God in a Storm

Psalm 29:3-11 The Voice of God in a Great Storm

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

   the God of glory thunders,

   the Lord, over mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful;

   the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

   the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

   and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

   the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,

   and strips the forest bare;

   and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

   the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever.

May the Lord give strength to his people!

   May the Lord bless his people with peace!

If you have ever been awed by nature, you get the point of this psalm. As a kid who grew up in Arizona, and remembers well the thundering rainstorms that would rage across the desert, this psalm holds a special place in my heart. I remember standing outside in the wind and rain, watching the flashes of lightning and being stirred to recognize that in the grand scheme, I am so small and God is so great.

In the end, that’s the beauty of this psalm. You can imagine yourself outside in a strong thunderstorm. Imagine the wind whipping against your cheeks. Imagine the trees bent over in worship of the one who brings the life-giving rains. Imagine the piercing lightning that makes even the darkest night alive in a flash. If you imagine all this (or if you’ve experienced it as I have), you too may find yourself viewing it all and being able to say only, “Glory!” (as the psalm writer cries out).

Prayer: God of majesty and awe, we are so full of ourselves that we often forget your presence in our lives. Help us see that everything about us, our accomplishments and our failures, is washed away in the enormity of your love for us. Amen.