I’ve asked Tony DeKoter, principle at Quisqueya Christian School in Port Au Prince, Haiti, to share his reflections on the readings for this week. Tony and Mary have been serving in Haiti for three years, you can read more at their blog, Hope For Haiti.
Psalm 29
The voice of the Lord over the waters reminds me of the creation days. He spoke and it came to be. How powerful and majestic and mighty is that. The very words of the Lord created all things out of nothing! Unbelievable!This voice of God speaks not only through His creation showing His majesty and power. He also speaks to His people in quiet ways as with Moses or Elijah with the quiet voice. God is not restricted in the ways He speaks to His people, as we saw with the speaking donkey. Do I hear the voice of the Lord?
In order to hear the voice of the Lord I must also spend time with Him. The more you are with Him, the better you will know His voice. Time and time again we read the words that say, They have ears but do not hear. Eyes they have but do not see. Matthew says Blessed are your eyes for they see: and your ears for they hear. That can only happen when we are attuned with God.
Each year I start my science classes with the seven creation days. Here too, we hear the voice of God seven times. He spoke and it was. Seven – the number of completion, perfection, wholeness. In this psalm the voice of God was heard seven times and all of it culminates in crying Glory! That is the reality also in the book of Revelation where John was shown the glory of God – for it is the glory of God that gives light to the world both today, if we have eyes that see, and all our forever tomorrows.
Creator Spirit, by Whose aid
The world’s foundations first were laid,
Come, visit every pious mind;
Come, pour Thy joys on human kind;
From sin, and sorrow set us free;
And make Thy temples worthy Thee.O Source of uncreated Light,
The Father’s promised Paraclete!
Thrice holy Fount, thrice holy Fire,
Our hearts with heav’nly love inspire;
Come, and Thy sacred unction bring
To sanctify us, while we sing!
when Jesus speaks…
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 29
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. [Psalm 29:4] In this psalm, David urges everyone to recognize how great the Lord is [Ps 29:1-2], how commanding just His words (voice) are [Ps 29:3-9], and how He is the King, and a good one too! [Ps 29:10-11].
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” [Mark 4:39-41] Here we see the amazing power and authority of Jesus, the Lord David spoke of, in the flesh. Like the disciples, we are compelled to recognize Jesus as Lord, whose voice controls even the wind and the waves.
Is this the Jesus I believe in? The Lord, Yahweh, as a human? When He speaks, demons cringe, sickness retreats, death is reversed, hope is restored, pride is broken, things happen. Do I believe that Jesus, to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been assigned, manages not only the wind and the waves, but human freedom and folly too? Jesus does not determine what happens, but He directs our freedom and folly towards His determined ending. We are still responsible for our choices, the freedom and folly are ours, but He is responsible for the outcome.
He is King, and He is good. He does not do what I want, He does not give me what I demand, but He does work and manage for my own god, and for the good of the universe. He is still restraining the storm, the wind and waves of sin, death and hell, directing them to His purposeful end. He speaks, it happens. He is the Word of God, in the flesh. He is powerful and majestic!
PRAYER:
Lord, everything holds together in You. You are great, and You are good. I entrust my day, my life, my future to You!