Psalm 29
A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
(Psalm 29 NIV)
David uses the experience and imagery of a thunderstorm to capture the glory and majesty of God.
Using our biblically informed imagination, we hear King David call the angels to worship God – for the sole reason of being God, worthy of all honor and glory and praise (vv. 1-2).
David then proceeds to describe God’s voice manifesting His glory, majesty, and power through the thunder, lightning, and rain (vv. 3-9). He who spoke the world into existence (Genesis chapter 1) now controls all nature, including the weather.
If you are an outdoors person or a storm watcher, it’s easy to understand and envision the picture David is painting. To this day, I still see a summer thunderstorm as God’s glory on display and am reminded of this psalm.
David concludes that the same Lord who is able to control the weather with the wind, lightning, waves, and thunder is also able to protect and provide for His people and give them peace (vv. 1-11).
Whether your and my storms are actual (like a summer thunderstorm) or situational (as in the storms and trials of life), may we remember this psalm and see God’s glory displayed.
And may we rest and find peace and protection in Him, as a little child curled up in their Daddy’s arms, safe and secure.
Blessings,
~kevin
kevin lotz 