Devotion • October 14
Today's Scripture
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
Psalm 29 ends a small group of psalms beginning with the familiar Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”) and including the strongly affirming Psalm 27 (“The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?”). Psalm 29 concludes the group by asserting God’s majesty and, importantly, sovereignty over all of creation, with final words of reassurance.
Forceful words are used to describe the Lord of the world: “The God of glory thunders over the mighty waters” (i.e., the Mediterranean Sea). “The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning … [and] twists the oaks.” God “sits enthroned over the flood.” There should be no doubt that this God of the Hebrews, Yahweh, is the one God, not part of a collection, not Baal.
Perhaps, today, we are not worried about Baal, but shouldn’t we worry about the false gods that lurk out there to distract us with their enticements and threats? The list can be long: desire for wealth or position, political alliances, self-indulgence, sloth, drugs, crime, among others.
But the final verse firmly and simply reassures that the Lord gives strength to the Lord’s people and blesses them with peace. A simple but powerful statement. For reinforcement and specific suggestions, I return to Psalms 23 and 27.
Prayer
Loving God, help stiffen my spine against temptations and doubts by reflecting on your strength and, throughout my life, your reliable care. Amen.
Written by Rebecca Dixon, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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