Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Today’s Scripture Reading  |  Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
   worship the Lord in holy splendor.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
  the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
   the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
   and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
   the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
   and strips the forest bare;
   and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
   the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
   May the Lord bless his people with peace! (NRSV)

Reflection
God is great and greatly to be praised! Have you ever taken a moment to sit and think about how awesome God is? If you have, you’ve realized that God is bigger than we can describe, bigger than our lives, and bigger than our circumstances.

Such a big God should ease our minds and increase our confidence, reminding us we are safe in God’s arms. However, when life’s storms fester, too often our faith is shaken because the challenges of life pile up so high and become so big that we focus on the mass of the mountain rather than the great strength of our God.

We must remember that God’s strength is bigger than anything that comes up against us to test our faith. We must also remember that God strengthens us in our walk through the valley. The Lord our God has commanded that God’s people faint not, but in everything give thanks, trusting and believing that it will all work out in the end for our good.

The good news is that God is able to deliver us from it all. The good news is that we are children of a God who fails not. Blessed be the holy and majestic name of the Lord.

Prayer
Lord, we come before you to magnify your holy name, and we worship you because you are worthy to be praised. As we travel this journey of life, we experience great difficulties. Yet, God, we worship you despite our circumstances, for you are a God who will break the chains and strongholds of pain, worry, doubt, heartache, and fear. We give you glory knowing that your promise and power will save us from all harm. Strengthen us to endure as we remember that even in our distress you are a great God! Amen.

Written by Jasclyn Coney, Youth Discipleship Coordinator

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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