Meditation 297
Psalm 29
According to my records I started writing these meditations on March 21st of 2020. One of my minister friends had suggested that during the COVID lockdown, that people would appreciate a reflective writing based on scripture, that would give them a sense of God’s presence and guiding during this time. I thought that for a few months I would share some thoughts on the scripture lessons for the coming Sunday. I thought I would share with folks in the congregations where I serve, and maybe a few friends would also be interested in what I wrote. Well, here we are 14 months later. I hope that these meditations that have been shared have been a help, maybe they gave you a new point of view on a scripture reading, maybe there was hope shared when you needed it, or maybe they touched you in some other way, as I said, I hope they have been helpful.
The point of the rambling first paragraph is that this week will be the last week that I share these meditations, as I will be retiring, and May 30th is the last Sunday that I will be in the pulpit at the Charlotte County Pastoral Charge. My husband and I have plans in place for the retirement stage of life, and the execution of those plans will be affected by – guess what – COVID 19! The words of Psalm 29 are helpful for me in these days of anticipation.
Psalm 29 is an invitation to all of creation to give praise to God for the majesty of God that is displayed in the force of nature. The description of the storm that is over mighty waters, and that moves over the land is believed to be the description of a storm over the Mediterranean Sea. The winds and lightening are perceived to be signs of God’s strength and power. Those of us who live near large bodies of water know the power of water, how it can surge onto land and bring the land back with it, or how the water can beat at a dock until it breaks. We also know that water gives life and habitat to creature great and small. Water is an amazing sign of the grace and power of God.
The writer of Psalm 29, and the early audience would accept that God speaks to us in creation, but this may not be as likely for those of us who live in the 21st century. We may understand more about how life systems operate and how they interact with each other, but we are less likely to expect to hear the voice of the Lord in the wind or the rain. Our experience of faith may have been shaped by worship in a faith community with an emphasis on the word and music, with the word having prominence. Psalm 29 tells us that the Lord is enthroned over all that is happening in the storm. If we have confidence that the Lord is not overcome by the strong forces of nature, then we may also have confidence that the Lord has strength over whatever turmoil is in our lives.
We see in Psalm 29 that the psalmist does not ask the Lord to stop the storm, but is confident that the Lord will give the people strength and peace. Those of us who have met an obstacle and have worked through it often are stronger for it, whether the obstacle be a fitness goal, sitting with a loved on who is ill, or waiting out a pandemic. When the strength of the Lord increases our own strength through the training or the waiting, we arrive at peace that passes understanding.