Unmatched Power

UNMATCHED POWER

a prayer to open

Here’s my heart, Lord. Speak what is true.

Here’s my life, Lord. Speak what is true.

Honor the LORD, you heavenly beings;

honor the LORD for his glory and strength.

Honor the LORD for the glory of his name.

Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea.

The God of glory thunders.

The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.

The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is majestic. . . .

The voice of the LORD strikes

with bolts of lightning.

The voice of the LORD makes the barren wilderness quake;

the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks

and strips the forests bare.

In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

The LORD rules over the floodwaters.

The LORD reigns as king forever.

The LORD gives his people strength.

The LORD blesses them with peace.

There’s nothing like a thunderstorm—or flood, hurricane, or earthquake—to remind us just how small we are. Technology gives us the ability to better predict each of these weather phenomena, and preparedness training and strategies help us when storms or natural disasters strike. But no matter how strong our desire to do so, we have no ability to stop, change, or control any aspect of the weather. That power resides in God alone. Indeed, in this psalm, his strength is compared to the power we experience in storms.

God is not just as powerful as the most powerful storm, though. His power extends beyond the physical world. He reigns over every storm. Yes, with a single command, Jesus stilled the storm raging on the Sea of Galilee. But he also made the paralyzed walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear. He set people free from demons. He raised the dead to life. God gives his people strength and blesses them with peace. In other words, he also reigns over the storms we carry inside us and is able to bring strength and peace to our souls—in the midst of the storms we face. How might our lives be shaped if we were to acknowledge God’s unmatched power over the physical world as well as over our minds, hearts, and souls?

• Read this passage again slowly. What word or phrase stands out to you? Why do you think that particular word or phrase speaks to you? What does it say?
• Under what circumstances do you most often face your powerlessness? What feelings arise in the midst of those circumstances?
• In what area of your life do you need to acknowledge God’s power and ability to bring strength and peace? How might you write today’s psalm to reflect that acknowledgment?

Lord, awaken me to your unmatched power and strength. When storms hit—whether physical, relational, emotional, or spiritual—remind me that you rule over every storm. Nothing I face is outside your control or beyond your reach. Release my heart from the grip of fear and worry and fill me with the faith—even in the worst of storms—that you are with me. You are my refuge. You are my strength. You are my peace. Amen.