MEDITATIONS IN THE PSALMS [An outline of the Psalm, A good devotional study when using the scriptures indicated] Psalm 29: The Force of a Mighty Thunder Storm “Give,” that is ascribe, “unto Jehovah.” The world is accustomed to ascribing to “mother nature or the weather man” that for which David is about to glorify God in. We have always in our home denounced such and corrected it before our children. The world has its customs and we as Christians should practice truth. Men use to say, Natural causes, are God in action, and we must not ascribe power unto anything but to the infinite invisible God who is the true source of all. “O ye mighty,” You great ones of earth and heaven, men and angels. Here He calls on creatures above and creatures below, kings and angels, high and low to ascribe glory to God. “Give unto God glory and strength,” both of which men are too apt to claim for themselves. I find myself often correcting and sometimes softly rebuking the worldling for complaining against my God’s weather. It bothers me if He doesn’t receive the glory due Him. V2, “Give unto the Lord,” the third time this admonition is given, which speaks that men are backward in doing so. Great men especially are swollen too much with their own glory to spare time to give God what belongs to Him. But you know I believe that is why we Christians are in this world, to do our dead level best to make sure that our God gets the glory due Him. Some think that witnessing is button-holeing sinners and forcing professions of faith out of them, not so, here is true witnessing, giving unto God HIS glory. Note how David equates this with “Worshipping the Lord.” “The call to worship in these two verses chimes in with the loud pealing thunder, which is the Church Bell of the universe ringing kings and angels and all the sons of the earth to devotions” (Mr. Spurgeon). V’s 3-10 we trace the path of the tempest. The attributes of God’s word are rehearsed, “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.” The thunder is called the voice of God because it rolls from on high. It surpasses all other sounds. It inspires awe. It is entirely independent of man. They say there is peculiar terror in a tempest at sea when deep calleth unto deep, and the raging sea echoes to the angry sky. No sight more alarming than the flash of lightning around the mast of the ship; and no sound more calculated to inspire a reverent awe than the roar of the storm. We peculiar people, called the people of God, believe that the thunder is no mere “electric phenomenon,” but it is caused by the interposition of God Himself, we say therefore, “The God of glory thundereth!” V’s 4-5, “The voice of Jehovah is powerful.” If the voice of God in nature is so powerful, what do you suppose of His voice in the word of grace? If His voice in nature breaks the rocks, splits the cedars, and shakes the desert, what of His voice in the Word of the gospel. It also breaks the rocks! The word of the gospel as affected by the power of God shakes the barren desert of the unregenerate heart (Deut.32:9-10). When God affects the gospel the stoutest hearted sinner falls before Him as a tall cedar struck by lightning. V11, blessed assurance, if God is powerful in nature, and powerful in grace, will not He affect the providence of strength and peace for His people? Yes He will! God is in our storms! ~~TW
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