Learning to Trust the God Who Is Good

A Pastoral Message to New Believers from Nahum 1:7

“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him.” — Nahum 1:7

As a new believer, one of the most important things you will ever learn is who God truly is. The Christian life begins with faith in Jesus Christ, but it continues through an ever-deepening knowledge of the God who has called you to Himself. You will learn His character through Scripture. You will discover His faithfulness through prayer. You will experience His grace through seasons of joy and difficulty. And over time, the truths you first believed will become deeply rooted convictions upon which your life can stand.

Nahum 1:7 gives you three truths worth carrying throughout your entire Christian life: the Lord is good, the Lord is a stronghold in trouble, and the Lord knows and cares for those who trust in Him.

These truths may appear simple, but they reach into nearly every part of Christian discipleship.

“The LORD is good.”

Everything begins here.

Before Nahum tells us what God does for His people, he tells us who God is. God is good. His goodness is not merely something He demonstrates occasionally. Goodness belongs to His character. He does not become good when circumstances are favorable. He does not cease to be good when life becomes painful. His goodness does not rise and fall according to what happens around us.

God is good because goodness belongs eternally to who He is.

As a new believer, this truth will become one of the foundations of your faith.

There may be moments when you understand what God is doing. There will also be moments when you do not. Sometimes prayers will appear to receive immediate answers. At other times, you may wait. Sometimes doors will open. Sometimes doors will close. There will be seasons when the presence of God seems wonderfully near, and there may be seasons when you must walk primarily by faith rather than by feeling.

Through all of these experiences, remember what Nahum declares: the Lord is good.

Your circumstances are not the final definition of God's character.

The cross is.

At the cross of Jesus Christ, the goodness of God was displayed in a way that can never be overturned by the changing circumstances of life. Humanity had wandered from God through sin, yet God did not abandon humanity. The Father sent the Son. Jesus entered our broken world, lived among us, bore our sins, died in our place, and rose again.

Your salvation is not ultimately the story of how successfully you found God. It is the story of how graciously God came seeking the lost.

You were not saved because you became good enough for God.

You were saved because God is good.

This distinction matters enormously.

New believers sometimes begin the Christian life with great joy and then become discouraged when they discover that spiritual growth does not happen instantly. Old habits may still need to be confronted. Temptations may remain. Questions may arise. Some days may feel spiritually strong, while others feel weak.

When those moments come, do not conclude that God has stopped loving you because you have discovered weakness within yourself.

You are learning to live from grace.

The gospel does not say, “Become perfect so God will accept you.”

The gospel announces that in Christ, God receives sinners by grace and begins transforming them into the likeness of His Son.

That transformation takes place over a lifetime.

God will teach you.

God will correct you.

God will strengthen you.

God will convict you when you sin.

God will call you toward obedience.

God will lead you into deeper holiness.

But underneath all of His work in your life stands the unchanging truth: the Lord is good.

Nahum continues by saying that God is “a stronghold in the day of distress.”

Notice that Scripture does not say believers will never experience distress.

Following Jesus does not mean trouble disappears.

Faith does not create a protective bubble around Christians in which nothing painful can enter. Jesus never promised His followers a life without difficulty. Christians still experience disappointment, grief, sickness, uncertainty, rejection, financial pressure, loneliness, temptation, confusion, and loss.

The difference is not that believers never experience storms.

The difference is that believers have a stronghold within the storm.

In the ancient world, a stronghold was a fortified place where people could find protection when danger threatened. It represented security when everything outside seemed unstable.

Nahum uses that picture to describe God Himself.

God does not merely give you a stronghold.

God is your stronghold.

This means your deepest security is not found in circumstances, possessions, relationships, accomplishments, or your ability to control the future.

Your security is found in God.

You are learning something that will take a lifetime to understand: trusting God does not mean believing nothing difficult will happen. Trusting God means believing that whatever happens, God will remain faithful.

There will be times when you cannot change your circumstances.

But you can run to your stronghold.

There may be questions you cannot answer.

You can run to your stronghold.

There may be burdens you cannot carry alone.

You can run to your stronghold.

There may be fears you cannot immediately silence.

You can run to your stronghold.

There may be situations in which you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

You can run to your stronghold.

Running to God is not weakness. It is faith.

The world often teaches people to become self-sufficient. We are encouraged to prove that we can handle everything ourselves. Christianity teaches something very different. Spiritual maturity does not mean needing God less. It means increasingly understanding how completely we need Him.

Prayer therefore becomes one of the great practices of your new life with Christ.

Prayer does not need to be complicated.

You do not need impressive vocabulary.

You do not need to sound like someone who has been a Christian for decades.

Speak honestly with God.

Bring Him your gratitude.

Bring Him your questions.

Bring Him your fears.

Bring Him your temptations.

Bring Him your hopes.

Bring Him your disappointments.

Bring Him your confusion.

Bring Him your needs.

The stronghold is not reserved for people who already have everything together. The stronghold exists precisely because people need refuge.

Scripture is another way you learn to dwell in the security of God.

As a new believer, make the Bible part of the regular rhythm of your life. Do not approach Scripture merely as information to master. Come to it as God's Word through which you learn His character, His purposes, His promises, His commands, and the story of redemption fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Some passages will immediately encourage you.

Some will challenge you.

Some will initially confuse you.

That is normal.

Keep reading.

Keep learning.

Keep asking questions.

Keep returning to Jesus as the center of the biblical story.

Over time, Scripture will reshape how you understand God, yourself, other people, suffering, forgiveness, hope, holiness, love, justice, eternity, and the purpose of life.

The words of Scripture become especially precious in “the day of distress.”

When fear says, “You are alone,” Scripture reminds you that God is with His people.

When guilt says, “There can be no forgiveness for you,” the gospel points you toward the cross.

When temptation says, “This sin will satisfy you,” Scripture teaches you that God's ways lead toward life.

When suffering says, “Nothing good can possibly come from this,” Scripture reminds you that God is still working even when His purposes remain hidden.

When death says, “This is the end,” the resurrection of Jesus declares otherwise.

You are learning to build your life on realities deeper than your feelings.

Feelings matter, but feelings change.

God does not.

Nahum then gives us another beautiful assurance: “He cares for those who trust in Him.”

Other translations express the thought by saying that God “knows” those who take refuge in Him. The biblical idea of God knowing His people is deeply relational. God does not merely possess information about His children. He knows them personally, lovingly, covenantally.

As a new believer, you need to understand how remarkable this is.

The God who created heaven and earth knows you.

You are not an anonymous member of an enormous religious crowd.

God knows those who belong to Him.

He knows your strengths and weaknesses.

He knows your past.

He knows your present struggles.

He knows the questions you have not yet learned how to express.

He knows where you are growing.

He knows where you need correction.

He knows the wounds other people cannot see.

He knows the fears you rarely mention.

He knows the prayers you struggle to put into words.

And He knows what He is forming you to become.

This knowledge should not frighten those who belong to Christ. It should comfort you.

You are fully known by God and received through Christ.

You do not have to pretend before Him.

Christian growth is not the process of becoming increasingly skilled at hiding weakness. It is the process of bringing more and more of your life under the gracious lordship of Jesus Christ.

When you sin, do not run away from God.

Run toward Him in confession.

When you are confused, do not assume questions make you a bad Christian.

Bring your questions into the light of Scripture, prayer, and wise Christian community.

When you are discouraged, do not isolate yourself.

Allow other believers to encourage you.

When you are tempted, do not assume temptation means you have failed.

Bring temptation before God and seek the strength He provides.

When you fall, do not remain on the ground believing your failure has become your identity.

Turn again toward Christ.

Repentance is not something Christians do only when they first believe. Repentance becomes part of the rhythm of Christian life. As God reveals attitudes, desires, habits, and behaviors that do not reflect Christ, you bring them before Him and turn toward His ways.

This is not a life of endless condemnation.

It is a life of transformation.

The Holy Spirit is at work forming the character of Christ within God's people.

That transformation also happens through Christian community.

You were never intended to follow Jesus entirely by yourself.

Become rooted in a faithful local church where Scripture is taught, Christ is honored, prayer is practiced, and believers encourage one another toward love and obedience.

You need other Christians.

And they need you.

There will be believers who have walked with Christ longer than you have. Learn from them. Ask questions. Listen to their wisdom. Observe how mature Christians endure suffering, practice forgiveness, serve others, pray, and remain faithful through changing seasons.

At the same time, never imagine that you have nothing to contribute because you are new to faith.

God can already work through your life.

You can encourage someone.

You can pray for someone.

You can show kindness.

You can forgive.

You can serve.

You can share what Christ has done.

You can listen compassionately.

You can demonstrate generosity.

You can tell someone why you have begun trusting Jesus.

You do not need a theology degree before your life can point toward Christ.

Simply continue following Him.

There is also something important about the context of Nahum 1:7. Nahum speaks about God's goodness in a chapter that also speaks strongly about judgment. God is not presented as indifferent toward evil. His goodness includes His justice.

This is important for new believers to understand.

God's love does not mean He simply ignores evil.

If God ignored oppression, cruelty, violence, exploitation, and wickedness, He would not truly be good.

The God who is a refuge for His people is also the God who opposes evil.

At the cross, God's justice and mercy meet in a profound way. Sin is not treated as insignificant. Jesus bears its judgment. Yet sinners are offered forgiveness because Christ has given Himself for them.

This is why grace should never make Christians casual about sin.

Grace teaches us how serious sin is and how astonishing God's mercy is.

The more clearly you understand grace, the more deeply you will desire to live in a way that honors Christ.

Not because you are trying to purchase God's love.

Not because you are trying to earn salvation.

Not because you are terrified that one imperfect day will make God abandon you.

You pursue holiness because you belong to Christ.

Obedience becomes the response of love.

Jesus is not merely Savior from sin's consequences. He is Lord of your life.

As you continue walking with Him, you will discover areas that need surrender. Your priorities may change. Your relationships may be reshaped. Your use of time may change. Your attitudes toward money, success, forgiveness, sexuality, power, status, and other people may increasingly come under the authority of Christ.

This process can sometimes feel uncomfortable.

But remember: the Lord is good.

When God calls you away from something sinful, He is not depriving you of life. He is leading you toward life.

When Scripture corrects you, God's correction is not cruelty.

When God exposes something unhealthy within you, He does so as the One who is committed to transforming you.

Trust His goodness even when obedience is costly.

And when distress comes, remember your stronghold.

One of the greatest mistakes a new believer can make is assuming that hardship means something has gone wrong with faith.

Sometimes hardship comes precisely while you are faithfully following Christ.

The Bible is filled with people who trusted God while facing enormous difficulties. Faith did not always remove the difficulty immediately. Instead, God sustained His people within it.

That pattern continues.

Some prayers are answered through deliverance from the storm.

Others are answered through strength within the storm.

Sometimes God changes the circumstances.

Sometimes God changes us while circumstances remain difficult.

Sometimes His purposes become clear quickly.

Sometimes understanding comes much later.

And some questions may remain unanswered in this life.

Still, the Lord is good.

Still, He is your stronghold.

Still, He knows those who trust in Him.

Your faith ultimately rests not upon your ability to understand everything God does, but upon the character of God Himself.

There will also be moments when your faith feels stronger and moments when it feels weaker.

Do not measure God's faithfulness by the intensity of your emotions.

The strength of Christian hope is not found in how tightly you can hold onto God every moment. It is found in the faithfulness of the God who holds His people.

Jesus is a better Savior than you are a follower.

That truth does not encourage spiritual laziness. It creates humble confidence.

You can pursue Christ without pretending you are already mature.

You can grow without being ashamed that growth is necessary.

You can confess sin without believing confession makes you worthless.

You can ask questions without assuming questions destroy faith.

You can endure difficulty without concluding that God has forgotten you.

You can face tomorrow without knowing everything tomorrow contains.

Because you know the One who will be there.

So begin building simple, faithful rhythms.

Read Scripture.

Pray honestly.

Gather with God's people.

Learn from mature Christians.

Receive correction humbly.

Practice forgiveness.

Serve others.

Give generously.

Resist temptation.

Confess sin.

Remember the gospel.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Do not become consumed with trying to appear spiritually impressive.

Faithfulness is more important than appearance.

You are not competing with Christians who have followed Jesus longer than you have. You are learning to walk with Christ one day at a time.

Some days will contain remarkable moments of spiritual encouragement.

Other days will seem ordinary.

Do not underestimate ordinary faithfulness.

A lifetime of following Jesus is built from thousands of ordinary decisions to trust Him again.

Trust Him when you understand.

Trust Him when you do not.

Trust Him when life is peaceful.

Trust Him in the day of distress.

Trust Him when prayers are answered quickly.

Trust Him while you wait.

Trust Him when the path ahead seems clear.

Trust Him when you can see only the next step.

And when you fail, return to Him.

The Christian life is not about proving that you never need grace again.

It is about discovering more deeply how wonderful grace truly is.

Nahum 1:7 can therefore become a verse you carry through every season of your Christian life.

“The LORD is good.”

When circumstances make you question God's heart, remember His goodness.

“A stronghold in the day of distress.”

When life becomes overwhelming, remember where your refuge is.

“He cares for those who trust in Him.”

When you feel forgotten, remember that you are known.

When you feel weak, remember your stronghold.

When you feel ashamed, remember the cross.

When you feel uncertain, remember God's character.

When you feel alone, remember that Christ has called you into His family.

When tomorrow feels frightening, remember that the God who has been faithful today will still be God tomorrow.

You have begun a journey with Christ that reaches beyond this present life into eternity. You will learn much along the way. Some lessons will come through joy. Others will come through difficulty. You will discover things about God that you cannot yet imagine. You will also discover places within yourself that still need His transforming grace.

Through all of it, return again and again to this simple confession:

The Lord is good.

The Lord is your stronghold.

The Lord knows you.

The Lord cares for you.

The Lord is worthy of your trust.

You do not need to know everything about the road ahead.

You need to keep learning to trust the One who walks with you.

And when the day of distress comes, as it eventually comes to every life, you will discover that the God who called you to Himself was never merely waiting at the destination.

He was your refuge along the entire road.