Archive for July, 2021
Our Strong Fortress
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him.” Nahum 1:7
At the time the text was written Nineveh had slid back into a sinful stage. They had once more become a threat to God’s people therein. Nahum wrote of the forthcoming wrath against the proud people of the Assyrian empire. Parenthetically, this is evidence God does judge nations.
Nahum also wrote of God’s love for and protection of His people. Nahum wrote to console God’s people by Him sparing them this wrath. Under those conditions he penned Nahum 1:7 likening Himself to a fortress for them.
I saw a more recent graphic of this. Traveling in the Jordan desert we stopped at a tiny fortress not more than 100 by 100 feet. Its formidable walls were approximately two feet thick.
When Sir Lawrence of Arabia was battling the Muslims in the region he was often outmanned and outgunned. Under those conditions he retreated into the fort. When he did, the strength of the fortress became the strength of Sir Lawrence. Therein he was safe. In Christ, His strength becomes our strength.
Now to apply this text personally. First, note the Lord is good. It is His nature, He can’t be any other way. It is just Him. That does not mean He exempts His people from all problems and never disciplines them when they are disobedient. This does not mean He is not jealous of His justice.
Nahum opened his prophecy by announcing that the Lord is a jealous God, Who takes vengeance on His enemies and is fierce in His anger. The Lord is slow to anger, but He is great in power and will never leave the guilty unpunished.
Then in dramatic contrast comes, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
Believers must never forget their Stronghold and take refuge in Him in times of trouble. This is possible because Christ took our sin on the cross and spared us God’s wrath.
Believers need to store away images of this truth and apply them in the experiences of daily life. Know that when you take refuge in Him His strength becomes your strength. Memorize Nahum 1:7 and apply it.
A New You
The basis of hypnosis is confidence in the person doing the hypnosis. It does not need to be a professional or an intended act. I have been hypnotized.
In the third grade I was in love with my teacher Miss Jones. To me she was “Miss Wonderful.” One day she passed my desk and put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Nelson you are a good little boy, but you just don’t have any self-confidence.” Bingo! From that day on I could not have self-confidence or I would have made Miss Jones wrong, actually a liar.
Years lapsed and one day crossing a street in Kentwood, Louisiana I stepped on the curb, looked up and prayed: “Dear God, Miss Jones was wonderful as I thought, but she was wrong. You made me and you ‘don’t make no junk.’ From this day on, because of my confidence in you I can have self-confidence.” Free at last!
That was a transformative moment.
In light of that, have you ever been hypnotized? You need not be. Feast on this smorgasbord of Scripture.
“…our sufficiency is from God.” (II Corinthians 3:5)
“For we are his workmanship….” (Ephesians 2:10)
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14 ESV)
“Examine yourselves whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless you are disqualified.” [That last phrase refers to not being a Christian.] (II Corinthians 13:5)
“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature….” (II Peter 1:3, 4)
Begin now “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22 – 24)
If you have been living under a hypnotic spell unknowingly cast on you by someone you trusted, let this be your moment in which that spell is broken, “put on the new self” today. Pause now and pray through this matter. Then enjoy casting a new self-image.