The LORD is good

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The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

We are living in very difficult times. Everywhere there is poverty; in almost all levels of society, there are abused children, women, and even pet animals. We have civil wars and proxy wars that never seem to end. In some nations, lawlessness and chaos are a common state of affairs. There are greedy politicians and opportunistic business owners who rip their own countrymen for a quick gain, and many other ills that make it appear that the world is full of evil and there is totally no hope.

But the LORD is good. He is good to all people, in all places, in all situations, and at all times. Even to those who are in pain. Regardless of how things in our lives appear, or how they look, or how we feel, the LORD is good. This is the blessed assurance we have in all circumstances and conditions of our existence. The LORD is good all the time and in every possible way that we can imagine.

According to Biblical Illustrator commentary: “The goodness of God is the perfection of His nature which inclines Him to deal graciously with His creatures…to give out His riches and happiness, and make His creatures partakers of them – as far as their different capacities will admit… This goodness of God is infinite”.

When the Old Testament Bible says “stronghold” [“ma-oz”, in Hebrew], it refers to a fortified place or a fortress. The language conveys the idea of protection and defense. In our verse, God is this refuge to the troubled soul in many ways. The Biblical Illustrator speaks of this stronghold in three (3) different ways:

1. Keeping impending trouble off
2. Removing God’s people out of reach of trouble
3. In most cases, giving God’s people the strength to bear (or carry) their trouble

Those who turn to LORD for safety and refuge is guaranteed protection and sanctuary in His name. The thought that the LORD is good is already a consolation.
God knows His people, those who trust in Him, in a personal and intimate way. In this verse, to trust [“cha-sah”, in Hebrew] means to confide, or to have hope. No matter how dreadful the situation is, the LORD will remain faithful to those who put their trust in Him.