The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
– Nahum 1:7
At some point in our lives, we’ll endure a “day of trouble.” Wouldn’t it be nice if troubles lasted just 24 hours? But in Hebrew, “day” can mean some indefinite period of time, which some call a “season.” Perhaps you find yourself in the middle of “one of those days,” even a long fight against cancer. There is plenty of hope for you, because those who turn to the Lord will find great relief. Nahum 1:7 provides three key lessons on how to handle the day of trouble.
1) Trust the goodness of the Lord during our trials.
Nahum first focuses on the goodness of God, not the trial. “The Lord is good.” He is always good, and we can access His goodness as He pours out comfort, assurance and peace. Perhaps our greatest error is to equate His goodness with His removal of our trials. We mistakenly reason, “God, if You’re good, you will remove me from this trouble… now.” Trust Him, He has other ways to arrive at our ultimate good.
2) Lean on Him during our trials.
The term “stronghold” is a military term describing a fortified city that was well defended and hard to breach. It is a reference to the Lord’s mighty protection and strength. He guards our hearts from spiritual attacks such as fear, self-pity, condemnation and doubts. He provides a “refuge” or shelter from any storm.
He certainly held me up during my fierce battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma. In May of 2003, after being given days to live, I had become so weakened by surgeries, treatments, and being human, that I found myself losing my grip. As I cried out to Him, He reminded me that though I was out of control, He wasn’t. Though I was worried, He wasn’t. He had a firm grip on me, and I found Him to be a powerful Stronghold. This is why we named our ministry to cancer patients, Stronghold Ministry, in honor of His promise to carry us through days of trouble.
3) Answer the Lord’s invitation to an ever-deepening relationship with Him.
Nahum uses an intriguing phrase here, that the Lord “knows those who take refuge in Him.” This reminds me of Psalm 139 where God tells us He knows everything about us. His thoughts are not only countless, but precious towards us. As we turn to Him, He reveals Himself in the form of an incredible companionship.
Nothing could be better than to be personally “known” by God Himself! Think for a moment of a human hero/heroine or yours. It’s one thing to know all about your hero, but it is quite another when he/she knows everything about you!
So when you’re confused and frustrated in your day of trouble, turn to Him, not away from Him. You’re not alone. He is good, and He is your Stronghold in the day of trouble.
