“The Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11
Last month I wrote about endurance: staying in the race even when our bodies feel like they are going to give way and give out. Running all the way to the end…to the joy…fixing our eyes on Jesus…and crossing the glorious finish line at the end.
We are five months into an incredibly strange and uncertain season as we navigate the hard-to-understand, ambivalent nature of Covid-19 and its impact globally. The world is trudging through unchartered waters, and there are places that are currently falling apart as the threads of stability unravel right before their eyes.
These…they are hard times.
If you feel overwhelmed or heavy-hearted, it is for good reason. Circumstances here and abroad are disappointing and crushing. You are not weak…you are just feeling the immense weight of these arduous events and an uncertain future.
So, today, as I am sitting here contemplating intensely on the next words to write, my mind and heart move from the call to endure to the promise of peace.
Remain in his peace.
“The voice of the Lord is over the waters.” Psalm 29:3
When life feels out of control, and that all-too-familiar knot begins to clench in the pit of my stomach, I catch myself (before I topple over into despair) and take a deep breath. That momentary pause gives me just enough of those precious seconds to invite peace back into my worrisome head. That simple act of breathing redirects my attention to the Scriptures and to the God who covers every storm, challenge, uncertainty, and disappointment that I may be facing.
Psalm 29 is one of my favorite anchor passages. It is a declaration of God’s power, authority, and sovereignty over creation, and over every detail of our lives that threatens to undo us.
“The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is majestic.” Vs. 4
Greater than the disappointments, pain, struggles, and despair is the voice of the Lord. His voice is the authority over creation. His voice is the authority over our very lives. His sovereignty is the hope we hang on to during these hard times.
“The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightening.
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forest bare.” Vs. 7-9
When I call my son, Jasper, to come inside for his bath in the evening, it doesn’t take me very long to realize that he is far too out of reach to hear my voice. Noticing the silent response, and the lack of his hasty homecoming, I end up sending one of my older kids to search our compound, find him, and reel him in. I’m pretty sure the voice of the Lord that David was writing about was not a feeble one like mine. Even at full volume, my voice will never reach the other side of our compound. (Believe me, I’ve tried.) But the voice of the Lord, without strain and without effort, without worry and without fear, calls out the lightening and shakes the desert.
With one word, God’s voice spoke creation into existence, and with one word his voice can strip a forest bare.
“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood…” Vs. 10
Just as the Spirit of God hovered over the waters before the earth took form and light broke through the darkness, the Lord sits enthroned over every storm, flood, disappointment, and insurmountable circumstance we face. We are not on this journey alone.
“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:2
It is this very image of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters – the Lord sitting, enthroned, over the flood – that gives me unwavering peace. He is over everything. When I look at my circumstances – even now, as I sit here contemplating this current reality – knowing that a sovereign God, a loving and compassionate God, a God who is powerful and tender, wise and understanding is keenly aware of every detail of my life – past, present and future – gives my soul rest.
I can breathe.
I can stay and continue.
I can fulfill the mission and the race.
I can remain.
He blesses his people with peace.
If you are a Christ-follower, then you are his people. WE are his people. The world may be falling apart, losing faith, relinquishing hope, but we don’t have to.
I want to challenge you to do something today. When the waves of the storm begin to overwhelm you, when you turn on the news or scroll through the sound-bytes on Twitter – when the world outside begins to converge on your world inside – take a minute to pause, take a deep breath, and read Psalm 29 out loud. Read it slowly. Let the truth of each statement roll off of your tongue. Make it a declaration.
And then…exhale.
His peace is our blessing.
Remain in his peace.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
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Beautifully written. What powerful encouragement to all of us.
Good stuff! Thank you Amy for allowing the Lord to use you like this.