The Lord Cares for His People

It’s New Year’s Eve and we take a moment to reflect on the past year regarding our family, social conditions, the nation and the world.  You know the blessings and challenges that face your family.  As you reflect on your life you will hear some say it’s gotten better, and more often you hear people say it’s getting worse and worse.  What about society and the nation?  Let’s describe one:  This nation has been split by unrest for quite some time.  Most of the people have fallen into horrible, perverted idol worship. They hardened their hearts against the Lord’s love and refuse to listen to God’s Word.  God looks at such a nation and says, “Enough is enough!”  He allows enemies to attack from within and without to crush the nation.  We could be describing our own nation, but I’m talking about the nation of Israel 720 years before the Baby Jesus was born.  The Northern 10 tribes had been wiped out and the southern Tribe of Judah was facing the very real possibility that the Assyrians would wipe them out, too. That’s when God sent another messenger, Nahum, with a message of comfort:

The Lord Cares For His People

Giving Evidence of His Love

When people who have known the Lord begin to trust in their own strength, their own ability to survive, or even the illicit worship of false gods they set themselves up for a spanking from God.   God’s people in Judah watched as their relatives to the north had been wiped out by the Assyrians and had good reason to break out in a cold sweat.  “What to do?  Where to turn?”  Instead to turning to the Lord, here’s what they said, “Let’s find some allies and shore up our defenses.”  So, God allowed the Assyrians to push farther south and breathe down their necks.  Treasury money to buy allies and tribute money to buy off the Assyrians disappeared faster than a Christmas bonus.  The people of Judah suffered a lack of funds and a lack of food.  The only thing not in short supply was fear.  Finally, they had to admit, “We are sinking in quicksand.  We have no branch to grab, no rope to pull us out.  We are going down and it’s our own fault because of our sins against God and our lack of trust in God.”  When families forsake God’s love, it is quickly replaced with fear!

What a thrill for them to hear Nahum’s message, “⁷ The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”  The Assyrians were wicked, ruthless, heathen people.  We know that from Nahum’s words, “¹¹ From you, Nineveh, has one come forth who plots evil against the Lord and devises wicked plans.”  God used those wicked Assyrians to wipe out the northern tribes and threaten Judah, but he would not allow them to completely destroy his people. The Lord had a promise to keep!  Now, listen to the evidence of his love:

“⁸ but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.… ¹⁰ They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble.… ¹² This is what the Lord says: “Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be destroyed and pass away.… ¹⁴ 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.” 

Nahum 1, select verses

This is Evidence of God’s Love!  He uses his law to expose sin and drive people to repentance.  The Lord had to save his people from destruction from Assyria and rescue Judah.  Because of his grace God’s people would not be wiped out.  God’s promise to send a Savior would not be lost.  “Although I have afflicted you, Judah, I will afflict you no more. ¹³ Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.”  The Lord loved his people.  He cared enough to give them evidence of his love – destruction of their enemies so they could be safe.

Take a peek out the doors when you leave today, and you will not see Assyrians standing outside with swords, surrounding this building, cutting off our food supplies, and planning to steal our funds.  But we know that each one of us is surrounded by an enemy called Satan and his buddy, our sinful nature.  Satan wants to rob us of the treasure of God’s forgiveness.  The sinner inside of us wants to cut off the supply of spiritual food for our hearts.  Without God’s help we would sink in our own sinfulness, grabbing at the decaying branch of our own good or the flimsy rope of worldly riches.  Trusting our own personality or performance or possessions spells certain doom. What a thrill to know that Nahum’s message is also for us!  “⁷ The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.”  As we look back on 2022, it doesn’t take too much effort to think of all the mean words we’ve spoken and hurt our friends, the disgusting words that have offended our God, and the foolish sins we committed that condemn us. Not to mention that things we were supposed to be doing and conveniently skipped. With thoughts like that banging on our conscience and pounding us down, entering a new year doesn’t seem like a lot of fun but instead makes us feel dirty and cheap and disgusting.  But God has lifted the heavy yoke of guilt off of our shoulders and placed it on Jesus.  Jesus sacrificed himself to break the shackles of sin’s power.  He delivered us from the clutches of Satan and from being dominated by our sinful side.  The apostle Paul wrote, “God demonstrates us love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The Lordloved us so much for us he did something about it—the evidence is the destruction of our enemies so we can be safe.  The Lord wants us to be encouraged by his love so

He sent messengers of his love

Let’s go back to Nahum. Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, was six hundred miles northeast of Jerusalem.  When that city was destroyed, that would have been good news for the people of Judah, but there were no cell phones, no satellite up-links.  The people of Judah were nervously trying to go about their business, looking over their shoulders, worried that the sound of footsteps on the hills would be caused by the boots of enemy soldiers.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard!  Could that mean another invasion? No! Listen to Nahum, “¹⁵ Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!”  The footsteps they heard were from God’s messengers. What a relief!  No more nervousness and apprehension!  No more nail-biting and tension!  There on the mountain top God’s messenger proclaimed good news for all to hear, “The enemy has been destroyed!”  The Lord still cared for his people! He cared enough to send messengers of his love.

How did you first hear about God’s love to us through Jesus?  God’s messengers are not just pastors.  God’s messengers to you might have been your parents, your spouse, a Christian teacher, a neighbor, or a friend.  God has also made you a messenger of his love! Maybe you have a friend who is nervously going about his or her business always looking over the shoulder, wondering whether he or she will be able to withstand the pressures of daily life into the New Year?  Do you know someone who is seriously ill, who knows death may come but doesn’t know what death will bring?  Do you have a little child or grandchild who hasn’t learned, “Jesus loves me”?  What better New Year’s resolution can there be than to tell others about Jesus?  Then, one day your friend or that little child may tug on your sleeve and say, “The Lord does care for me.  He cared enough to send you as a messenger of his love.” That’s why we are here as a congregation.  We gather our resources together and combined we want to be messengers of God’s love.  The Lord has cared for us so much already, and we can anticipate his continuing love toward us for Jesus’ sake. Therefore

Let us Celebrate his Love!

Every year the people of Judah were supposed to celebrate a few major festivals, special celebrations with families gathered in Jerusalem to offer generous gifts of thanks to the Lord and to join their voices in songs of praise.  At those feasts they rejoiced over God’s mercy in the past and looked forward to mercy through the coming Messiah.  But who wanted to sing when an enemy army threatened their very existence?  Who could offer gifts of thanks when the Assyrians had burned the grain and corralled the flocks? But Nahum called out, “Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.”  God destroyed the enemy and put joy back into their hearts.  He returned a smile to their faces.  Once the messengers announced deliverance from the enemy, who could be so cold-hearted as to shrug off God’s love as unimportant?  Who could be so brazen as to withhold gifts of love to God and shouts of praise?  The Lord cared for his people.  He cared enough to let them celebrate his love.

Let’s think of some practical ways we can celebrate the Lord’s love for us.  Take time to pray for, or visit, or call one or our members who is lonely or struggling to make ends meet.  It won’t take long for you recognize how your contact with them has filled their hearts with joy.  Do you have a neighbor or friend that doesn’t have a church of their own?  Invite them to come and worship Jesus here with you.  Just think what would happen if all of us would invite just one person to church this year and they came!  We’d need more chairs!  Let’s not be so cold-hearted as to shrug off God’s love as unimportant?  Who could be so brazen as to withhold gifts of love and shouts of praise?  What joy we could experience together as we support and encourage each other. 

It’s New Year’s Eve.  It is a perfect time to reflect on the blessings and challenges of the year now closing, and to anticipate the joy we have to serve our Lord Jesus in the New Year, 2022!  Therefore, as one year draws to a close and another year begins, let us look back on God’s deliverance in the past and to look forward to the joy of heaven!  Let us rejoice and give thanks for the Lord’s care for his people of the past!  Yes, Rejoice in the future, for The Lord Cares For You!  Amen.