Scripture
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; …The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger?...
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness…. (Nahum 1:2-3, 6-8, ESV)
Thoughts
If you only think of God as loving, there is an attribute of God that you may not have thought of in the past. The Lord is jealous. This means that he has a deep concern for the well-being of his people and a strong desire that they be faithful to him. As a result, he will take action against enemies that threaten those he loves.
If you only think of God as being gentle and merciful, ponder a couple more attributes of God that Nahum writes about: The Lord does get angry, and he is great in power.
If for some reason you think God will simply overlook the way people persecute you, I want you to know you are wrong. Look at this reassuring attribute: He “will make a complete end of the adversaries.” He is powerful and mighty!
Nahum also tells us that the Lord is good—God is a safe place to run to in trouble. He protects his people. When we take refuge in him, he knows us, and he will even pursue his enemies into the darkness.
Application
Are you experiencing an injustice? Do you have an enemy? In light of what we have just read, I want to encourage you to pray for this person, especially if they are not in God’s family. God can open their eyes and bring them to repentance. Yes, your enemy may have mistreated you, but you can imitate Jesus who died for us “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8) Be like your heavenly Father who does not “wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Prayer
Lord, help me to pray for my enemy. Help me to leave vengeance to you. I want to want my enemies to turn and be reconciled to you…. Continue praying.