Nahum 1:7 | From the Inside Out

Posts Tagged ‘Nahum 1:7’

Crowded with Happiness

Posted in Appreciation, Blessings, Encouragement, Faith, God, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, God's Grace, God's Love, God's Power, God's Provision, God's Strength, Meditation, Praise, Renewing the Mind, Uncategorized, Worship, tagged Devotional about God's Attributes, Ephesians 1:11, God Demonstrates His Character, God's Attributes, God's Blessings, Nahum 1:7, Psalm 116:5, Revelation 4:11 on September 3, 2026| 24 Comments »

Such a quote sets my mind to reminiscing the many delightful blessings that have crowded our family’s lives with happiness over the years—all manifestations of his awe-inspiring attributes.

And the thought occurred to me, what a gratifying exercise it might be to list a number of God’s traits and name an event to illustrate each one.

Perhaps this list will trigger memories of your own refreshing joys.

WATCHFUL CARE

It was my responsibility to disarm the alarm at church for our Women Connect meetings. After opening the door, a timer ticked off thirty seconds until the alarm sounded. But one morning I couldn’t find the new code in my wallet.

More than a few tense moments transpired while I rummaged, and then, just in the nick of time the slip of paper with the code appeared, and I quickly punched it in.

About half an hour later, our pastor came by and asked, “Do these belong to anybody?” He held up my rubber-banded charge cards, license, insurance cards, etc. They must have popped out as I grabbed the paper with the code, and in the dark hallway I didn’t see them.

PROVISION

I just happened to come across pertinent ideas in Jesus Always (by Sarah Young) that fit perfectly with what I was preparing to share as a devotional for the Mother’s Day Brunch at church. Such a lovely discovery.

CREATIVE POWER

Perhaps you too have stood amazed on the shore of Reflection Lake in Washington State, gazing up at majestic Mt. Rainier, whose peak reaches 14,410 feet and whose base covers approximately one hundred square miles. How mind-boggling to contemplate God’s creative capacities!

COMPASSION

Countless times over the years, when feeling apprehensive about the future, we’ve received God’s comfort through such scriptures as: “Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” (Judges 4:14b). He’s proven everything is under his capable control.

GOODNESS

Indeed, my cup overflows (Psalm 23:5)! I enjoy the delight of a loving family, wonderful friends, a vibrant church community, Steve’s continuing health after a liver transplant nearly eight years ago, and SO much more.

WISDOM

In hindsight we see God’s astute engineering of events for our benefit. One outstanding example: in 2001 Steve just happened to be assigned as pastor of a church that just happened to maintain a scholarship fund, thanks to a generous endowment and successful fund-raising.

Our younger son just happened to be preparing to enter the ministry. He received a full scholarship to attend seminary, and has now served as a pastor for more than fifteen years.

NURTURING

All my life I’ve been blessed with spiritual teachers and mentors who’ve guided and inspired my experience with God and contributing greatly to my growth in biblical understanding. The instruction of his Word continues to give me much pleasure.

PROTECTION

Another purse story! One day I left my purse at the outdoor student-dismissal area where I taught school. An hour after I’d returned to my classroom from that duty I suddenly remembered. God watched over that purse until I retrieved it, saving me from a heart-sickening and time-consuming setback.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Sometimes spiritual refreshment comes through an experience rather than words.

One morning on my way to school I reveled in a scene worthy of a painting: dark green trees and vegetation reflected from the calm surface of a pond as a great egret gracefully winged across just above it. His brilliant white feathers against the dark foliage provided a breath-taking sight.

The moment felt like a special gift.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

SO many times over the years, circumstances or decisions we’ve been concerned about have turned out “just right,” thanks to God’s leading and provision. One example: our home in retirement, close to our older son and his family, perfect in size and layout.

There you have it: ten of God’s attributes, demonstrated in personal blessings. My heart is indeed crowded with happiness as I remember the wonderful works he has done (Psalm 105:5a).

Now it’s your turn. Please share in the comment section below an example of a “refreshing joy” that has crowded your heart with happiness!

Images credits: http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.easy-peasy.ai; http://www.publicdomainpictures.net; http://www.canva.com; http://www.unsplash (Aaron Burden); http://www.easy-peasy.ai; http://www.canva.com.

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Truth to Triumph

Posted in Blessings, Courage, Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Promises, God's Refuge, Uncategorized, tagged A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Fighting Fear, Martin Luther, Nahum 1:7, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 46:2, Psalm 46:7 on January 26, 2023| 35 Comments »

Martin and Katherine Luther

In 1527, the plague approached Wittenberg, Germany, home of Martin and Katherine Luther. Some say it was this looming calamity that prompted Luther to write one of the great hymns of the church: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” [1]

In fact, our congregation sang the ancient lyrics this past Sunday, although we were accompanied by keyboard, guitar, and drum—not organ. I was struck by the second line of the third verse:

“We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph thro’ us.”

My mind wandered a bit. I wonder how many scriptural truths promise the result of triumph through us—verses like “My God will meet all your needs.”[2] There must be hundreds!

A bit of research revealed that Luther based his hymn on these scriptural truths from Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (v. 1)

We will not fear though the earth give way (v. 2)

The Lord Almighty is with us; God is our fortress (v. 7)

Even though Luther and his family stayed in Wittenberg to care for the sick and dying, he wouldn’t have expected God to spare him or family members from the plague. Luther knew God doesn’t always intervene; he never promised heaven on earth.

But Luther understood: with God as our spiritual refuge, we find the comfort, strength, and support we need through the darkest valleys (Psalm 23).

God will lead us to triumph and provide victory over fear.

Another confidence-building scripture is tucked into the book of Nahum: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (1:7).

If we put our minds to it, every one of us can attest to the truth of those statements, because the Lord is good to all. [3]

Consider a few ways God demonstrates goodness to his people, and see if examples from your own life don’t come to mind.

He draws us to himself, gifting us with eternal life as we believe in his Son Jesus [4]

He provides mentors and experiences that grow our faith as well as blessings that increase our joy [5]

He attentively cares for us and spares us from grave errors in judgment as we obey him [6]

He bestows comfort and security during difficult times and augments the delight of happy times [7]

His Word guides us in perfect wisdom day by day, year after year [8]

He empowers us to accomplish tasks we never could have completed on our own [9]

“It’s important to rehearse the lovely, rich truths and promises that remain when other things change. Keep telling these truths, in all their many-sided glory, and one day, walls already cracked will crumble and fall.”
Jim McGuiggan [10]

Picture your fears cracking, crumbling, and falling in a heap in response to the weight of God’s truths.

That’s a picture of triumph!

“We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph thro’ us.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Thank you, Father, for Your gracious invitation to leave our concerns with you and free ourselves of anxiety. As I affirm your truth, you provide fortitude and peace.

One day, the father of lies who provokes all fears WILL be defeated. As Martin Luther wrote, “One little word shall fell him!”[11] We eagerly look forward to that day.

(1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7; Romans 16:20; Philippians 3:20)

Addendum: Martin Luther and his family were all spared during the plague of 1527.

[1] No copies of this hymn have been found before this date, but a growing number after, leading various scholars to support this theory (https://www.challies.com/articles/hyms-stories-a-mighty-fortress-is-our-god/).

[2] Philippians 4:19

[3] Psalm 145:9

[4] John 6:44; 3:16

[5] Proverbs 12:15; 18:15; Psalm 4:7

[6] Psalm 27:10 HCSB; 37:23-24

[7] Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 16:11

[8] Psalm 32:8. However, I must confess to not always being receptive.

[9] Philippians 4:13

[10] Quoted by Beth Moore in Praying God’s Word, 138.

[11] From the last line of verse three, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”

Art & Photo Credits: http://www.worldhistory.org; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.canva.com.

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The Richest of Fare

Posted in Blessings, Encouragement, God's Goodness, Uncategorized, tagged God's Goodness, Isaiah 55:2, Nahum 1:7, Philippians 4:13, Try It You'll LIke It on May 5, 2022| 29 Comments »

Years ago my pastor-husband and I were invited to dinner by a refugee family who’d emigrated from Vietnam to our community. Our church had sponsored the couple and their children, helping them establish a new life. The dinner expressed their gratitude.

Not long after our arrival, the wife served us the first course, soup. To understand what happened next, you have to know I was pregnant at the time and just recovering from several months of nausea.

Try to imagine the roll of my stomach as I peered into the bowl to find, floating among the vegetables, a two-inch, whole squid. His gelatinous, limp body (never mind the tangle of tentacles) nearly had me lurching for the bathroom.

Imagine one of these fellows swimming in your soup!

Not to eat it, of course, would be a terrible faux pax. I’ll just cut it into tiny bites, I thought, eat each piece with one of the crunchy vegetables and camouflage whatever the texture and flavor might be.

But my spoon couldn’t even make a dent in the squid and there was no knife. My stomach reeled again, just from the effort of trying to cut through the tough, rubbery cephalopod. Now what?

Just then the host explained, “It is tradition to give an honored guest a whole squid.” And he smiled expectantly. His eyes seemed to say, “Try it! You’ll like it!”

I had no choice. The squid must be eaten. And I couldn’t very well swallow it whole or I’d surely choke. While my stomach threatened revenge, I spooned it up, wrapped my reluctant lips around it, and began to chew. What a glorious relief to discover: squid tastes much like shrimp!

Now all these decades later squid swim in the mainstream of culinary fare—as calamari. If you haven’t ever ordered it, try it! You’ll like it!

One of the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah, spoke similar words to the people of Judah. Only he wasn’t offering them the goodness of a new food; he was offering them the goodness of God.

“Listen, listen to me,” Isaiah pleaded. “Eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare” (Isaiah 55:2 NIV).

And what might “the richest of fare” include?

God’s direction, peace, and forgiveness, compassion, wisdom, and benevolence—the expression of all his magnificent attributes. He is good in countless ways. But unless we “eat what is good” and experience God for ourselves, we never realize how wonderful he is and the countless spiritual delights he offers.

“Wait a minute,” someone will say. “Sure, it’s easy to celebrate God’s goodness when life is sweet. But where’s his goodness when trouble strikes?”

Meet Tudiose who spent ten years in a Romanian, Communist prison and work camp. He described them as the best years of his life because he never felt closer to God than during that time.[1]

Meet Jennifer whose hands and feet had to be amputated after a toxic infection. Even so her positive attitude persists. “I wouldn’t change it,” she declares. “I honestly feel there is a reason for it.” Part of that reason: Jennifer established the P.L.A.Y. Foundation to help young amputees. Her sense of humor also remains intact. She calls her prosthetic legs Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (famous dancers of the 1930s).[2]

Meet Paul, a doctor who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease at age 37. As his body betrayed him, Paul wrote meditations on God’s truth and lessons he was learning about suffering, including this statement: “Anything that God permits to happen to us in this life, whether good or bad, that better prepares us to meet him as we approach the threshold of eternity, can only be interpreted as grace on his part.”[3]

* * * * * * * * * *

Lord, I am put to shame by the testimonies of these saints and others. I can lose my joy over such inconsequential matters. Help me look for the richest of fare that you offer, those spiritual pleasures that enthrall and satisfy —no matter the circumstances.

[1] Kay Arthur, His Imprint, My Expression, 137.

[2] Karol Ladd, Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive, 23-24.

[3] Ladd, 71-72.

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Habitual Pathways

Posted in Encouragement, God's Presence, God's Refuge, Meditation, Renewing the Mind, Uncategorized, tagged lessons from squirrels, Nahum 1:7, Pathways to God, Psalm 16:11 on June 17, 2021| 26 Comments »

Retirement:

a time to enjoy all the things

you never had time to do

when you worked.

–Catherine Pulsifer

One of my retirement pleasures is watching the circus squirrels in the strip of woods behind our house. They spiral the trunks in a speedy game of tag, balance at the tip of a branch without fear, and make dare-devil leaps from tree to tree.

One day I discovered those leaps are part of a habitual route squirrels follow to and from their homes. Turns out they do not gambol haphazardly from tree to tree but “lay out and follow (probably by scent) pathways through the branches.”[1]

Mammalogists surmise this behavior is especially handy when they’re in a hurry. When danger lurks, the little critters can high tail it home with ease.

Sometime later the Spirit combined what I was learning about squirrels with what I knew about brain research (from teaching elementary school), and taught me an important lesson.

Neurons, confocal flourescence microscopy

First the brain research: We create neural pathways in our brains with behavior. The more we repeat a behavior, the stronger and more deeply imbedded that behavior-pathway becomes until it is habit.[2]

The lesson? Like the squirrels that lay out pathways through the trees to their nests, we can lay out pathways in our brains that lead home to the refuge of our Heavenly Father.

The question becomes, what are the branches that can make a habitual pathway to God?

I believe scripture truths form the stoutest limbs. As we memorize encouraging verses and pray them again and again, the pathways of faith, strength, peace, and more become embedded—not only in our minds but in our spirits. Reciting them back to their Author propels us into his Presence.

What might be some worthwhile passages to include? Oh my. The Bible offers a whole forest of reliable scripture-branches, ready to become part of the pathway into God’s sanctuary.

Here are a few of my favorites, though less traveled than some scriptures. You probably won’t find these on a list of “Top Ten Most Popular Bible Verses”—I checked! But they’ve proven particularly helpful to me.

First:

You do not realize now what I am doing,

but later you will understand.

John 13:7

Granted, Jesus spoke these words to his disciples the night of his arrest, so some would frown on applying them personally. But the way this verse turned up during my quiet time one morning, precisely when I needed reminding of God’s wisdom and intentionality, led me to accept it as his confirmation for the moment. Again and again, he has brought this truth to my mind.

Second:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is

noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy

—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

Those negative emotions of worry, fear, hopelessness, and more can be whisked out of the way, as we focus on everything positive and follow this reliable branch to God’s peace and joy.

Third:

We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do

good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

Each of us was created for God’s glory—to reflect his attributes—and accomplish good works. Therefore, our lives have purpose and value. That’s a strong branch to follow back to his affirming Presence when worthlessness wants to knock us down.

The more time we spend traversing such scripture-truths, the more we absorb God’s thoughts and the more secure, contented, and useful our lives become.

Like the squirrels boldly scampering through the trees, we can confidently follow such pathways as these into the joyful presence of our Heavenly Father.

Come run with me!

You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11 NIV

What scriptures offer stout branches for your pathway to God’s presence? Please share in the Comments section below!

[1] https://www.berkshireeagle.com/arts_and_culture/entertainment/take-me-outside-squirrels-act-as-arboreal-acrobats/article_401341f4-5787-53cd-952b-218eeea93562.html#:~:text=Squirrels%20lay%20out%20and%20follow,to%20go%20in%20a%20hurry.

[2] https://healthtransformer.co/the-neuroscience-of-behavior-change-bcb567fa83c1

Art & photo credits: http://www.[xhere.com; http://www.flickr.com (2); http://www.recreation.gov; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.stocksnap.io; http://www.flickr.com; www. pxhere.com.

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From the Inside Out

Impressions Becoming Expressions

Posts Tagged ‘Nahum 1:7’

Crowded with Happiness

Truth to Triumph

The Richest of Fare

Habitual Pathways

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