Day 16 – When Trouble Comes
(Nahum 2:1-13)
The preaching of Jonah caused the king of Nineveh and all its people to repent and turn to the Lord (Jonah 3:5). The Lord therefore relented of the destruction determined against Nineveh at that time. But Nahum’s prophecy, 150 years later, was a declaration of judgement on Nineveh.
The people had forgotten the revival that happened at the preaching of Jonah. They had gone back to their evil ways and forgotten all about God. Hence, the imminent destruction prophesied by Nahum.
The enemy is intent on destruction
Nahum may be referring to the destruction of Nineveh (Assyria) by the Chaldeans and Medes. History documents the detailed fulfilment of Nahum’s prophecy concerning Nineveh. We can gain some insights to dealing with inevitable troubles from the words of Nahum 2:1
When the enemy comes before you, it is not time to run and hide. The enemy is intent on destruction. The thief (the enemy) comes to steal, to kill and to destroy (Jn. 10:10 ). When trouble comes before us, we must apply the principles of Nahum 2:1.
The principles of Nahum
- We must man the fort – This refers to guarding the fortress or fenced places. We may have built fences around our lives through diligence and discipline, but we must protect them from being broken down.
- Watch the road – Be alert to watch the places in your life where the enemy is most likely to come from. He will usually go through your areas of weakness. Some wrong people in your life could be his entry point.
- Make your loins strong or strengthen your flanks – You must be very strong and courageous. Do not allow the fear of the enemy to drive you to despair, instead, confront him with faith and confidence in God.
- Fortify your power mightily. Muster your troops, call for your allies. when trouble comes, call for help from trusted friends and relationships that will stand with you in in prayer  and in the fight against the enemy.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”
Ephesians 6:10-11
