Read 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.
Go Deeper
Psalm 29 finds David reflecting on the power of God as he observes a storm. He describes God’s voice and His power over the floods, the thunder, the lightning, the wind, and even over the destruction that the storm leaves in its path. God’s power is seen all around him, leaving David awe-struck by God.
You’ve probably felt like David during a storm yourself. As long as we are well protected from their wrath, storms often produce awe in us. There is something humbling that happens when we are reminded we are not in control. When we realize that no matter what we say or do, the tornado could head our direction or the hurricane could sweep over our house. No matter how much money we have, no matter our status in life, no matter how influential or significant we may be, storms come for us all. And we are all powerless against them; the lightning and the thunder do not respond to our voice.
But, they do respond to Someone’s. Mark 4 tells us that in the middle of a terrifying storm, Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the waves “Quiet! Be still!” The wind immediately died down and the waves grew calm. His disciples, full of awe, said “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him!” The reason Jesus had power over the storm is because the wind and waves recognized His Voice. Afterall, it had been His Voice speaking to them, giving them their power since the beginning of time.
God is in control of the storm because He created the storm. We may be powerless, but God is not. May this Psalm serve as a reminder to us that it’s ok not to be in control, because we know the One who is and we can trust Him. Like David, when we witness storms in our lives, both literally and figuratively, may we declare God’s power when we feel most powerless. Let our first response be worship and let praise direct our thoughts as we walk forward in faith.
Questions
- When is the last time you’ve been awestruck by God? If it’s been awhile, have you potentially grown numb to witnessing God’s presence in the world around you? Why?
- What storm is facing you today? How can you reorient your thoughts to praise God in the midst of it?
- This Psalm is purely a song of praise towards God. Spend 5 minutes (or more) praising God for who He is and how you see Him at work in the world around you.
Did You Know?
Some scholars believe this Psalm was written by David as he looked out and saw a great storm, full of lightning and thunder, reminding him of the power of God.
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6 responses to “Psalm 29”
Where do you and I need to remember that God is in the middle of all the things? God is in the quiet and in the storm. All that is swirling around, diagnios, death, birth, healing, turmoils, God is there and really there is nothing you can do about that. What you can do is let Him help you through. Let Him in to give strength to His you, Hia people and to bless His people with peace.
God is splendid in holiness and majesty and he is due the glory of our praise.
We have peace with God through Christ Jesus, and the Spirit has been poured into our hearts.
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
God thank You for the love You have given me through Your Holy Spirit that is within me. No one, not one person, can ever, never ever, take that away. God no matter what storm swirls around I will praise You, as long as I have breath in my lungs. God thank You for Your peace that You promise. Thank You for the strength to go forward. I give You praise, honor and glory for what is being worked in my life, these days. God continue to open my eyes of understanding to Your rightly divided word. God if I am off show me, help me navigate You, Your word and understanding so that in all I say and do it is to edify and glorify You in all the minutes of all the days I have in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!
7 The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of
lightning.
Yes, storms are incredible to watch and difficult to endure. Yet God is with us!
While God is majestic in the storm and powerful in the wind, he also spoke to Elijah with a “gentle whisper” following a storm, earthquake, and fire (1 Kings 19:11-12).
Our God can be mighty and gentle at the same time. Praise and Glory to the Lord!!!
Amen!
“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” (v4-5).
Our life group ladies had an overnight retreat last night in a country setting. This morning as I woke up and before I read Psalm 29, I stood at a window watching the wind whip and bend huge cedar trees around like they were small saplings. Then I read this psalm of ascribing glory to the Lord. Ironically, doing this shifts and changes my heart and reminds me of his power, great love and sovereignty; ultimately it places everything into its right perspective, elevating him and letting me rest under the shadow of his wing. How truly kind God is!
The psalmist urges us to recognize God’s strength, which is unmatched and unparalleled.
“The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace” (vs11).
In moments of weakness, we can draw on His strength, knowing that He empowers us to overcome obstacles and fulfill His purposes. God is in control! Hallelujah!