January 8, 2023
Scripture: Psalm 29.4-5, 8, 11
The Lord’s voice is strong;
The Lord’s voice is majestic.
The Lord’s voice breaks cedar trees--
Yes, the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
The Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness--
Yes, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
Let the Lord give strength to God’s people!
Let the Lord bless God’s people with peace!
Devotion:
In 1994, I remember clearly sitting in a movie theater watching the opening of the Lion King on the big screen. I remember watching Rafiki hold the baby Simba up toward a ray of light beaming down upon him and thinking, that is a lot like God’s light shining on us. I remember watching the scene when Mufasa’s ghost appears in the sky like a cloud and tells Simba, “Remember who you are.” I remember thinking…this must be what it was like when God’s voice boomed from the clouds at Jesus’ baptism. The voice of God is clear; the presence of God is shiny and bright. There can be no mistake that it is God who is talking and God, like Simba, reminds us who we are.
Psalm 29 seems to agree: the voice of God is described as booming, loud, and forceful. Like a hurricane wind, it shakes trees and shatters foundations. Like a train engine, it barrels through the world with a reverberating sound. I can imagine with clarity the earth-shattering cacophony of God’s voice blaring through the world.
I can imagine it…but, let’s be honest, have we ever heard it? Sure…I’ve heard stories of people hearing with clarity God’s voice telling them what to do. In fact, I’ve experienced that voice myself. But a voice that “breaks cedar trees” and “shakes the wilderness”? No, I have not heard that; I don’t know anyone who has. Listening for God’s voice in today’s society is tricky because it doesn’t often come to us like a train whistle. But when our ears are ready, it becomes easier to identify the voice of God in our midst; we become unable to deny the voice of God when it speaks. I heard this voice when I drove to my parents’ house the day my Mimi died, not as a disembodied voice in the clouds shouting instruction to me, but as a clear, undeniable presence that brought me peace and comfort. I heard this voice the first time as an ordained pastor that I served communion to my congregation, as a voice within my heart that declared with certainty: this is what you were born to do! I heard this voice when I was a little girl singing VBS songs at the top of my lungs in the sanctuary, in silly giggles and shouting children, a voice that gripped my innermost being and assured me, this is what home feels like.
The Lord’s voice is strong;
The Lord’s voice is majestic.
The Lord’s voice breaks cedar trees--
Yes, the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
The Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness--
Yes, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
Let the Lord give strength to God’s people!
Let the Lord bless God’s people with peace!
Devotion:
In 1994, I remember clearly sitting in a movie theater watching the opening of the Lion King on the big screen. I remember watching Rafiki hold the baby Simba up toward a ray of light beaming down upon him and thinking, that is a lot like God’s light shining on us. I remember watching the scene when Mufasa’s ghost appears in the sky like a cloud and tells Simba, “Remember who you are.” I remember thinking…this must be what it was like when God’s voice boomed from the clouds at Jesus’ baptism. The voice of God is clear; the presence of God is shiny and bright. There can be no mistake that it is God who is talking and God, like Simba, reminds us who we are.
Psalm 29 seems to agree: the voice of God is described as booming, loud, and forceful. Like a hurricane wind, it shakes trees and shatters foundations. Like a train engine, it barrels through the world with a reverberating sound. I can imagine with clarity the earth-shattering cacophony of God’s voice blaring through the world.
I can imagine it…but, let’s be honest, have we ever heard it? Sure…I’ve heard stories of people hearing with clarity God’s voice telling them what to do. In fact, I’ve experienced that voice myself. But a voice that “breaks cedar trees” and “shakes the wilderness”? No, I have not heard that; I don’t know anyone who has. Listening for God’s voice in today’s society is tricky because it doesn’t often come to us like a train whistle. But when our ears are ready, it becomes easier to identify the voice of God in our midst; we become unable to deny the voice of God when it speaks. I heard this voice when I drove to my parents’ house the day my Mimi died, not as a disembodied voice in the clouds shouting instruction to me, but as a clear, undeniable presence that brought me peace and comfort. I heard this voice the first time as an ordained pastor that I served communion to my congregation, as a voice within my heart that declared with certainty: this is what you were born to do! I heard this voice when I was a little girl singing VBS songs at the top of my lungs in the sanctuary, in silly giggles and shouting children, a voice that gripped my innermost being and assured me, this is what home feels like.