"The Voice"
Jan. 13, 2020
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His Name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
—Psalm 29:2-4 (ESV)
The psalmist calls on us to "ascribe to the Lord," to attribute to Him, the glory due to Him alone. The glory of the Lord is revealed in the majesty and power of His voice. It is a voice that breaks mighty cedar trees and shakes the wilderness. It is a voice that makes nations and mountains shudder and skip like leaping calves. The voice of the Lord strips forests bare as God's people praise His glory.
The voice of the Lord thunders over the waters, as it did at creation, when "the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2b). By His Word, God called the universe into existence. His voice commanded, "' Let there be light,' and there was light" (Genesis 1:3b). It is the same voice that we heard by faith not long ago, as we celebrated the birth of Jesus who is the Word made flesh. The voice from the manger in Bethlehem was not a thundering voice, but the cry of a newborn child. It was not a powerful voice as the world defines power, but the voice was strong enough to summon the care and comfort of His mother Mary.
The thundering voice of God spoke gently to the weak, the blind, and the lame, as the Savior healed the sick and proclaimed the Kingdom. The voice that shakes the wilderness called to Lazarus, "Come out!" and the dead man returned to life and left his tomb (see John 11:1-44). Jesus spoke quietly to a dead child, "Little girl, I say to you, arise," and He returned the living daughter to her astonished parents (see Mark 5:35-43).
At the appointed time, the voice of the Lord thundered in desolate victory as Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished!" That cry—the power of God made perfect in weakness—meant that our salvation was accomplished, our sins are forgiven. Three days later, the crucified and risen Savior, in the flesh, invited His frightened disciples, "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Touch Me and see" (Luke 24:39a). Sin, death, and Satan fell victim to that conquering voice, and the promise of life and resurrection was ours.
We find the mighty voice of God in His written Word. We hear it in the thundering voice of His Law and in the sweet, comforting words of the Gospel. We are assured by the gentle and certain promise of His presence, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20b). We are nourished in faith and forgiveness by His quiet invitation, "This is My body ... this is My blood" (see Mark 14:22-24). And we hear the Lord's promise, "I am coming soon," and our voices reply: "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)
THE PRAYER: Lord, we love to hear the majesty and power of Your voice through holy Scripture, and we look forward to that great day of resurrection when from our graves we will hear Your command, "Arise!" Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Reflection Questions:
- What places in nature most reflect the grandeur and power of God for you? Do you live in or near such a place?
- How does God speak through nature?
- From your experience speaking with others, do they mostly see God in nature or does the natural world seem more like an evolved/happenstance thing?
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
What places in nature most reflect the grandeur and power of God for you?
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