The Explanation

Storm clouds rolled in dark and heavy. Wind bent the trees almost to the ground. Thunder cracked so loud it shook the windows. If you stood outside in a storm like that, you would feel very small.

Nahum, a man who spoke for God, looked at storms like that and saw something more. He wrote: "Yahweh has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet." Imagine that. Clouds, the huge grey clouds that cover the whole sky, are only like dust under God's feet. That is how big and strong God is.

But Nahum says something else too, something that might surprise you. God is "slow to anger, and great in power." Slow to anger. That means God does not explode the moment someone does wrong. He waits. He is patient, like a father who counts to ten before he speaks. Yet Nahum also says God "will by no means leave the guilty unpunished." God is patient, but he is not blind. He sees everything, and one day he sets things right.

What Does This Mean?

Nineveh was a city full of proud, cruel kings. They had hurt many people and thought no one could ever stop them. But Nahum says the God who walks on storms, whose footsteps are hidden in the clouds, sees Nineveh too. No wall is too high for him. No army is too strong.

That is both frightening and comforting. Frightening, because evil cannot hide from God forever. Comforting, because it means the bullies of this world do not get the last word. The God of the storm is also the God of justice.

The Common Thread

All through the Bible, God is described this way: powerful over wind and sea, yet patient with people. Later, when Jesus was in a boat with his friends, a fierce storm rose up. The waves crashed over the sides. His friends were terrified. Jesus stood up and spoke to the wind and the water, and it became completely calm.

Do you see it? The same God who walks in the storm in Nahum, whose feet stir up the clouds like dust, is the same God who calmed the storm through Jesus. Jesus is not weaker than the wind and waves. He rules them. And just like Nahum says God is slow to anger, Jesus was patient with his frightened friends instead of scolding them.

For You

Sometimes you might feel like a storm is happening around you. Maybe someone is unkind to you, or things at home feel loud and scary. Nahum's words remind you that God is not far away in weather like that. He is not surprised, and he is not weak.

You can also remember this when you feel angry at someone. God is slow to anger, and you can try to be slow to anger too. Next time your little brother messes up your toys, try counting to ten before you shout. That is one small way to be like the patient God Nahum describes.

Talk About It

Have you ever been in a storm? How did it feel to hear the thunder or see the wind blow?

What do you think it means that God is slow to anger? How could you be more patient today?

Praying Together

Dear God, you are stronger than any storm, yet you are patient with us. Thank you that you see everything and that evil will not win forever. Help us to be slow to anger, just like you. Amen.