Wednesday, January 11, 2023

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

As I procrastinate writing this devotional, I find myself scrolling through social media and the news headlines. It’s a bad habit I have of making myself feel productive without actually doing anything. I read about all the chaos going on in the world and feel lost in the sea of negative headlines. Then as I go back to the passage, I find myself struggling to update the psalm to the storms of modern life.  

Because that is what David is trying to remind us, that God isn’t some distant remote figure. God has concrete implications for life on earth. And I will be honest, I struggle with accepting that God has power over all these things and chooses not to quiet the floods and blizzards. My gut instinct sometimes is not to sing God’s praise but instead scream, “So DO something!” But then I wonder, is God screaming the same thing back at me, when examining the chaos of the world? What can I do that is actually productive, beyond scrolling headlines?  

Prayer

God of power and might, help me to take action. To not just be a silent observer but to help to bring about your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. 

Written by Katie Patterson, Youth Ministry Program Manager

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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