No, it’s not storming outside as I write this. I’m actually enjoying a very quiet evening alone in my serene living room on this Super Bowl Sunday night. (Just in case you can’t tell, I’m not a football fan at all.)
In my last blog I talked about the snowflakes that fall from the sky like postcards, noting that sometimes God’s messages to us don’t come so gently—like when rain beats against the roof like hailstones and thunder rattles the windows. (That rattling can be quite unsettling when the windows are as old as the ones in my little house!)
This week I read a gorgeous psalm that looks a little more closely at the God of thunder and lightning. Psalm 29, in the Amplified Bible, includes these descriptors of Him:
Give to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness… The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon many (great) waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
God’s voice is like thunder, majestic, crackling with such force that the prized cedar trees, known for their strength, could be snapped like twigs. The footnote for this psalm says it “has been called ‘The Song of the Thunderstorm,’ a glorious psalm of praise sung during an earthshaking tempest which reminds the psalmist of the time of Noah and the deluge.”
I think it’s fascinating that such an awesome and fear-inspiring God can also inspire a song in the midst of a destructive storm. A song that examines fierce exhibitions of His greatness and glory while inviting the listener to consider the beauty of His holiness. Beauty and holiness—both present in the most terrifying of floods and gales that shake us to the core of our being.
Sometimes those thunderstorms have nothing to do with the weather. The cancer raging against my dear mother is one of those storms for me right now. Although disease threatens to steal peace, joy and vitality, not to mention hope, the thunder of God’s voice is greater. And in the middle of the maelstrom, it is His peaceful presence that inspires a song of worship.
A song that celebrates the beauty of His creation and provision, the reality of His lovingkindness. A song that exalts His holiness above every imperfection of the world. A song that gives Him the glory due His name.
Perhaps it is storms like these that cause us to seek God in ways we never have before, to experience new facets of His character. To gain a new understanding of His perfect love as it stands in pristine contrast to the devastation of our world.
Perhaps it is in this most frightening thunderstorm of my life that the Lord can inspire a song of hope more beautiful than any I’ve ever sung before.
Joanne,
Your post is such a great encouragement. I actually went back and re-read Psalm 29. It also reminded me of something that the Lord revealed last year. Oh, and I love the new blog header!
I am so sorry to hear about your mother. How long have you known she had cancer? My heart is with you. -Rachel