ESOCS Devotional 16 October 2026 – Slow to Get Angry, But Punishes Evil
MEMORY VERSE: “The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.” Nahum 1:3 KJV
TEXT: NAHUM 1:1-10
The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
2 God is jealous, and the Lord avenges;
The Lord avenges and is furious.
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies;
3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked.
The Lord has His way
In the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,
And dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither,
And the flower of Lebanon wilts.
5 The mountains quake before Him,
The hills melt,
And the earth heaves at His presence,
Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before His indignation?
And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?
His fury is poured out like fire,
And the rocks are thrown down by Him.
7 The Lord is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
He will make an utter end of its place,
And darkness will pursue His enemies.
9 What do you conspire against the Lord?
He will make an utter end of it.
Affliction will not rise up a second time.
10 For while tangled like thorns,
And while drunken like drunkards,
They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried.
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The Assyrian Empire repented following Jonah’s prophecy, but slipped into the sin of wickedness again, a century later. They had already conquered the Northern kingdom of Israel and were causing great suffering in Judah. Therefore, Nahum proclaimed God’s anger against their evil. Within a few decades, the mighty Assyrian Empire was toppled by Babylon.
One would have expected God to act immediately, but He is slow to get angry and when He is ready to punish, even the earth trembles.
Often, people avoid God because they see evildoers in the world and hypocrites in the Church. They do not realise that because God is slow to anger, He gives His true followers (us) time to share His love and truth with evil doers. But judgment will surely come. He does not allow sin to go unchecked and unpunished forever.
When people wonder why God does not punish evil immediately, we should help them remember that if He did, none of us would be here. We can all be thankful that God gives people time to turn to Him. He is slow to anger, but plenteous in mercy, but punishes evil!
Reflections
- God’s patience should not be taken for granted.
Prayer
- Lord, may I not take your patience for granted, in Jesus’ name.
Further Reading: Psalm 103: 8-9; Ezekiel 18: 23; 33:11; Joel 2:12-14; 2 Peter 3:9
ESOCS Devotional 16 October 2026
