The Lord behind the headlines and news stories - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Nahum 3:18-19,

"King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them. Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?"

Nahum's vision ends with a frightful message for Assyria. Nineveh will be devastated with no one to help. Nothing can heal them, their "wound is fatal." The peoples of the earth will applaud Nineveh's destruction because all had felt her "endless cruelty."

This is a horrible end for a horrible people. Earlier, Jonah had preached God's message to Nineveh and that generation repented of its ways. God suspended his destruction of them at that time. However, this generation in Nineveh had become so corrupt, the Lord sent his judgment against them through the Babylonians, the same nation that will attack and destroy Judah in another few years.

During the time of Israel's prophets, the Lord is documented in his involvement in the affairs of the day. We are told of a number of nations the Lord raised up and the Lord brought down. We are told of his judgments and his actions against kings, cities and nations. 

As I read of the Lord's involvement, I find the Lord to be very aware and very involved in the events of Nahum's day. It causes me to wonder about our own day. How is the Lord involved in today's world? What part did he play in the events in Egypt over the past few years? How about Libya, America, and what took place in Benghazi? How about Syria and Iran? How about the activities of groups like Hezbollah, the Taliban, Al qaeda  and Isis? What about other parts of the world, Russia and Ukraine? China, North and South Korea? Is there any compelling reason to think the Lord is not just as engaged, just as involved, just as determinative in our day as he was then?

I hold to a strong conviction that the Lord is just as involved and engaged in the world today as he was during a time he chose to document what he was doing. Just because he may not be documenting what he is doing today (as he was in Nahum's day), does not mean he has changed in any way, or that his activities have changed. To think differently would require the burden of proof to be shouldered by those who may think otherwise. The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. This does not mean he does the same things forever, but the tensions on the world stage today are not dissimilar to what we saw taking place in Nahum's day.

This thought prompts me to see what may be taking place behind the scenes. What might I see of what the Lord may be doing behind the headlines and news stories of the day? This all causes me to think of the exciting times we live in today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com