Tuesday 14 Feb 2023

February 14: Psalm 29:1-11

Key Verse: Psalm 29:7
The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.

Devotion:
When you were growing up, who had a voice which would strike fear into your soul when you heard them shout out? For me as a very young child it was my Dad’s voice which struck fear into me. If he had to raise his voice at me, I knew I was in big trouble!

When the Psalmist wrote these words, I wonder who he was thinking about to describe the voice of God in such a manner. He would have known what the people thought about God from growing up and learning from the scriptures. He would have heard how Moses described the voice of God and how His voice struck fear into many people’s hearts over the years. King David, assuming it was him who wrote these words, knew how dire it was to get on the wrong side of God and having a good knowledge of the history of Israel through the Old Testament meant He knew how serious it would be if God were to speak directly to him!

I think we often gloss over just who God is when it comes to our Bibles. We like to look at the side of God which shows His love and mercy which enables so much in our lives when we need Him, but not to be reminded of the power and might when we do something wrong! I think these words should be read from time to time to remind us of the power of God.

Think about any time when you have been told off for doing something wrong. Think of the feeling of being told you are wrong and knowing it in your heart. Think of the fear which drained the blood and feeling from your face when the fear overtook you. Then think of God’s power in a new light, the light of His wrath when we do things wrong.

Points to Ponder:
Do you always make excuses when you have done something wrong?

What would God say to you?