All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.

Nahum 3

All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater. v12

Some sources (here and here) indicate that Nineveh was once a thriving and secure city, including the MacArthur Commentary, and 2 Kings 19:36 which indicates Nineveh as the home of at least one king.  Whatever security and comfort any of us experience - it is not where we should place our faith, security and trust.  Apart from God we have no good things, and as we have seen throughout the Bible, including Job, we can just as easily lose everything.  Hurricane Florence is a recent example. 

Help me God place my faith, trust, and security in You.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has blessed me.  Yet I am undeserving of such blessings.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

“With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’

Genesis 14

“With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ v22-23

Abram is a righteous man here when he stops the king of Sodom from refusing to take a tenth of Abram's goods (perhaps made as a peace offering).  Abram recognizes that God alone is his source of blessing and that God provides for His needs.

We must be careful to recognize who is our provider - it is Jesus who gives us our daily bread.

See also posts here.

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. Psalm 16:5

 

My Prayer: Lord, You provide during good and bad times - abundantly and for all of my needs.  I rest in You alone.  Thank You for the many rich blessings You provide.  I am not worth such blessings.  I continue in my sin. Please forgive me Jesus  and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord.

Zechariah 10

I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord. v12

We all seek strength and security in our lives and often times we place our hope in money, jobs, relationships, etc; Yet God wants us to rest securely on Him - for He is the cornerstone.

From Judah will come the cornerstone[.] Zechariah 10:4

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. Isaiah 28:16

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone[.] Psalm 118:22

Jesus also warns us to avoid building our lives, hope, security on anything but Him.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed a great God and I want You to be the foundation for my life - because I know that You are always with me, will never leave or forsake me, will provide for me and will help me through any difficulty.  Yet I know that worry and I place security elsewhere - please forgive me and help me overcome such sin!  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

Proverbs 18

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. v11

This world teaches us that money provides security.  Yet wealth comes from God and belongs to Him.  See the story of Ananias and Sephira - who are struck down by God for withholding money from God (money that belongs to Him!).  We are entrusted with money, and should be good stewards of such money, but we should not cling to it too tightly.  We must be cheerful givers.


Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are - You provide and we don't need to worry.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I know I am not the man You intend for me.  I too often think of my own needs and desires above You and others.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind. Help me love others as You love me.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to accept You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.