FEBRUARY 10
Psalm 29:2, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”
The term “voice” occurs seven times in this short psalm. The psalmist, David, describes a thunderstorm gathering over the Mediterranean, and passing by in its fury until it dissolved in floods in the fields of Bashan and Gilead. David watched and listened and ascribed what he witnessed to the voice and glory of God.
Meteorologically speaking, thunder happens when the temperature of the air surrounding a lightning bolt is super-heated, and then quickly cools and contracts. The rapid expansion and contraction creates the sound wave we hear as thunder. It’s the lightning that causes the thunder, but what causes the lightning? Lightning happens when updrafts carry positively charged droplets to the top of the cloud, while downdrafts carry negatively charged droplets to the bottom. The separation of charges creates the electrical fields that are then discharged via lightning. But what is the ultimate cause of all this?
The glory of God is clear in all his creation—the sky, the sea, and the land. David attributed the power of a thunderstorm to the majesty and power of the creator of all things. He heard the thunder and ascribed glory to God.
In quoting an ancient Greek poet, the Apostle Paul said, “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Not only do we owe our existence to our Creator, but all that which we witness in His creation speaks to His glory and strength. We do well to practice the presence of God by tracing the wonders we witness to the Architect of all that exists, as did David.
Trace the thunder that shakes the sky back to the One who spoke all things into being.
Application Questions: Are you in the habit of tracing the beauty you witness in this world to the One who is at the source of it all? Does the glory of creation work to move you to ascribe glory to God? What steps can you take to better practice the presence of God in ongoing awareness of Him?
LookingtoJesus 