Psalm 29

“The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.” vss. 5, 7

It’s no accident that as our ancestors began to offer hymns of praise to God, they used the image of a violent thunderstorm to describe God’s presence in the world. Whenever we see the massive banks of clouds gathering on the horizon, the huge dark thunderheads roiling about, lightning flashing, we know from experience that we need to seek shelter from the wind and the rain. And when the storm hits and we hear the rolling thunder, and see the lightning sizzle through the air, a sense of puniness takes hold and we realize how impotent we really are in the presence of nature’s unleashed fury. And even if we understand the science of it all, and can describe what is happening in meteorological terms, the awesome power of the wind and rain can bring us to our knees. And even though we know that God is more than an ancient storm god, the sheer violence of a summer storm is a vivid reminder that the creator of the universe has power beyond our imaginations. Even if we never set foot in a church, the sermons delivered by Mother Nature can penetrate the hardest heart and bring us to our knees. The psalmist had it right, great is our God, and greatly to be praised!

Thought for the Day: What thunderstorm experiences have I had?