Patient but Powerful

It's funny, isn't it – how we all want justice, but only when it's meant to fall on someone else, not us. When we're wronged, we want God to act now. But when we're the ones in the wrong, we want Him to wait … to understand … to give us time … to cut us some slack. Really? That tension – mercy for me, justice for them – is as old as humanity itself. And it's exactly what sits behind one of the most striking statements in Scripture: Nahum 1:3 The LORD is patient, but he is also very powerful! The LORD will punish the guilty; he will not let them go free. He will use whirlwinds and storms to show his power. People walk on the dusty ground, but he walks on the clouds. The Old Testament prophet, Nahum, spoke these words to God's people about the mighty Assyrian Empire – a nation infamous for their cruelty and oppression. God had used Assyria to discipline His people before, but now He promised to allow the axe of justice to fall on them. He wasn't going to ignore their violence forever. And yet, in the same breath, Nahum reminds us that God is patient but powerful. He holds justice and mercy in perfect tension – something we struggle to do. Be honest. We rush to condemn others while excusing ourselves. But God doesn't play favourites. His justice is holy. His mercy is patient. So today, before you demand justice from God, stop and thank Him for His mercy. Because the same hand that judges evil … also reaches out to forgive. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.