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 are, of course, multiple aspects to speech. There’s the content—the actual words that are said. But then there are also the aspects of the voice: deep or high pitched, resonant, gravelly, whispery, loud or soft. After a long time, a phone call from a loved one makes us exclaim, “It’s so good to hear your voice!” irrespective of the actual words uttered. Before I see my kids’ faces or even understand their words, as my children call to me from another room, I can anticipate their emotions based on the sounds of their voices.
The psalmist calls worshippers to recognize the aspects of God’s voice. The voice of the LORD is powerful and majestic. It breaks the cedars, flashes flames, shakes the wilderness, and causes the deer to give birth or oaks to swirl. Even aside from divine words, God’s voice itself gives strength to the people and provides a blessing of peace (v11).
Prayer
Speaking God, help us to hear and recognize your voice. Please speak a little louder. We seek the comfort of your voice! Amen.
Interested in digging deeper into today’s text?
Read more here.