Rest in Life's Storms

“1 Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” 10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. 11 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” (Ps 29 NIV).

Oh, the awesome power of God! In this Psalm David catches a glimpse of this power in the storm. “ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.” These were huge trees, growing over 120 feet high and 30 feet in circumference, yet one word from God and they were shattered!

David seems to be describing here the destructive force of a storm. It appears, as we read the descriptions given in this Psalm that these storms resulted in floods, multiple lightening strikes, thunder so loud it made the earth shake, and high winds (perhaps a tornado v.9). In all of this, David hears the voice of God. He doesn’t run away in fear, He stands in awe and then shouts “Glory.”

Perhaps today you find yourself in one of life’s storms. You are wondering where to go for shelter. Flee to God. Even when the storms are raging on the outside, in God’s presence there is peace, shelter and strength (v. 11).

One more thought. What is the worst recorded storm in history? Noah’s Flood. In that storm, all human life (with the exception of Noah and his family) perished. All living creatures, birds and land dwelling animals died (with the exception of those that found safety in the Ark). Verse 10 in our text is a reference to this perfect storm. The Living Bible puts it this way: “At the Flood, the Lord showed His control of all creation. Now He continues to unveil His power.”

The Power that controls all creation, controls you. He loves you. He gave His precious Son for you. If you find yourself in life’s storms and you feel that you are about to be swept away by a flood of problems, run to Christ! Find safety in the Ark of Safety.