Comfort - by Ben Bonython

Nahum was a Prophet to the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. Scholars believe that Nahum was originally from Israel. Nahum spoke to the people of Judah in 663BC about the final end of an oppressive Empire.
Judah was under the oppression and threat of the Assyrian Empire. 60 years earlier, Judah had witnessed Assyria destroying their Samarian neighbours; the threat was real. The Assyrian Empire was the dominant power in the region wielding its power and technology through violence and pillaging wealth from the nations around it for 300 years. Can you imagine living in this shadow? Surely these people thought how can this be? How can people who do so much wrong prosper? How can people who distribute terrible violence live such easy and luxurious lives?
Have you ever thought the same?
Why does my family go through so much troubles? Why do I have to contend with sickness and limitations when I love the Lord? Why do so many others who do not know the Lord have good and easy lives?
I think Nahum speaks to a people who are feeling like the author of Psalms 73. Yet Psalm 73 is also all about comfort. Take a moment to read Psalm 73 and see if these words resonate with you:

But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else. They wear pride like a jewelled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others. They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth. “What does God know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?” Look at these wicked people—enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!

The Psalmist is really honest expressing that he was having a hard time coping with what he saw around him. He was slipping in his heart in his trust in the Lord and almost gave up his hope in the Lord.
Let us be honest too! We can say we trust in the Lord, but often our thoughts and attitudes and actions betray us. We stop praying, hoping and believing for God to act in our present time and problems. We stop expressing faith that God will use me to do good. We even stop in thinking about how we can do good and make a difference everyday.
What we are left with is feelings that if they were words, our feelings and actions would say:
‘I have kept my heart pure for nothing. Does the Most High know what is happening?’

With this in mind, think about the Prophet Nahum who comes with a message from the Lord for the people of Judah that Assyria’s time is marked and coming to an end. If the Lord gave you this message to speak, could you speak it? Or imagine you are a person living in the times of Nahum and you heard about this prophetic message from God. Would you believe Nahum’s message? Nahum’s message opens with:

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished….
The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh: “You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the images and idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile.”
Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfil your vows….

This message flies in the face of what is happening, it is outrageous in its claim. How do you respond when the reality of our life is directly challenged by the Word of God?
Often our logical response is a question: “Does the Most High even know what is happening?”
What do you do with the Word of God when it seems to oppose what you see and how you feel?
The Psalmist writes a most beautiful reflection on 73:17 saying:
‘Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.’
The presence of God is real. It is not a fictitious or specious claim or experience. Be careful not to passively reject the presence of God. We ought to long to be in the presence of the Lord. Our culture is dictated by time where we allocate time to physical and mental and emotion health. But what about the daily habits of being in the presence of God? This is why habits are so important for us. It is not what can we see from this, rather just gaining truth/understanding by being in the presence of the Lord. I want to offer three actions we can take:

1 – Proactively manage your feelings in the presence of God
Whatever you are feeling, take it to the Lord in prayer. Speak to the Lord about how you are feeling, good or bad, struggles, frustrations, anger.

2 – Choose faith over fear
The Word of God requires faith in the fulfilling of our vows. Becoming a follower of Jesus always requires faith. But we also live in a world that creates fear which helps us to justify departing from our vows by choosing to sin; or not do good.

3 – Pray for a longing to be in the presence of the Lord

Nahum encouraged Judah to celebrate festivals. Festivals represented a significant portion of time, cost and effort given to thanking the Lord. Think about a birthday party, celebrating together and praying together in thanks to the Lord. Pray that you might long to be in the Lord’s presence, where we can truly understand His COMFORT!