”God’s voice”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Sunday, January 12, 2025
Psalm 29 (Forward, p. 75) CEV p. 571
Today’s psalm picks up on a rather intriguing, mysterious, and somewhat bewildering notion, namely that of God’s voice. God’s voice is spoken of as doing this and that, mostly things in nature. So, how are we to understand this? Was it an audible voice, as is sometimes mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures, as in the various times when God was described as speaking to Jesus or God was speaking to Moses or Elijah, and it was overheard by others. Or was it like God’s voice, God’s word, that brought creation into being in the first place? It isn’t likely to be the inner voice, when God speaks to our thoughts and hearts, as this voice has outward, observable effects. To me, it is more likely to be something like the wind, here understood to be God’s voice.
Whatever it is and however we can describe it, it sets up some intriguing possibilities. Firstly, is it possible that God still speaks today, still speaks to us fickle, unreliable mortals, and still has impacts in our world today? And second, is it possible that He speaks to us, and still reveals His will and His secrets, and still accomplishes great and wonderful things. I would like to think that the answer to both these questions is a great and hearty ‘yes’. God is still speaking, still revealing, and still working, if only we will listen and respond in faith and obedience to what He is doing.
Forward notes: “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon the mighty waters” (verse 3).
“Have you ever heard God’s voice? Today’s psalm compares it to thunder so powerful it breaks trees, shakes the wilderness, and flashes in flames. As I write this, I’m in the midst of a powerful storm. Tree branches are falling, water is pouring from the skies and the rumble of thunder rattles my windows. It’s hard not to notice! But God also speaks in a ‘still, small voice’ (1 Kings 19:12), which can be easier to miss.
“Whichever voice God chooses to use, God is trying to break through to us, to reveal God’s very self to us in and through creation. It happens all the time, but our senses are usually dulled, and we need something or someone to help us awaken to the life that is right before us, to God in and around us. A loud boom of thunder or the quiet beauty of a cardinal at the feeder might just do it. The response, in such moments of recognition, should be to fall on our knees and say, ‘Glory!’”
Moving Forward: “Where do you hear the voice of God?”