Think back to your reaction as a child to thunder and lightning storms. Were you frightened? Did you crawl into bed and hide under the covers? When our kids were little, one of them was really afraid of thunder and lightning. To calm her down, I told her that the thunder and lightning were God’s fireworks. After that, she didn’t hide under the covers anymore. No! She wanted the drapes wide open, and she sat in front of the window so she could watch! She didn’t want to miss out on God’s show! Well, David doesn’t want us to miss out, either. That’s why he wrote this psalm.
God’s name Yahweh (translated for us as the Lord) comes up 18 times in this relatively short 11-verse psalm. That makes it very clear exactly who we’re supposed to pay attention to as we read or sing this psalm! We are to focus on God. The aspects of God that are brought out so forcefully here are glory, splendor, holiness, power and majesty.
The instruction here is to give (KJV), or ascribe (NIV), glory and strength to God. But remember, God is the glorious one. We don’t have to give him our glory and strength. Most of us don’t have much of that to give! But we can reflect God’s glory! We can let it shine on us and bounce back to God.
The power of God that is unleashed when God speaks is pictured for us poetically in terms of thunder and lightning, mighty waters, breaking trees and shaking deserts. The psalm ends with the assurance that the Lord is King. He gives his people strength and blesses them with peace.
Now, that’s something we, as God’s children, need to appreciate and hold on to. God will give us the strength we need to face whatever storms come our way.
Lord, help us to trust in you! Keep us looking for your fireworks — and your glorious provision of strength and peace!
Mary Roller, Hickory, N.C.
Extended Scripture: Psalms 28–31
