Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.

Psalm 29: God’s Powerful Voice Brings Peace in the Storms

• James Long

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Psalm 29: God’s Powerful Voice Brings Peace in the Storms


Few experiences shake us like a thunderstorm. The lightning, thunder, and wind remind us how small and fragile we are. In Psalm 29, David takes this awe-inspiring force of nature and declares that it is not Baal, blind chance, or impersonal forces that command the storm, but Yahweh, the Lord of heaven and earth. His voice thunders over the waters, shakes the wilderness, and yet, for His people, His final word is peace.

In this episode of Counseling Through the Psalms, we’ll explore how God’s voice reveals His majesty, His sovereignty over creation, and His gift of strength and peace to His people.

Key Points from Psalm 29

  • Heavenly Worship (vv. 1–2): All creation, even the angelic hosts, are called to ascribe glory to the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.
  • The Voice of the Lord (vv. 3–9): Seven times the psalm repeats, “The voice of the Lord,” emphasizing God’s command over the storm, from the seas to the mountains to the wilderness.
  • The King on the Throne (vv. 10–11): The psalm concludes with the Lord enthroned forever, giving strength and peace to His people.
  • Christ-Centered Hope: Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, calmed storms with His voice, bore cosmic judgment at the cross, and now gives His peace to His people.

Resources & Next Steps

ABOUT JAMES and LESSONS FOR LIFE

Are you seeking hope, wisdom, and practical solutions to life’s challenges? Dr. James Long, Jr., pastor, counselor, and professor with over 30 years of experience, helps people discover God’s solutions to emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges. Each episode of Lessons for Life points you to the peace and freedom found in Jesus Christ.

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Speaker 1:

Hello everyone, it's James Long Jr. Do me a favor and turn in your Bibles to Psalm chapter 29. Grab your Bible and a journal. We are in our Counseling Through the Psalms series and we are up to Psalm chapter 29. Now there are a few experiences that shake us like a thunderstorm. Lightning splits the sky, thunder rattles our bones and wind strips trees bare. Now, storms remind us how small and fragile we are.

Speaker 1:

In Psalm 29, david takes this awe-inspiring force of nature and declares it's not Baal, it's not blind chance that commands the storm, but it is Yahweh, the Lord of heaven and earth. His voice thunders over the waters, his voice shakes the wilderness, and yet he gives peace to his people. Now, if I were going to try to summarize Psalm 29,. Psalm 29 is pure praise. It opens with a call for heavenly beings to ascribe to the Lord of glory verses 1 through 2. It moves through a vivid description of storms sweeping across Lebanon in the wilderness verses 3-9. And then it concludes with God enthroned as a king, giving strength to his people in verses 10-11. The psalm reminds us that the same God whose voice shakes the creation also blesses his people with calm assurance. Okay, let's look at verses 1-2. David begins by summoning the mighty ones, likely angelic hosts, to join in giving glory. Okay, let's look at verses 1 through 2. But David calls all creation to add to their voice. True worship is more than admiration. It's bowing before God in the splendor of his holiness. The holiness of God demands reverence, purity and awe-filled praise.

Speaker 1:

Now, in verses three through nine, we have a voice of the Lord in the storm. We see that this voice of the Lord is there over the waters. The heart of the psalm is its sevenfold repetition of the voice of the Lord. His voice thunders over the waters and the storms as they rise in the Mediterranean. We see that in verses 3 through 4. The voice of the Lord is over the waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

Speaker 1:

Next we see the voice of the Lord breaking the cedars in Lebanon and shaking the mountains. Verse 5 and 6. It says the voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf and Syrian like a young wild ox. And then, verses seven through eight, his voice flashes like lightning and quakes like the wilderness in Kadesh.

Speaker 1:

In verses seven through eight, the voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. And then, in verse nine, his voice strips the forest bare and causes creation to tremble. Verse 9, the voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forest bare.

Speaker 1:

And in his temple, all cry glory. In every stage of the storm, it's not Baal that is the one that's doing this. It's Yahweh who speaks. It's in his temple. All cry glory to Jesus Christ, glory to God the Father, glory to the Spirit. Creation itself responds in awe before its creator.

Speaker 1:

The storm's imagery here is not just poetic, it's polemic as well. In the Canaanite religion, baal or Baal was the storm god. But David insists it's the Lord alone who commands the storms, he commands the lightning, he commands the flood. David insists it's the Lord alone who commands the storms, he commands the lightning, he commands the flood. And it's the voice of the Lord that is not only heard in the storms, it's the commanding word of God that creates, that sustains and that rules over all things. And the Psalm ends with the Lord enthroned forever, in verses 10 through 11. The Psalm concludes with lifting our gaze from the raging storms to the eternal throne. The Lord sits enthroned over the flood. The Lord sits enthroned as king forever. What an amazing thing. Just as he reigned over the great deluge of Noah's day, he reigns over every storm in history and in our lives. And the same God who displays this overwhelming power gives two priceless gifts to his people strength and peace. And what begins with trembling ends with calm. The storm passes, but God remains. His people walk away not in fear, but in confidence that their God, their King, rules forever. And now we end with Christ-centered hope.

Speaker 1:

Psalm 29 points us to Jesus Christ, the living word of God. John, chapter 1, verse 1. He is the voice of the Lord in the flesh, the one whom calmed the storms and stilled them with his word. And at his crucifixion the skies were darkened and the earth shook, bearing witness to his cosmic authority. Skies were darkened and the earth shook, bearing witness to his cosmic authority. And it is in his resurrection that he brings peace. He said peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. He said that in John, chapter 14, verse 27. The one who speaks galaxies into existence also whispers grace to the fearful heart. It's in him. We know both the awesome power of God and the gentle peace of a shepherd.

Speaker 1:

Now let's consider some of the doctrinal truths to remember from Psalm 29. Well, the first thing I want you to know is this the Lord alone deserves all the glory and all the strength. We see that in verses one through two here in Psalm 29, but we also see that in Revelation 4.11. We also see in verses 3-9 the voice of the Lord is powerful in creation and providence. We see that in verses 3-9 here, but we also see that in Genesis 1.3, that God spoke this world into existence. The third thing I want you to consider is that God reigns as king forever over all natural and historic events. We see that in verse 10, but we also see that in Daniel, chapter 4, verses 34 to 35. We also see that the Lord gives his people both strength to endure and peace to rest. We see that in verse 11, but we also see that in Philippians, chapter four, verses six through seven. The final thing I want you to see is Christ. Here, christ is the eternal word and commands creation and grants his church peace. We see that in John, chapter one, verses one through three, and we also see that in Colossians, chapter one, verses 16 through 17.

Speaker 1:

Now let let's consider living this psalm today. How can we take these truths and make it practical in our lives? Psalm 29 teaches us that God's hand is both in the storm and in the stillness. When creation roars, his power is on display, and when calm follows, his peace is being poured out is on display, and when calm follows, his peace is being poured out. For the believer, every storm, whether in nature or in life, becomes a reminder that God is enthroned, his voice is sovereign, his promises are sure, and the one who commands the storm is also the one who gives strength and steadies his people. So remind yourself of that.

Speaker 1:

Now, grab your journal and consider some of these questions as we reflect and respond. Well, the first thing I want you to consider is this what storms in your life right now make you feel small and afraid? Because these are powerful storms. What are the storms in your life? The second thing I want you to see is that Psalm 29 shapes the way we view God. How do you view God's power in creation?

Speaker 1:

As see is that Psalm 29 shapes the way we view God. How do you view God's power in creation as you look at Psalm 29? Third, what does it mean personally for you that the Lord sits in throne forever? Fourth, how has Christ spoken peace into your heart during the past trials? Fifth, where do you need to trust the voice of the Lord rather than the noise of fear or the noise of culture?

Speaker 1:

Okay, well, let's pray. Lord, your voice is powerful. We see it in the storms. We see it in the things that shake, at times, our lives. I pray that we wouldn't be so caught up in those things, but be caught up in a God who's sovereignly in control of all those things. Help us to trust you, help us to be filled with your presence, help us to be filled with your peace, help us to know that you're the God who is near us and loves us and is in sovereign control of everything, and help us to trust you. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen.

Speaker 1:

Well, psalm 29 reveals a God whose voice shakes the creation, yet blesses his people with peace. The storms remind us of his power. The calm reminds us of his grace. He is the king forever and ever, and his strength is there for you. If this has been helpful to you, would you consider joining our free navigator level of our Lessons for Life community at jameslongjrorg slash community. There you'll be able to get devotionals, meetups and other content that will build your faith. Now, if you want to explore some full memberships and coaching options, go to jameslongjrorg slash. Sign up now to access more devotionals, live meetups and biblical life training to grow emotionally, relationally and spiritually. Now, when the storms rage and fear rises, remember that the voice of the Lord is your strength and your peace. He will carry you through. It's so great to have you. Thank you so much for being with us today. Until next time, be blessed, take care.

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