Psalm 29 (A psalm of David)
1 Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings; honor the Lord for His glory and strength. 2 Honor the Lord for the glory of His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. 5 The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; He makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of lightning. 8 The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare. In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
10 The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as king forever. 11 The Lord gives His people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.
Observation
Can we stop just a little while and stand in awe and wonder of the Lord? “Selah” should be right here to remind us to do so. We don’t have an exact translation of selah but we see it often in the psalms. It seems to be a suggestion to stop, reflect, contemplate and meditate on the wonder of what you just read or, in the case of the psalms, sang. “The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare.” Any one of these statements speak of power and majesty beyond our conception. Do we really perceive how unique, powerful and majestic God is?
These words are truth – reality – our eternal refuge and strength – immutable, from, about and for the One with “no shadow of turning” (James 1:17). However, we live in a world where seeing is not believing and hearing is also not reliable. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has blurred what is real, what is fact, making it possible to alter what is actually seen and heard. AI has a myriad of beneficial uses, but we live in a fallen world where it will not always be used for good. Scripture is one of the only places left that does not and will not be changed. This is why we need to soak in the Word, be firmly rooted in the salvation provided by Christ, and remember every moment of every day Whose we are and Whom we serve.
Impact On Me
This is not a tirade against AI. I am aware that, like anything else, AI can be used for good or evil. For example, money or work are not inherently evil, nor are they always a means of deception. The twisting happens when they become idols, replacing dependence on God for dependence on what we ourselves can provide – when we decide to determine what is good or evil rather than leaving it with God.
The devil takes every thing created or available to use for deception. He started with tempting Adam and Eve with the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and proceeded throughout history to use every other invention of humankind, attempting to twist the goodness out of it by making it another idol, another instrument of deception, another trading our way for submitting to the Lord’s way. However, the Word says I don’t have to be ignorant of the devil’s devices, so I choose to pray for the Lord’s wisdom in my choices as I stand again daily before that Tree.
But I digress…. “The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as king forever. 11 The Lord gives His people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.” Regardless of the machinations of the enemy of my soul, I have confidence in the power, majesty and promise of the Lord I serve because I choose to be rooted in Christ. He is able to lead me in righteousness and truth. He is able to give me the strength and wisdom to choose wisely. He is able to give me peace in the midst of this stormy world. He is able to lead me in battle right on through to victory. He has the eternal plan to redeem this fallen world and restore Eden – first working within me and then calming the storms around me by flowing in and through me. This is why He deserves all honor and praise. This is why I stop to stand in awe of Him.
Devotion
“Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings; honor the Lord for His glory and strength. Honor the Lord for the glory of His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” I do honor You, Lord, awesome in power, wonder, goodness, mercy and grace. Stop me from rushing to get things done when I need to stop and recognize Your awesome wonder – in a sunset, in a flower, in how you are working in the lives of my family, every little thing that is another miracle of Your love and care for me. Convict me when I think I am too busy to read Your Word or listen to the wonder of You set to music. I want to walk with You, at Your pace, so I can listen to all You have to share with me. Make it so, in Jesus’ name.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 