The Lord Hath His Way

“The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind, and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet . . . The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble: and He knoweth them that trust in Him” (Nah. 1:3, 7).

What comfort for troubled hearts is found in these verses! What a resource we have in our God! What calm in His presence! What assurance as we “trust in Him”!

Nahum writes in view of the Assyrian armies being used of God in the chastisement of His people, Israel; and, when that chastisement was accomplished, of the complete overthrow of the proud and boastful desolator. “The Lord hath His way.” The whirlwind . . . the storm . . . the clouds,” obey His will. All are under His command. All is permitted by Him for the present good of His own and for His ultimate glory through them.

Thus in the times of trouble and turmoil among the nations, of distress and perplexity and stress and strain among men, the Lord is the haven of rest for His loved ones. “His children shall have a place of refuge.” That refuge is in Himself, in “the secret place of the most High.” There they abide under the shadow of the Almighty. There in the time of trouble they are hidden “in His pavilion, in the secret of His tabernacle,” and set by Him upon a rock (Ps. 27:5).

Thus David exhorts us to “Rest in the Lord [“Be silent before Him,” “Let your hands hang down”] and wait patientlyf or Him: fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil” (Ps. 37:7-8).

God IS and He is above all. His “way is in the sea,” and His “path in the great waters,” and His “footsteps are not known” (Ps. 77:19). Happy are we that we know HIM, though His way and path and footsteps among the nations or in our individual circumstances are not understood, or are misunderstood.

“The Lord hath His way.” That way is perfect (Ps. 18:30). “His ways are right” (Hos. 14:9).

“The persecuting emperor little knew what he was giving us when he banished the apostle; no more than Augustus, in his political plans as to the census of the empire, knew he was sending a poor carpenter to Bethlehem, with his espoused wife, that Christ might be born there; or the Jews and Pilate’s soldiers, that they were sending the thief to heaven when they broke his legs in heartless respect for their own superstitions or ordinances. God’s ways are behind the scenes; but He moves all the scenes which He is behind. We have to learn this, and let Him work, and not think much of man’s busy movements: they will accomplish God’s. The rest of them all perish and disappear. We have only peacefully to do His will.” So wrote one (J.N.D.) of old.

As the same author has said:

“And stayed by joy divine,

As hireling fills his day;

Through scenes of strife and desert life,

We tread in peace our way.”

“The Lord hath His way.” That way is perfect and right, as we have seen. And He can “gird us with strength” and make our “way perfect” (Ps. 18:32). For He makes a way for His own “in the sea and a path in the mighty waters” (Isa. 43:16).

“Yet a little while, a very little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not delay.” Till then the just is to walk by faith—in confidence in God (Heb. 12:37-38).

We know that it must be, “Overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is: and I will give it Him” (Ezek. 21:27). For He, the despised and rejected of men, must reign. That He “must suffer,” was prophesied of Him “in all the Scriptures.” In the fullness of time He came and the prophecies were fulfilled. That “He must reign” is prophesied of Him “in all the Scriptures.” And “in its own times,” it will be fulfilled. So “though it tarry, wait for it: because it will come, it will not tarry” (delay) (Hab. 2:3).

“The Lord hath His way.” We do well in this testing time to remember that we are Christians. As such we are called with “a heavenly calling,” our “citizenship is in heaven,” our hope is “laid up in heaven.” Ours is “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for” us (1 Pet. 1:4).

We forget this and are in danger of settling “on our lees,” and dislike being “emptied from vessel to vessel.”

“The Lord hath His way” in “the whirlwind” of things political, ecclesiastical and individual, to shake us out of settling and resting here, for this is not our rest, it is defiled. “Arise ye, and depart,” is written large and plain upon all “under the sun.” Soon we shall hear the voice of our Beloved say, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

He has “promised” to “shake all nations” before “the Desire of all nations” shall come. Meanwhile “we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29).

“The Lord hath His way.” Knowing Him, revealed to us in His well-beloved Son, and in the atoning work accomplished at the cross, we say with Nahum, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble: and He knoweth them that trust in Him.”

He delights in our confidence.

“Oh, how great is Thy goodness,” cries the psalmist, “which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men.” Goodness is “laid up” and “wrought” for those who fear and trust in Him. He esteems our reposing in Himself.

We who are parents delight in the trustful reliance upon us of our children. We appreciate being confided in by them. Our God and our Father values our hearts’ crying, “I will trust and not be afraid.” He knows, He is acquainted fully, with those who repose in Himself and who can say,

“We leave it to Himself

To choose and to command;

With wonder filled, we soon shall see,

How wise, how strong His hand.”

In “that day” His wisdom and strength, in all that has pained and perplexed us today, will be seen by our wondering eyes and exultingly we may exclaim, “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor? or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again. For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36).

So while we wait for “that day” let us remember that amid the turmoils and twists and tangles of present life “THE LORD HATH HIS WAY.”

I.Fleming

Scripture Truth 1942, p. 1