The Voice of the Lord

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, the God of glory thunders, the Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is majestic. Psalm 29:3-4

I look forward to family gatherings! There’s something special about having our children and grandchildren all under our roof. In the Wilburn home family gatherings are usually loud, fun, messy, and generally high energy. More often than not there are multiple conversations going on all at the same time (that’s just the way we roll). What’s even funnier is how by the end of the day the volume of noise has increased to such a level that it becomes almost impossible to detect who’s voice is being heard. I wouldn’t change a thing! Our family has created so many lovely memories and talking over each other is just one of them. But at the same time, I can’t help but notice a valuable lesson for the chaos in which we find ourselves individually and as a nation right now.

In verses 3-9: we read about the dramatic movements in the powerful manifestations of the Lord. They function to establish His supremacy as the only true God, in comparison with any of the so-called gods of Israel’s pagan neighbors.

Verse 3: “The voice of the LORD [is] upon the waters: the God of glory thunders: the LORD [is] over many waters.” God’s voice is frequently associated with the thunder (see 1 Sam. 7:10; Job 37:4-5; Psalm 18:13; l Isa. 30:30-31).

In this Psalm the voice of God speaks to His people through the elements of nature. We find this to be true in the book of Exodus as well. When the children of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land, God spoke to them. Most of them thought that it thundered. Moses understood the Words of God that sounded like thunder to the people.

Even the oceans must obey the voice of God. We know that Jesus walked upon the waters, and He also spoke to the angry sea and the waves calmed down. Matt 8:26-27

Psalm 29:4 “The voice of the LORD [is] powerful; the voice of the LORD [is] majestic.” as thunder, in the effect of it shows.

We know from the gospels, that the voice of Jesus when the soldiers came to take Him, knocked the soldiers backwards. John 18:6 ” As soon then as he had said unto them, I am [he], they went backward, and fell to the ground.”

The voice of God controls the entire universe. God tells the lightning to strike. God controls the wind, the sea, in fact, every element in the universe. The voice of the Lord from the burning bush affected Moses’ life from then on.

Verse 5 paints another powerful picture, “The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.”

The cedars of Lebanon are the grandest of forest trees, and those of Lebanon were especially impressive. But what are we taught? The hurricane, wind and rain and flashes of lightning all blended together, violently tearing through the forest. The tall cedars, the pride and glory of Syria and Palestine, are snapped like reeds and fall in a tangled mass.

The cedar of Lebanon was thought of as a very durable tree, but to the voice of God, it is nothing.

There are so many voices clamoring for our attention. The voices of the politians, the protestors, the scientists and the medical communities addressing the pandemic. Not the least of these are the multitude of voices in the entertainment and sports industries as well as the opinions of family and friends. Our thoughts are bombarded on a daily basis.

Women of God, we need to hear the voice of the Lord above all! The first voice we need to hear at the start of our day is the voice of the Lord. Before we go to our iphones or laptops or the t.v. or even a conversation with a spouse, we need to place ourselves squarly in the word of God listening to His voice. And of equal importance, ready to obey what He speaks!

Erwin Lutzer said this, “A thousand voices clamor for our attention, and a thousand causes vie for our support. But until we have learned to be satisfied with fellowship with God, until He is our rock and our fortress, we will be restless with our place in the world.”

Dear Lord, when I place myself daily within the zone of Your voice, it is then and only then that my mind is renewed, my heart is transformed, Your Spirit takes hold and my perception of life in this world is radically altered.

Read- Psalm 119:37, 105, 111, 165