The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.

— Nahum 1:7

“He’s stuck!!” shouted one of the guys.

Our little afternoon spelunking adventure had just taken an unwanted turn.

One of our guys had gotten wedged between two rock outcroppings.

All the pushing and pulling we could muster failed to liberate him.

Fear and even panic began to creep into our bones.

Nudged by the Holy Spirit to pray, we cried to God, who mercifully directed us to a different ledge that provided just the leverage we needed to get him out.

Nahum lived among a beaten down and discouraged group of people.

The Assyrians, specifically those in the powerful city of Nineveh, had traumatized and brutalized the people of Israel over and over again.

No end was in sight.

Nahum came to tell them that the oppression they lived under was coming to an end.

God told them, “I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck and tear off the chains of oppression.”

Freedom and deliverance were on the way!

For many of us, those words seem way to good to be true.

Freedom.

Deliverance.

The bondage in our lives is so deeply rooted, it’s not even possible for us to postulate a reality different from the one we are in right now.

We have been beaten down with lies and failure far too long.

Here, Nahum encourages the people and us not to try harder to create a different reality, but to fully abandon ourselves into the goodness and nearness of a loving God.

A God who passionately fights for his people.

Small beginnings

Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. … Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand … “

— Zechariah 4:6, 10

This missions project was intimidating to say the least. Reroofing the house, painting the exterior and dragging immense quantities of trash to the road for pickup.

Sadly, every house on the street was also consumed with garbage.

All the projects were completed as the sun was setting on the last day.

Driving out of town, we decided to drive past what was now “our home” and were brought to tears when we turned on the street and saw that every other home on it had dragged all the junk and trash out of their yards to the front to be picked up too.

Small beginnings can turn into huge finishes.

Zechariah was sent by God to encourage Zerubbabel.

As it turned out, rebuilding destroyed temples isn’t for the faint of heart.

After returning from the exile, the people of Israel were told by God to rebuild the temple.

The people around them didn’t like the idea. They pressured and intimidated them. They managed to convince the controlling powers to put an end to it.

The foundation was laid, but that was it. A start to be sure, but nothing more.

How encouraging for them to hear that God rejoiced in it. After all, nothing can be finished that isn’t first started.

Most of us have great dreams and ideas in our hearts and minds. Some come from God himself.

Too often, however, they are left unrealized. They are parked in the garage of our hearts with a tarp thrown over the top.

Sometimes, though, they flourish. Sometimes, they sweep into this world moving, inspiring, changing things for the better. Sometimes, they advance God’s agenda, sending ripples into eternity.

This reality is experienced by those willing to be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s call to action. “Go!” “Start!” “Launch!”

The first step, no matter how small, is a step of faith that brings joy to the Lord.

Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.