THE VOICE OF THE LORD

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.

Psalm 29:3-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever heard the voice of the Lord? How would you describe it?

Maybe He has spoken to you in prayer. Or perhaps He has spoken to you while you were studying from the Bible as the Word of God often springs to life when we read it. Or it’s very possible He may have spoken to you another person like a pastor or spiritual mentor. Regardless how you experience it, the Lord is speaking every day and He has been doing it for as long as there has been man.

It was the voice of the Lord that commanded Abraham to go to where the Lord would lead him. It was the voice of the Lord that spoke to Moses from a burning bush and told him to go and lead the Israelites out of Egypt and Pharaoh’s oppression. It was the voice of the Lord that spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and delivered His commandments to deliver to the Israelites. It was the voice of the Lord who spoke to Elijah, not in a powerful wind, not in an earthquake, not in the fire, but rather in a whisper. And it was the voice of the Lord who asked the prophet who he should send and Isaiah responded by telling the Lord to send him.

As we read the remainder of the 29th Psalm, it was obvious that David had first-hand knowledge of the voice of the Lord as he gives multiple references as to what the voice of the Lord is like. Here’s how he described it:

1. The voice of the Lord thunders over the waters.

Ever been outside when a storm is approaching? What’s your first indicator?

Typically, long before the storm gets to where you are, you hear the thunder, a sign of the storm’s coming power trumpeted by the Lord. It’s as if the Lord is sounding a warning well in advance of His arriving, amazing handiwork. And typically we listen to the voice of the Lord and seek to take shelter from the storm.

2. The voice of the Lord is powerful.

Can anyone argue that thunder from the heavens carries with it significant power? Short of a major explosion, there are few things as strong as the thunder.

But the power of the voice of the Lord isn’t necessarily measured by decibels. No, the power in the voice of the Lord is relevant to how that voice affects the listener.

For example, there have been times when I was studying the scriptures and all of a sudden, the voice of the Lord will speak powerfully to my heart, opening up floodgates of emotion within me. There doesn’t need to be a thunder clap. Just the voice of the Lord speaking power into my soul through God’s Holy Word and the illumination of that Word by the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, the voice of the Lord is powerful, no matter the decibel level. His whisper is more powerful than the world’s loudest voice.

3. The voice of the Lord is majestic.

The Lord is the Lord of lords. He defines royalty. No one has more distinction. No one is more magnificent. No one is more grandiose.

Indeed, everything about the Lord is majestic, including His voice.

4. The voice of the Lord is strong.

When one has authority, there is strength in their voice as they lead and command others.

As stated, the Lord is without equal as the Ruler of all mankind. There is no greater authority and thus no one speaks with a stronger voice.

Indeed, the voice of the Lord is strong and commanding in its delivery. It doesn’t need to beg for our attention. Rather it captivates it. And the voice of the Lord not only projects strength but it grants it to the listener as well. Lend your ear consistently and persistently to the voice of the Lord and you can help but be empowered by it.   

5. The voice of the Lord strikes like lightning.

There is a frightening component to lightning, mainly because it is totally unpredictable. This is why we should never be outside when a storm is raging. More than one person has perished when struck by a lightning bolt. Not the way one should want to go.

David tells us the voice of the Lord strikes like flashes of lightning. When the Lord needs to reach His people, He has a way to powerfully strike us deep in our inner being with conviction and/or wisdom, relaying His will and way to us. And unlike natural lightning bolts that we can hide from, there is no concealing ourselves from the lightning strikes of the voice of the Lord when He chooses to speak to us.  

6. The voice of the Lord shakes the land.

We tend to be creatures of habit. We establish a routine and like to stick to it.

The Lord has a habit of finding ways to move us out of our comfort zones and toward His service, service that seldom is routine and never boring.

The voice of the Lord will shake the land like the desert of Kadesh mentioned by David but it will also shake the foundations of our lives as well. When the voice of the Lord speaks, it breaks our worldly norms, convicts us by exposing our sins, and then works to move us onto the foundation of righteousness, the foundation built on the immovable Rock, the Lord Almighty.

Yes, the voice of the Lord is mighty and authoritative. It’s what you would expect from the Creator and Maker of all things who is enthroned as our King forever.

And this King of kings doesn’t keep His strength to Himself. No, David reminds us that the Lord gives strength to His people, helping them endure any and all circumstances. There is no hardship that God can’t overcome, no obstacle He can’t clear. He leads us through trials and difficulties, and He does so often with just the sound of His voice.  

Friends, this Word of God is a blessing to all of us because it comes with the assurance that God is with us, a promise that brings us peace in knowing He is on our side. Truly, if God is for us, who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)

And so I ask again, have you heard the voice of the Lord? If you haven’t, then you haven’t been listening for He is always speaking in amazing ways.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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