel 2:6. “Before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale.” We find this description again in Jeremiah 30:6. “Ask now, and see if a male can give birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his waist, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale?”

APPLICATION

The application, to me, is clear. We are weak and frail without Jesus. He is the source of our strength. You may think you are strong, but let a trial come your way and you will see what you are made of. Our flesh, in itself, can only bear so much. But it is amazing what we can endure with the help of the Lord.

Perhaps you are going through a very trying time right now in your life. You may be sick or grieving. Whatever it is, Jesus is your strength. Your knees may be wobbly, and your heart may be faint, but Jesus has you. Quit trying to manage it on your own. You can’t, He never said you could. He can and He always said He would (to borrow a quote from a dear brother-in-law).

I am so thankful that both times I went through my stem cell transplants I knew who held me. It was not the doctors or their medical knowledge. It wasn’t the great treatment I received at the hospitals. It wasn’t my wife, as precious as she was through both of those events. It was Jesus. He carried me through. He can carry you, too.

In times like these you need a Savior. In times like these you need an anchor. Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.

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Bible, Blessing, Family, Fruit, Treasures, Wealth

YOUR TREASURE

NAHUM 2:9

“Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! For there is no end to the treasure—wealth from every kind of desirable object.”

One of my children’s favorite movies was “Goonies.” These kids in the movie are seeking a pirate treasure in the caves around their hometown. They eventually find it after fighting off some bad guys. The treasure has gold, diamonds and precious stones. They let most of the treasure go unclaimed, however, in order to make sure everyone is safe.

All the silver and gold of Nineveh is plundered by their enemies. It was a wealthy city, having conquered other nations and carried off their wealth. Well, turnabout is fair play. Now, all their wealth is being carried off. All they can do is watch. Their end has come.

APPLICATION

What is your treasure? Is it your 401K? How about your home or job? Maybe you consider your family your treasure. All these are temporal. They will not last. They may make you feel good now, but not in eternity. None of these will make a difference when you come to the end of your days.

You see, God’s view of treasure is different than the world’s. Jesus told us in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” We prioritize the wrong things too often. Jesus tells us to lay up treasures in heaven. That is only done by living according to His Word. It is done by producing fruit through godly living.

So, what treasures have you laid up in heaven? How are you serving Him today? All those treasures you lay up in heaven will be laid at His feet. That will be a glorious day. We cannot even begin to imagine. He will be glorified!

All I have laid up in heaven, Lord, is Yours. Help me keep my focus on heavenly treasures and not worldly ones.

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Bible, Enemies, God's Will, Protection, Scripture, Surrender, Victors

STOP!

NAHUM 2:8

“Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, yet they are fleeing; ‘Stop, stop,’ but no one turns back.”

Do you remember playing in the yard with your friends and having team games. We used to play “Capture the Flag.” Loved that game. I can remember seeing the other team coming and seeing all my teammates running for cover. I would yell at them to stop, but they were just trying to take care of themselves.

That is the scene Nahum is describing here in Nineveh. The “pool of water” had been disturbed. The enemy was pouring into the city and the inhabitants were running for it. All shouts from their leaders commanding them to stay and fight fell on deaf ears. Nahum says, “no one turns back.” All fled.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you – are you running for cover or staying to fight? We are in a battle. You know that. I am not saying anything you don’t know. The Lord is telling us to stop running. We do not have to fear these attacks. We just have to turn and face them, knowing that it is the Lord who fights for us.

I have shared before one of my favorite verses. Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you, while you remain silent.” You see the moment we surrender our heart and life to Him; He becomes our protector. Nothing will touch us that He has not allowed. So, turn and face whatever attacks you are under.

Stop the complaining! Stop the excuses! Stop the hiding! Just stop! Watch what the Lord will do when you surrender to His will. Watch what He will do when you finally allow Him to fight for you. He is waiting. What will you do?

I hear Your voice, Lord, telling me to stop and fight. I will fight, knowing the victory is through You.

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Accused, Affliction, Battles, Bible, Defeat, Devil, Evil, Power, Scripture, Victors

LED AWAY

NAHUM 2:7

“It is set: She is stripped, she is led away, And her slave women are sobbing like the sound of doves, beating their breasts.”

I had a friend, who is now with the Lord, who was captured and was a prisoner of war during World War II. He survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines that was led by the Japanese. He told me once how hopeless and helpless he felt. I cannot imagine what he went through.

Nahum is describing Nineveh as a woman being led away in captivity – stripped, sobbing, beating their breasts. Hopeless, helpless! When Nineveh was defeated, the surviving inhabitants were led away. Nineveh would never be the same. Rebellion against God never ends well.

APPLICATION

We often feel defeated. We feel hopeless and helpless when the enemy is upon us. When we give in to the attacks, he can rob us of our joy. But we must remember what Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”

We are not defeated. We are victorious because of Christ. We are the victors. The war has already been decided, and we are on the winning side. Never forget that. We will face battles in the future, and we may fail at times. But we are not captives.

Aren’t you glad that you are not on a death march? When you  get discouraged, look up. You need allies in your life who can come alongside you during those trying times. Most of all, turn to Jesus, who can take all your pain away. You are NOT DEFEATED!

Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. He sought me and bought me with His redeeming love.

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Accountability, Affliction, Battles, Bible, Enemies, God's Will, Protection, Scripture

OPENINGS

NAHUM 2:6

“The gates of the rivers are opened and the palace sways back and forth.”

I was recently in Florida and had the chance to walk a beach. Immediately upon my arrival at the beach, my wife and I spotted a sandcastle that had been built. It looked a little bit well worn, but it was still standing. If you have every built a sandcastle on the beach you know that if it is built too close to the waves, the tide will come in and wash it away.

In a similar fashion, the gates of Nineveh had been opened by a swelling river, which exposed it to the enemy which was outside the walls in the midst of a siege against it. Once those gates were opened, the enemy had only to use the flow of the river to invade and ultimately conquer the city. “The palace sways” indicates the fall of the empire.

APPLICATION

What have you opened yourself up to? We do it without thinking. We allow small cracks to form, and before we know it, we are engulfed with the world. Just like the crashing waves on the sandcastle or the open gates allowing the river to flow, we have exposed ourselves to outside influences.

That is never good. The world has no interest in making you more godly. I am reminded of 2 Peter 1:3-4. It reads, “3 for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.”

It is only His divine power that can prevent us from being sucked into a worldview of life. But we can be “partakers of the divine nature.” Isn’t that great? Divine nature? Us? That is what God’s Word says, so it has to be true. Guard your hearts, my friends. Only open yourselves to His truth.

I open my eyes and ears to You alone, O God. You are the protector of my soul.

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Battles, Bible, Enemies, Protection, Scripture

A COVERING

NAHUM 2:5

“He remembers his officers; they stumble in their advance, they hurry to her wall, and the mantelet is set up.”

If you have ever played paintball, you know the importance of cover. You hide behind walls or other structures in order to not get tagged by your opponent. The better the covering, the better chance to survive the assault. Even though this is all in fun, you still want to win.

Nahum continues to describe the assault on Nineveh and their feeble attempt at a defense. Remember, this is the Lord’s assault on them as part of His judgment. This “mantelet” is a covering or a screen that was used by the enemy as it assaulted the walls of a city. They would put boards or timbers above them and cover them with animal skins, often soaked in water, to guard them against stones from above or fiery arrows.

APPLICATION

What is your covering? What is your protection from the fiery darts of the enemy? As believers, our only protection, our only mantelet, is the Lord. No other covering will protect you as you assault the gates of hell. What?! Assault the gates of hell?! You better believe it.

We are called to take on the evil one head on. We are to never retreat. Ephesians 6:11 tells us “Put on the full armor of God so that you may stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” Do you not think he is throwing stones and arrows at you? Every chance he gets. He wants to bring you down. But he is as helpless as Nineveh was.

I do not fear the evil one because I know my covering. There is an old hymn that says:

       But I know whom I have believed

       And am persuaded that He is able

       To keep that which I’ve committed

       Unto Him against that day.

He is able to protect me. He is my mantelet.

I am so thankful that You, O Lord, have me covered against all the weapons of the enemy.

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Accountability, Bible, Chaos, Discipline, Eternity, Order, Scripture

CHAOS AND DISORDER

NAHUM 2:4

“The chariots drive wildly in the streets, they rush around in the public squares; their appearance is like torches, they drive back and forth like lightning flashes.”

I prefer things orderly. I would not say I am obsessed by it, but I like things to be put in their place. My parents taught me that. I remember my dad had all his tools displayed on a huge peg board in his shop. Everything hung in place. If you needed something, it was easy to see. Just make sure you put it back in its place, lol.

Nahum is describing a scene of war in which nothing is in order. The chariots “drive wildly” in the streets. They drive back and forth “like lightning flashes” and “like torches.” He is picturing the assault on Nineveh and the chaos that ensued. It almost seems they are fighting without any leaders. That is never good.

APPLICATION

To whom do you look to find order and discipline? Some of us look to ourselves. We think we can do it. Some look to the military to teach them discipline. Still others depend on someone in authority to tell them exactly what to do.

All of those are acceptable sources of order, but none of them are eternal. They will all cease. There is only one source of order and discipline that will last for eternity. That is the Lord Jesus. He gave us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. He helps guide our steps each day.

Left to my own devices, I would be a mess. I would probably drift into nothingness. I would lay around and mope. But the Holy Spirit in me gives me a purpose for living. That demands I follow His leadership which gives me order and discipline. If there is one thing the Holy Spirit is not, He is not disorderly. Will you let Him direct your steps today?

O Lord, I praise You for keeping me straight. I know I can rely on Your Holy Spirit to guide my steps.

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Agreement, Allegiance, Allies, Battles, Bible, Christianity, Devil, Enemies, God's Will, Modeling, Opponents, Scripture

A SHIELD

NAHUM 2:3

“The shields of his warriors are dyed red, the warriors are dressed in scarlet, the chariots are fitted with flashing steel when he is prepared to march, and the juniper spears are brandished.”

I love to watch football (American football), especially college football. I love to watch the team working as one to achieve a goal – to score on their opponent or to prevent their opponent from scoring on them. A lot of this occurs on the line of scrimmage. Young men forming a line of defense have to work together as one.

The English translation above says “shields,” but the actual Hebrew word is singular – “shield.” That makes a difference. Nahum is saying that “the shield of His warriors” is one. They move as one. They attack as one. They are no longer fighting alone against their enemies. They have become a unified force under the banner of Jehovah.

APPLICATION

This should send a message to us, not about fighting, but about standing together. Christians are so divided today. We segregate ourselves between denominations. We divide our churches by race. We cannot fight our common enemy if we stay divided. We must become one.

So, what prevents that? Is it pride or arrogance? Is it our church traditions? Some of these divisions are over minor doctrinal disagreements that do not really have an effect on our salvation. Paul says in Romans 12:4-5 “4 For just as we have many parts in one body and all the body’s parts do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another.”

What part are you? How can you help unify the body of Christ? The ministry I am serving in now, Every Man A Warrior (www.everymanawarrior.com), cuts across denominational lines. We have leaders in 58 countries and in all 50 states in the U.S. And guess what? We are all not Southern Baptists. Nor are we all Methodists. We are all believers in Christ who want to see our culture changed by changing the hearts of men. Will you join us in unifying the body of Christ worldwide?

Help me hold Your shield, Lord, as I face our enemies.

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Bible, Completeness, Glory, God's Will, Restoration, Scripture

RESTORE THE SPLENDOR

NAHUM 2:2

“For the LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, even though destroyers have laid waste to them and ruined their vines.”

Years ago, I loved to restore antique furniture. I loved the process of stripping off the old varnish and stain. I loved stripping off layers of paint that had covered up the beautiful wood grains underneath. Then I would apply a new stain and varnish, making sure my brush strokes were straight and smooth. At the end I would have a fully restored piece of furniture.

The Lord is going to restore Jacob to its splendor. This meant that they would be fully devoted to Yahweh. They would empty themselves of any other allegiances and return to Him. He would be their splendor. It was not about anything they had done. It was all Him.

APPLICATION

Don’t you just love Psalm 51:12 where David asks the Lord to restore to him the joy of His salvation? God did that. He restored David. After a terrible fall involving adultery, lies, deceit and even murder, God restored him. He can do the same for you. No matter what you have done, God can strip off all that old varnish of sin and restore your splendor.

We get so good at covering our sin, don’t we? Just like that old piece of furniture, which is covered with layers of paint or varnish, we cover our sins with all sorts of things. We think we can hide them, but God sees right through them. He sees what we can be in Him. It is His splendor that He wants to give us.

I am thankful that God stripped me of my layers of junk. I am thankful that all that shines in me now is because of Him. In fact, it is all Him. There is nothing good in me except Jesus. He is all I need. He is all you need, as well. Let His splendor shine.

Strip me Lord of all the layers I have built up in my life. Let me shine forth Your splendor for all the world to see.

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