Imagine that our all loving and merciful God was only good sometimes? Boy, would we be in trouble! The book of Nahum in the Bible is a sequel of sorts to the book of Jonah. In Jonah's story, God chose to spare Nineveh, giving the people a second chance to turn from their wicked ways. But in the book of Nahum, sometime later, God's mercy on Nineveh is spent and he has become quite angry with the people, to the point of destruction. "The Lord is slow to anger" (Nah. 1:3) as we see in this example. God was gracious in his mercy. But, the verse continues, "He is great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty". The Ninevites had time to change their ways and put their trust in God and had they chosen to do so they would have been spared. Nahum recognizes God's goodness, though, as God recognizes those who take refuge in Him. (Nah. 1:7)

How easy it is to take God's goodness for granted. We trust in the fact that He is always the same, that He is good ALL THE TIME and so we decide that we have time to change our ways. But the Lord is good and forgiving to those who call upon Him first (Ps. 86:5), to those who choose to walk in his ways and seek to honor him.

Nineveh waited too long and took God's goodness for granted. Let us seek God's mercy and goodness now. Now is the right time!

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." (Ps. 34:8)

God is good - all the time!

Suggested Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for you are good! And you are the only one who can live up to that goodness. So, because of that, I seek to honor you in all I say and do. I want to live my life for you now, so that I might find refuge in you and in turn be known by you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1. Nahum 1:7.