Psalm 29 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 29 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Verse 2Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.
Verse 3The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters.
Verse 4The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
Verse 5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
Verse 6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
Verse 7The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
Verse 8The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
Verse 9The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
Verse 10The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
Verse 11May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Devotion
There is much in this Psalm about the power of the “voice of the LORD.” In trying to imagine a voice this powerful, I thought of going to a Minnesota Twins World Series game in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in 1991. (They were playing the Atlanta Braves, by the way. The Twins won in seven games). For anyone who has been in the Metrodome, you know why it is nicknamed the “Thunderdome.” The sounds from the speakers and crowds echo around the stadium, causing a “thunder” of words, music, and cheers. For those World Series games, I remember wearing ear plugs because the noise was so overwhelming. Even when I couldn’t hear it, I could feel the noise within my body. And so we have God’s voice of love for us, which is overwhelming and all-encompassing. It reaches us, rattles our souls, and reverberates in our bodies, even if we cannot hear it. Its power is stronger than anything else and reveals the depth of God’s amazing love.
Prayer
Gracious and Holy God, we worship your splendor, and give glory to your name. Your powerful voice strengthens us in large, amazing ways and in the whispers of our soul. We live in your peace, knowing that are the source of our strength. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.