Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29 (NIV)
This psalm is attributed to David, possibly during a thunderstorm, with great lightning, thunder, and rain. We have all witnessed an awesome thunderstorm since we live here in the middle of the country. When we see the lightning and hear the thunder, it can be quite intimidating. We are reminded of the awesome power of our Lord who created everything in our universe. The psalm reminds us that all the earth, even the mighty of the earth, are bound to honor and worship the Lord. As we worship God, do we sometimes do so with less enthusiasm than maybe we should?
God is ever merciful and His mercies are new each day. When we come before God in repentance, faith, and love, God forgives us our sin. So we are to worship in such a way that we give the Lord the glory due His name every day. For me it means that I am to prepare myself to really worship the Lord, engaging in prayer, and sing (make a joyful noise to the Lord) as Psalm 100 says:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (NIV)
I am so glad it says make a joyful noise to the Lord, because the Lord knows I can’t sing! Speaking of singing, as I write today’s devotion, the words of Psalm 29 bring to mind the song ”How Great Thou Art”.
”Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art”
"How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on an original Swedish hymn entitled "O Store Gud" written in 1885 by Carl Boberg (1859–1940). The English version of the hymn and its title are a loose translation by the English missionary Stuart K. Hine from 1949.
Questions for Reflection:
- Is your worship of the Lord a daily habit?
- How do you praise the Lord and really “engage” in worshiping the Lord?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your everlasting love and mercy! We ask for the knowledge and wisdom to praise and worship you in the splendor of your holiness. Thank you for your promises to give strength and blessings to your people. Amen.
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