The Storms of Life

Temple Baptist Church - 7-8-2018

Nahum 1:1-7

Introduction: 

A.  The interpretation of our verses.  The Book of Nahum is the prophecy of the impending judgement of God upon Nineveh.  God sent Jonah, the reluctant servant, to Nineveh to tell of the judgement of God on a sinful city but, much to Jonah’s displeasure, Nineveh turned to God in chapter 2 and God saved the city.  In our text, we find that 150 years has now past and Nineveh has apostatized.  I want to make an application of these verses to the lives of God’s children.

B.  Lately, I have been taking a biblical look at problems that God’s people often face.  One of my favorite verses concerning hard times is found when Jacob went down to Egypt and stood before Pharaoh.

Genesis 47:9  And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. 

Job 14:1-2  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.  He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

C.  There have been a lot of songs written by people who endured hard times. 

Psalms 77:19  Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

1.  Page 94 - Stand By Me – “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me!”

2.  Page 119 - Till The Storm Passes By – “In the dark of the midnight, have I oft hid my face; while the storm howls above me and there is no hiding place!”

3.  Page 120 - Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me – “Jesus, Saviour, pilot me; over life’s tempestuous sea!”

4.  Page 145 - It Is Well – “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”

D.  Storms and valleys in the Bible are beautiful types of the hard times in life and help us to understand, to some degree, as to their benefit in our lives.  Storms are hard, often long, but always teachers!

            1.  Storms get our attention

            2.  Storms interrupt our plans

            3.  Storms show us our weakness

            4.  Storms correct our sinfulness

            5.  Storms prove our foundation

            6.  Storms introduce us to our Saviour

E.  There are two things that I want to look at in these verses, Storms and Known, but I will only deal with one of them this morning.  I what to look at what God said about our storms.

1.  The Omnipotent Side of the Storm. 

a.  God Is The Administrator of The Storm - vs 3a - “the Lord hath his way”

(1)  We See God’s Sovereignty in the Storm - “The Lord”

Psalms 135:6-7  Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.  He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. 

                        (2)  We See God’s Divine Purpose in the Storm - “hath his way”

b.  God Is The Accelerator of The Storm - vs 3b-6 - “whirlwind and in the storm”

                        (1)  Whirlwind – a tornado or hurricane. 

                                    a.  They come suddenly with little warning

                                    b.  They strike at random and are seldom predictable

                                    c.  They have great destructive power

                                    d.  They leave behind devastated lives

                        (2)  Storm – a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere.

                                    a.  They can be seen and predicted - Doppler radar

                                    b.  They usually last for an extended time

                                    c.  They can leave problems and destruction

                                    d.  They must be weathered

            c.  God Is The Accommodator in The Storm - vs 7 - “good ... stronghold”

(1)  Good – God does not attempt to be good, God is good.

(2)  Stronghold – A fortified place used for defense.  “If God be for us!”

2.  There is the Occupant's Side of the Storm.  Since we do not control the storm, we must ride it out.

a.  It is our duty to Trust God in the Storm.  Do not worry about or during storms. 

Philippians 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

b.  It is our duty to Obey God in the Storm.  To realize that God knows what He is doing or allowing in our lives.

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

c.  It is our duty to Glorify God in the Storm.  As people watch us go through our storms, they become times that we can bring glorify God.

Isaiah 24:15  Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

3.  The Other Side of the Storm.  Storms come to an end!

            a.  God will Sustain us in the Storm - vs 7 - “the Lord”   **Psalm 91

            b.  God will Supply us in the Storm - vs 7 - “is good”

            c.  God will Secure us in the Storm - vs 7 - “a stronghold...trouble”

            d.  God will Save us from the Storm - vs 7 - “knoweth them that trust in him”