Whilst driving today I was caught in a massive downpour. Traffic inched forward with very limited visibility as lightning flashed. Asaph wrote in Psalm 77:17-18: "The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound; your arrows also flashed about.
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The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook." There is something awe inspiring in the power of nature, and God put souls in men with the need to worship what is greater than themselves. For this reason men have worshiped nature, the sun, moon, stars, and things God has made. Men bow before their human idols in appreciation and admiration. A violent storm cell brings men uniformly back to those common feelings which can become unfamiliar to us: awe, fear, and the understanding we are small and our existence is precarious indeed.
As I cheered on God for the powerful display, my mind went to the passage in Psalm 29:1-6, a song of David: "Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is over many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox." I have seen rain, hail, snow, lightning and heard booming thunder which pumps the adrenaline. When the power of these elements are unleashed it brings people young and old to windows to admire and causes vehicles to pull off to the side of the road. It is revelation of power so much greater than a man, and the power of God is far greater than this world. This recognition of such power drives a man to worship. It is his only response. He must worship something; he cannot help himself.
Speaking for myself, I am convinced Asaph and David had it correct. Skeptics would say those superstitious men of old foolishly attributed natural phenomena which can be explained scientifically to a "god." But if the God who created and sustains the heavens and earth exists and does all things, couldn't He do a thing and reveal the science behind it to men? To explain lightning does not mean mastery, and God has no master. In light of His majesty I cannot just acknowledge Him with a wink or nod: I must fall down before Him and worship Him as LORD over all. It is foolish to worship the creature over the creator, and when God's power is displayed through the elements I impulsively worship my Maker. Every man longs to be part of something bigger and greater than himself, some significant thing that will endure. This desire is satisfied only in the worship and adoration of the great God of the Jews, the King of kings! Nature itself bows humbly before Jesus Christ, for the wind and the waves obey Him. Every man will one day bow the knee before Jesus Christ as well - some in worship and others at the prospect of His justice. And a God who thunders like that...wow. And thunder is compared to just His voice! Think of it!
As I cheered on God for the powerful display, my mind went to the passage in Psalm 29:1-6, a song of David: "Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is over many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox." I have seen rain, hail, snow, lightning and heard booming thunder which pumps the adrenaline. When the power of these elements are unleashed it brings people young and old to windows to admire and causes vehicles to pull off to the side of the road. It is revelation of power so much greater than a man, and the power of God is far greater than this world. This recognition of such power drives a man to worship. It is his only response. He must worship something; he cannot help himself.
Speaking for myself, I am convinced Asaph and David had it correct. Skeptics would say those superstitious men of old foolishly attributed natural phenomena which can be explained scientifically to a "god." But if the God who created and sustains the heavens and earth exists and does all things, couldn't He do a thing and reveal the science behind it to men? To explain lightning does not mean mastery, and God has no master. In light of His majesty I cannot just acknowledge Him with a wink or nod: I must fall down before Him and worship Him as LORD over all. It is foolish to worship the creature over the creator, and when God's power is displayed through the elements I impulsively worship my Maker. Every man longs to be part of something bigger and greater than himself, some significant thing that will endure. This desire is satisfied only in the worship and adoration of the great God of the Jews, the King of kings! Nature itself bows humbly before Jesus Christ, for the wind and the waves obey Him. Every man will one day bow the knee before Jesus Christ as well - some in worship and others at the prospect of His justice. And a God who thunders like that...wow. And thunder is compared to just His voice! Think of it!
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