December 19, 2024
A theological principle about knowing God
Read: Nahum 1-3; Proverbs 20; Revelation 10
Scripture: Nahum 1: 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In the gale and the storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
Observation: We human beings are used to focusing more on what is convenient and encouraging to us than on matters that are uncomfortable to us. When people think about God, their thoughts are usually connected with what they know about Him. Concerning God, people emphasize his love more than any other aspect of him. Of course, God is love, and his love is eternal and inseparable from him. When reading and listening about God's punishment for sin, many people think, How a loving God could punish his creation? When we study about God, we should not do what false teachers are doing—choosing the text out of its context to interpret it according to their incorrect understanding of God’s word. Here, Nahum’s words remind us of what God proclaimed to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7.
The central theme of Nahum’s prophecy was the fall of Ninevah. However, Nahum 1 tells us about God’s characteristics and his power. Sometimes, people mumble about why God is not doing anything against the wrongdoers. Why does God overlook the sins of people? Why do the wicked continually grow up and increase while the righteous suffer? Here, Nahum 1:3 reminds us of God’s two significant characters. An old saying says, “Little knowledge is always dangerous.” Concerning God also, it is true. So, we must make efforts to know him better every day to have a complete and biblical understanding of God. God is able to protect his people; he has the power to establish justice for all. If we have a coin or money printed on only one side of it, it has no value and becomes void. Therefore, we need to seek God by preparing ourselves to know him more and become familiar with what we have not yet learned about him.
Application: I am alive because God is kind to me and saved me from punishment. If God is angry with everyone, none of us will be spared. However, his grace gives me the confidence to believe what he did for me in his love. The love aspect of God encourages me to remain in his love. God’s punishment for those who disobey him serves as a warning to return to Him. I should be careful to give a proper interpretation of God’s word to help people love him more and more.
Prayer: Father, thank you for your grace that fills me and overflows through me. Lord, help me remain in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and celebrate his love every day. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see the truth in God’s word about his love and plan for me. Amen.
✍️: Arputharaj Samuel
📕: Quiet Time Companion
🗓️ Day – 353