Topic: THE THUNDEROUS GLORY OF GOD – Right From The Heart Daily Devotional by Bryant Wright Ministry 28 June 2024
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THE THUNDEROUS GLORY OF GOD
June 28, 2024
“The God of glory thunders…the voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.”
Psalm 29:3,7
Imagine you’re enjoying a day at the beach with your family and friends.
Then, off in the distance, you notice dark, ominous clouds hovering over the water. A bolt of lightning strikes the horizon. The waves grow larger as the wind whips up the sand, threatening to blow the hat right off your head. You scramble to gather your belongings. As the rain starts to fall, you think to yourself, “So much for a little fun in the sun…”
While David wasn’t on vacation when he wrote Psalm 29, you get the sense that he was watching a thunderstorm move inward from the Mediterranean Sea toward the coast of Israel. He wrote:,“The Lord thunders over the waters, the voice of the Lord is powerful” (Psalm 29:3,4).
What is it about a thunderstorm that reminds David of the glory and grandeur of God?
Well, thunderstorms are some of the most powerful, awe-inspiring natural phenomena we can witness. Being in the presence of a massive storm is humbling. We feel small, out of control, and acutely aware of our limitations.
Perhaps David wanted us to bring this perspective into how we approach Almighty God.
After all, the Maker of the storm is far more glorious than the storm itself. As Tony Evans explains, “We must remember that such a spectacular display is not the work of so-called Mother Nature but of Father God. And we must give the Lord the exaltation that He deserves.”
Looking through the wider lens of the entire Bible, we see that God’s presence is often accompanied by a powerful storm.
- Consider Moses going up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments: “There was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain” (Exodus 19:16).
- Or Ezekiel coming face to face with God’s glory: “I looked and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north, an immense cloud with flashing lightning and brilliant light” (Ezekiel 1:4).
- Or John, exiled on the island of Patmos, trying to describe the throne of heaven: “From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder” (Revelation 4:5).
Ask yourself: Given such awe-inspiring descriptions, what would be the appropriate way to come before God’s throne?
In reverence?
In humility?
In surrender?
Yes, to all of the above.
I don’t know about you, but I often come before the Lord too casually, not fully respecting His awesomeness. I flip through the pages of my Bible and rush through my prayers. I ask Him to bless my plans as if I’m the one in charge, not Him.
That’s why I’m so grateful for David’s words. Like a sudden boom of thunder in the middle of the night, Psalm 29 rouses me out of my self-absorption and reminds me that there is only One who is worthy of glory.
And when God really wanted to show off His glory, He echoed the cry of Jesus days before His crucifixion: “Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered…” (John 12:28,29).
So, the next time we see menacing clouds in the sky and hear thunder rattle the heavens, may we think to ourselves, “That’s the ‘Voice of the Lord!’” (Psalm 29:3-9) And thank Jesus for making a way to approach His thunderous throne “with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).
Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH
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