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
Occasionally we are awed – sometimes fearfully so – by the incredible power of nature. Two years ago, a post-Christmas tsunami ravaged southeast Asia; the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina seventeen months ago is still affecting the Gulf Coast; even a monster snowstorm two weeks ago managed to close the supposedly-uncloseable Denver Airport.
This psalm reminds us that no matter how wild, how uncontrolled the elements may be, they were created by one who can still life’s storms with a word: “Peace.” His voice can shake the cedars, bring light from the darkness, calm the winds and the waves, raise the dead back to life. Does God necessarily cause such acts of nature? No. But the one who made heaven and earth holds more power than our human minds can imagine. Such power deserves our reverence, our devotion, our respect and our honor.
Prayer
We cannot fathom your power, O Lord, though at times we are foolish enough to think we can match it. Remind us that you are God, and we are not. Amen.