Tag Archive for: Nahum 1:7

Hope in Life’s Riptides

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Nahum 1:7 — The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him.

When you’re swimming, lifeguards are there for one reason: they see what you can’t.

If there’s danger, they move fast. If someone’s struggling, they jump in.

I’m so thankful that last summer there were lifeguards on the beach when my son got caught in a riptide. He’s a pretty good swimmer, but later he told me he couldn’t catch his breath. Every time he thought he was making progress, the current pulled him under again.

But praise the Lord, an alert lifeguard saw what none of us could and brought him safely back to shore.

And honestly, that’s such a picture of God.

Nahum tells us, “The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him.”

There are moments in life when you feel like you’re drowning in stress, heartbreak, loneliness, or regret. Sometimes you don’t even have the strength to ask for help.

But God doesn’t wait for our strength. He draws near in our weakness.

He’s the safe refuge you can run to when life feels stronger than you are. He’s the One who remains good when everything else feels uncertain. He sees the struggle before anybody else notices, and He isn’t standing far away shouting instructions.

He steps into our mess Himself.

The Savior didn’t simply point us toward rescue.

He became our rescue.

So if life feels deep right now, don’t forget who walks on water. Trust Him. Run to Him. The God who is your refuge is already moving toward you.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When life feels overwhelming, where do you instinctively turn first for comfort or security?
  • What does it mean to you that God is not only your rescuer, but also your refuge?
  • Can you think of a time when God protected or carried you through a difficult season, even if you didn’t recognize it at the time?
  • Is there a burden you’re trying to keep afloat on your own instead of trusting God with it?
  • How can you intentionally take refuge in God’s presence this week through prayer, worship, or time in His Word?
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Keeping it Together-ish

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Nahum 1:7 – The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him.

Am I a bad parent? I don’t know. Are you?

We all ask questions like that. Maybe not about parenting specifically, but about whatever we do. Some obsess about it. Just check Facebook.

Maybe they have a point. Odds are, you’re holed up in your favorite safe space—think bathroom—reading this right now. You’re well aware you’re needed in the next room to break up a family quarrel, and yes, reading in the bathroom could be interpreted as avoidance.

But this is your time. It’s sacred.

You’re enjoying your own little spa moment, sitting in an empty bathtub, one hand holding your phone, the other buried in the bag of M&M’s no one else in the house knows about.

But this isn’t what you would call wasting time. People don’t waste time anymore. We’ve renamed it. We call it recharging, resetting or decompressing. Whatever it is, you won’t beat yourself up about it. You’ve earned a few minutes of alone time.

Now, what was the question again? Ah, yes … Am I a bad parent?

Well, I’m not always the best role model. One time I told my son to behave like a man, so he took a nap on the couch. I’m not proud of that. Does that make me a bad parent? I don’t know.

But am I a good parent? I mean, my kids have most of their teeth. They’ve never shown up at school in their underwear—okay, once. But they were homeschooled, so no real harm done.

Let’s be honest: every generation of caregivers has found ways to check out to get some “fresh air.” So…Dad, Mom, teacher, coach…there’s nothing villainous about a needing to get away. The heroic thing is that you keep returning.

Parenting—like many callings in life—is about faithfulness. Half the battle is just showing up. So engage. Retreat. Recharge. Return. Engage again. Just keep being present.

And most importantly, we know where the M&M’s are.

— Tim Hawkins

Tim Hawkins will be at First West on October 9.

For information, go to our EVENTS PAGE!

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