“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”
Nahum 1:7

This wonderful verse sits in the middle of three chapters of fierce judgment against Nineveh. Nahum was called by the Lord to prophesy judgment on the very people to whom Jonah had reluctantly preached and who had repented. But time had passed, and the people of Nineveh had gone back to their wicked ways. In the first chapter, we read of the declaration of judgment; in chapter 2, of the power of judgment; and in chapter 3, of the finality of such judgment. Three chapters of judgment all around this prophet!

But our verse stands like a lighthouse, beaming hope into the dark night for all those who pass by! In this one verse, we see three things.

First, we read of the goodness of God. This might not be what we would bring out. We might have declared, “The Lord is holy,” or “The Lord is great,” but Nahum announces the goodness of the Lord! The Lord is good ethically, morally, and practically. David would remind us that the Lord is good and does good (Ps. 119:68). The goodness of the Lord was revealed to men like Moses and Jeremiah (Ex. 33:19; 34:6; Lam. 3:25). This goodness of God was displayed throughout the life of the Lord Jesus when He went about doing good (Acts 10:38).

Nahum could declare, even in judgment, that the Lord is good because He is a stronghold for all who come trusting in Him. He is a refuge and a place of safety in a time of trouble (Ps. 46:1-2). Nahum’s message is clear: the Lord is able to save those who turn to Him from the severity of the judgment that was soon to fall on Nineveh.

The Lord had been patient with this city, as He is with mankind today. Peter reminds us, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

Just as judgment came to Nineveh, it is coming to all who reject God’s salvation through His Son. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (Jn. 3:17).

Anchor For Today:
Today, there is a lighthouse beaming out the gospel of God’s grace, shining forth the message: God loves you! He has provided a way of salvation at the Cross of Jesus Christ. Come to Him, confess your sin and repent, and be saved!