God In The Storm - The One Year Book of Psalms

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

1Give honor to the LORD, you angels;

give honor to the LORD for his glory and strength.

2Give honor to the LORD for the glory of his name.

Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

3The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea.

The God of glory thunders.

The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.

4The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

5The voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars;

the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

6He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf

and Mount Hermon to leap like a young bull.

7The voice of the LORD strikes with lightning bolts.

8The voice of the LORD makes the desert quake;

the LORD shakes the desert of Kadesh.

9The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks

and strips the forests bare.

In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

10The LORD rules over the floodwaters.

The LORD reigns as king forever.

11The LORD gives his people strength.

The LORD blesses them with peace.

In the past the Psalms were arranged according to the months of the year. This psalm was relegated to July, the month of thunderstorms, because it graphically depicts the voice of the Lord causing a mighty thunderstorm.

As David describes the storm, he is no TV weatherman. He looks beyond the high-pressure fronts and air masses to see God at work. He tracks the storm entering from the Lebanon coast and ravaging the mighty forests of Mount Hermon. David watches it sweep across the nation to the southern desert outpost of Kadesh. But through it all, he sees God’s power displayed, and he hears the roaring thunder of God’s voice. Lightning and thunder strike panic into the hearts of many, but not for David. Not only does the storm remind him of God’s power; it also reminds him of God’s holiness, so he worships (verse 2).

When the storm passes by, all becomes quiet once again, and David speaks of the Lord giving his people peace.

Our God is a mighty God, an awesome God, no question about that, and a thunderstorm speaks of his immense power. The next time you hear thunder and watch the trees twist in the fierce wind, praise God for his greatness and rejoice that he blesses you with peace.

From every stormy wind that blows,

From every swelling tide of woes,

There is a calm, a sure retreat:

‘Tis found beneath the mercy seat.

HUGH STOWELL

Fascinating Fact

Augustus Caesar was so terrified of thunderstorms that he wrapped himself in sealskin and hid in a corner. Another Roman emperor, Caligula, often hid under a bed when a thunderstorm struck.

Bible Networking

Elijah looked for God in a storm as well. Read 1 Kings 19:11-13.