3-Fold Strand of Grace


 I found myself in Nahum 1:7 this morning during my personal devotions. I talked mostly about the last portion of the verse in my Facebook Live devotions (Peace Out!) and I'll share that video below. But the more I thought about this little verse in one of the smallest books of the Bible, the more it exploded inside me!

The verse simply says The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him. (NKJV) The little verse is nestled right smack dab in the middle of Nahum the prophet's declaration of God's vengeance on His enemies. Thankfully, we are believers and Jesus' blood covers us so we are saved from His wrath! 

Here Nahum is declaring the justice of God against evil and yet we find a 3-fold strand of grace.

Strand 1. The Lord is Good.

God is good, and His goodness doesn't fluctuate. He is good when things go our way and everything is smooth. But He is just as good when things are not going our way and we find ourselves in difficult and trying situations. His goodness doesn't change in response to circumstances. He is good. Always. Every day. In all circumstances.

Strand 2. A Stronghold in the Day of Trouble

I love that when my day (or days) go awry, He is my stronghold. I can run to Him. I can hide behind His grace. I can let Him carry me through the raging rivers of life. We always have a place to run to and it's in Him. He won't tell us that things got too complicated for Him. He'll never tell us He's too busy, too tired, or too anything. He will continue to protect our hearts. He's a stronghold we can trust.

Strand 3. He Knows Who is His

When we declare our trust in Him, we proclaim we are His - He knows just how much we are trusting Him whether it is a little or a lot. God knows us. He knows when we trust Him to get us from day to day in caregiving. He even knows when we hold back those hidden things we don't trust Him with. And because He knows we are His, He patiently waits for us to bring it all to Him as He undergirds us with His strength.

Today, I will take a walk through my own heart to see if there is anything I am not trusting Him with. I'll look around for areas that I am still trying to do in my own strength. My prayer will be for Him to reveal to me anything and everything that I am still holding on to as I commit to trusting Him with it all. Because He knows. My meditations will be on relinquishing my grip and placing all of my cares and concerns into His hand that is gripping me! Will you join me?

 




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31 Days in Psalm 31 devotional book cover


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