Praise

Ps. 29:1-2

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

 

Certainly the Lord should be worshiped above all! But why mention the heavenly beings? Perhaps the psalm  addressed angels because it was setting God against Baal, the storm god. In that case the repeated references to storms and nature make sense.The admonition is for these heavenly beings to give God glory and strength because it is His due. They should be worshipping the Lord in holiness, as should all men.

 

The voice of the Lord...

• is over the waters and His glory thunders. Nature is His language and domain by rite of creation.
• is powerful and full of majesty.
• breaks the cedars of Lebanon and makes the Lebanon skip like a calf.
• flashes forth flames of fire.
• shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
• Makes the deer give birth and strips the forest bare.
• sits enthroned over the flood.

The Lord sits enthroned as king forever, and in His temple all cry glory! The psalm ends with a prayer to the only Lord and God who created and controls all. May the Lord give strength to His people! May the Lord bless His people with peace!

 

How majestic is my God! No other god has any power at all. Maybe I don't struggle with acknowledging Baal as god, but what about science, materialism, humanism, personal power and position, wealth, etc.? There are many gods in my culture rearing their heads and claiming to have power to give satisfaction and fulfillment, claiming to have the key to the wisdom of the universe, and claiming to prove there is no God. How foolish! Just because lesser gods say God is dead does not make Him dead! How egocentric and foolish! Man throws away the strength, power, and glory of the one true God for deception, gods who make grandiose promises that can never be fulfilled.

 

Father,

I love and worship You. I know Your power is above all and controls all. Strength, glory, and honor belong to You and nothing in this world can take what belongs only to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen