Thursday Psalms: God Gives You Strength!

 

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

It's hard to join with David in today's psalm, worshiping the Lord who shows His power over all things. We can imagine singing in a heavenly choir, joining with all of God's creation giving glory to God. The "big picture" can be easier than when our focus turns to our own tough times. Does the Lord give you anything about those days?

Psalm 29    A Psalm of David.

¹ Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

      ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

² Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;

      worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

³ The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

      the God of glory thunders, the Lord, 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;

      the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶ He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,

      and Sirion like a young wild ox.

⁷ The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

      the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare,

      and in His temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

      the Lord sits enthroned as King forever.

¹¹ May the Lord give strength to His people!

      May the Lord bless His people with peace! 

Is it even possible that you and I can give glory the Lord as we suffer through a hard situation? Perhaps today you are living underwater; struggling financially or with one of your vocations. Perhaps the forces against you are strong like "the cedars of Lebanon", forces like sickness or your enemies, or temptations to sin. Perhaps today you're "in the wilderness" of loneliness or discouragement. Where is the good news in this Psalm for you?

In the final verse, David prays the Lord will give strength and peace to His people. David is praying for the people over whom he is king, but this is also David's prayer for you and all of God's people. Even better, because this is God's Word, this is God's promise to you! Check out 1Peter 5:10, where God promises to strengthen you. Read John 14:27, where Jesus promises to give you not just peace, but His peace.

This is the best news for you and me! As we struggle through hard situations, as we suffer through problems which don't go away, Jesus the Son of God promises to strengthen you, He promises to never leave or forsake you, and He promises to give you His peace! Thank you, Jesus!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

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     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

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Soli Deo Gloria

"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9