Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, you 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 his holiness.

³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful;
   the voice of the LORD is majestic.
⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
   the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
   Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the LORD strikes
   with flashes of lightning.
⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
   the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
   and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
   the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people;
   the LORD blesses his people with peace.

The voice of the LORD is mentioned seven times in this

Psalm.  It is given as an evidence of His glory and strength-

and of the splendor of his holiness.  It speaks to His majesty and

His blessing of his people with strength and peace.

His voice is thunderous, powerful and majestic.

It breaks trees into pieces,shakes deserts and strikes with flashes

of lightening.

The voice of the LORD is a force in itself.

A mighty force beyond our reckoning.

It inspires us to honor and worship.

And yet, sometimes, when He wants us to really hear and understand,

He calls us by name in a still small voice.

1 Kings 19:11-13 (New International Version, ©2011)

¹¹ The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”

   Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD

was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

 ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

   Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

We have come through some tumultuous times of late.

There is a cloud of radiation and fear and doubt hanging over our world

And, I think, many are paying attention in a way they haven’t before.

I don’t have any answers, but I do know one thing, for sure-

if you are hearing the voice of the LORD-

it will be clear and understandable.

But we need to be listening.

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

¹ Hear me, LORD, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.
² Let my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.

³ Though you probe my heart,
though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
my mouth has not transgressed.
⁴ Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
⁵ My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not stumbled.

⁶ I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
⁷ Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
⁸ Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
⁹ from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.

¹⁰ They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
¹¹ They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
¹² They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

¹³ Rise up, LORD, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
¹⁴ By your hand save me from such people, LORD,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.

¹⁵ As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness

There is an annoying commercial for the KIA  Soul ( a boxy little car made in Korea)

It features Urban hamsters dressed in hoodies- the music is  a hip hop song that says,

The Choice is Yours- Black Sheep (1991)- the refrain is basically “ …you can get with this or

you can get with that.”  I kind of like the song- but I hate the commercial.  I hate the

hamsters- think the car is ugly- it is arresting, but I hate it.

(If you haven’t seen it go to the link below and take a look.)

Hampsta’ Hip Hop

This psalm reminds me of that commercial.

There are choices in life.

(“…you can get with this or you can get with that-

I think you’ll get with this for this is where it’s at”)

We can live a life that is exemplary before God-

(“ I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.”)

or we can choose our reward in this life and be like the wicked

who fill their bellies or like their descendants who gorge themselves’ on it.

I don’t often hear hip hop songs when reading the Psalms,

but do you hear it?

You can get with this (choose to live according to the statutes and laws of

God) or you can get with that ( searching out ways to get ahead of others, even

to the point of their destruction in order to survive and win here in this life!)

I hope “you get with this for this where it’s at.”

God’s truth is real.  And it is out there.

Sometimes the images are a little more out there than we are

comfortable with, but listen to the cadence of David’s psalm

and you can almost hear him singing a little hip hop with his harp.