Psalm 29

I love Psalm 29 because it overflows with the glory of the Lord! Sometimes when we encounter storms in life, we may forget the power and glory of God. We may lose heart and question our faith or we may turn to other people for help and consolation. We may forget that God is our strength and all the help we will ever need. In Psalm 29, David remembers and praises the power and glory of the Lord.

1. Praise the Lord, you heavenly beings;
praise his glory and power.
2. Praise the Lord's glorious name;
bow down before the Holy One when he appears.
 
3. The voice of the Lord is heard on the seas;
the God of glory thunders,
and his voice echoes over the ocean.
4. The voice of the Lord is heard
in all its might and majesty.
 
5. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
even the cedars of Lebanon.
6. He makes the mountains of Lebanon jump like calves
and makes Mount Hermon leap like a young bull.
 
7. The voice of the Lord makes the lightning flash.
8. His voice makes the desert shake;
He shakes the desert of Kadesh.
9. The Lord's voice shakes the oaks
and strips the leaves from the trees
while in His Temple everyone shouts, “Glory”.
 
10. The Lord rules over the deep waters;
he rules as King forever.
11. The Lord gives strength to his people
and blesses them with peace.
 
This is one of my favorite psalms because it is a song of praise to the God of glory (29:3) who is King forever. It is a response and an attack upon false religions that believed their pagan gods brought the rains and were the power behind fierce storms. David knew the real power behind the storm. In Psalm 29, he wrote of the glory of God in the storm. By His mighty power, God brought the great Flood (Genesis 7), and that same power is behind the thunderstorm. That same power is forever, and it is that power which gives strength to His people, you and me.
 
All power and all blessings come from God. The God who thunders in the storm and strips the forests bare is the God from whom all strength and blessings flow. My mind and my body may grow weak, but God is my strength; He is all I ever need (Psalm 73:26, NEB). How has God been your strength?  How has He strengthened your mind, your heart? How has He given strength to your physical body? How often has He been there for you and done for you what no one else would or could do? What is there you will praise and glorify God for today? How will you encourage others to ascribe glory to God?
 
In the fall of 2005, I was living alone with my two furry dogs in The Woodlands, Texas. It was less than two months after hurricane Katrina. A new storm, hurricane Rita, was blowing in from the Gulf of Mexico. The eye of the storm passed not many miles from my home. My two dogs and I spent the night of the storm huddled under blankets on the family room floor. We watched as the street-lights cast shadows of wind-blown trees on the wall. We watched as the trees bent precariously until some snapped in half or fell over, uprooted. The rain pelted the taped windows. The wind howled all night long. Thunder boomed and shook the house, and lightening lit up the sky as if it was broad daylight. Finally, in the early hours of the morning,  the storm moved on and we fell asleep. Later, reading Psalm 29, I reflected upon the glory of the Lord in the storm and marveled at His mighty power. I had been afraid. I should have remembered that God was in control of the storm and that He is also my strength and He is all I ever need.
 
Going through a storm, whether it is outside or within you, is a good time to remember the Lord and His mighty power. The same awesome power that generates the thunder, lightening, wind, and rain is available to you! It is the power of God. The Lord will give strength to His people (Psalm 29:11). What better reason to shout, “Glory!”
 
 

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