WEDNESDAY 25th
Read Psalm 29
‘The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty’
I wonder how often we have heard someone preach or give a speech, or someone singing and commented ‘Wow, what a powerful voice’? What we mean is that they had the ability to project their voice loudly and clearly so that it impacted those who were listening.
When it comes to the voice of God being powerful it can mean that he projects it loudly and clearly – for what he has spoken is definite and sure but it means far more, it means that his voice has the power to do something. In our Sunday devotion we saw how he created, but how did he create? By speaking out. God said and it was. That’s power. In Genesis 12:1 we see that God spoke to Abram (we don’t know how he spoke) and told him to leave his homeland and family and to set out on a journey to a new land that God would show him. Now, there must have been power in the voice of God that convinced Abram of the need to obey. In the book of Exodus we read of God speaking to Moses in the midst of a bush that burned and was not consumed, as God spoke to Moses he spoke with authority and at the same time gave Moses authority to be his mouthpiece to speak to the wicked Pharaoh in Egypt and Gods voice through Moses had power. We could look at many other examples, power in his voice to soothe, to restore, to heal and to deliver, this maybe a good subject for a sermon when things get back to normal! But for today our thought comes from 1 Samuel 3 where the voice of God spoke to the young child Samuel, it was in the stillness of the night, in fact we know from the record that Samuel mistook the voice at first as being that of Eli, but when he finally realized it was the voice of the Lord we see that even though the call to Samuel may have come through a soft gentle voice it was a voice of power because it commissioned Samuel into his ministry as a prophet and the promise of God was that as Samuel spoke as Gods mouthpiece it would cause the ears of those who heard it to tingle! (1 Samuel 3:11) He was going to be the channel through which the powerful voice of God would speak.
How often do we hear the powerful voice of God? Or perhaps we should ask, how often do we listen to the powerful voice of God for often when God speaks to us it demands our obedience.
He can speak to us in many ways, but we know when it is his powerful voice that has spoken because the Holy Spirit gives us a deep inner conviction and witness.
It maybe when we are reading Gods Word, suddenly something we are reading hits us like a ton of bricks, and we know that God is speaking into our lives. It maybe when we are hearing the Word being preached and suddenly something is like a sharp arrow that hits us in the right spot. It may even be while we are praying or singing / listening to worship songs and suddenly the voice of God speaks into the depths of our souls. Many ways – but do we recognise his powerful voice and respond.
Finally, I believe that God wants to speak today, he wants his powerful voice to be heard today in the midst of the confusion, terror and fear that is filling our land. And God can speak his powerful voice through you and me, it needn’t be a loud thundering voice, it can be through quiet and almost silent ways as we allow him to use us to speak peace into fearful hearts, he can use us to speak his comfort into broken lives, he can speak by using us to ease others burdens, he can speak through us in so many different ways.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the ears and hearts of people were tingled today because we were willing to be the mouthpiece for Gods voice in our generation?
Pray for God opportunities to speak into the lives of those around you, whether family, friends, neighbours or colleagues.
I want to serve the purpose of God
In my generation
I want to serve the purpose of God
While I am alive
I want to give my life
For something that will last forever
Oh, l delight, I delight to do Your will
I want to build with silver and gold
In my generation
I want to build with silver and gold
While I am alive
I want to give my life
For something that will last forever
Oh, l delight, I delight to do Your will
What is on Your heart?
Tell me what to do
Let me know Your will
And I will follow You
I want to see the kingdom of God
In my generation
I want to see the kingdom of God
While I am alive
I want to live my life
For something that will last forever
Oh, I delight, I delight to do Your will
I want to see the Lord come again
In my generation
I want to see the Lord come again
While I am alive
I want to give my life
For something that will last forever
Oh l delight, I delight to do Your will
© 1982 People of Destiny International/Word Music CCLI 788682