The Voice of the Lord

This morning I learned of the earthquake in Chili. Reports are that it is one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded. As I think of this earthquake, the Haitian earthquake of a month ago, and other natural disasters that we are powerless to oppose, I am reminded of the great and awesome power of God.

In 1 Kings 19 Elijah is shown just how the quiet voice of God is more powerful than spectacular miracles and natural disasters. While he is hiding in the cave, God sends a mighty wind, a powerful earthquake and a devastating fire, but the solemn declaration each time is that God is not in any of those mighty displays. Then the still, small voice speaks [literally: a sound, a thin silence], this is the voice of God. It is more powerful than the mighty displays. It is a reminder that the miracles on Carmel are not as important as the voice that created the world; that spoke man into existence; that declared his plan to redeem man. Just as Elijah was reminded that the still, small voice of God was more powerful than the earthquake, the fire, or the wind, we must remember and pay attention to the Word of God no matter what the world throws at us.

God’s voice is the most powerful thing in this world. Consider what David had to say about the voice of the Lord in Psalm 29:
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Listen to what the voice of God says to us:

“Come unto me all, who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
“The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.”

Our God Is Amazing

This morning I pointed to a blog post where Jon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like was attempting to raise $30,000 to build a kindergarten building in a poor city in Northwest Vietnam. His goal was to have the amount raised by the end of the year. I checked at 9:30 on the donation site and found that within 18 hours there has been over $30,000 donated. Praise God for his generosity through his people. Jon posted an update in the early evening when the total was at $24,000.

Pray for Glory

We must ask to see God’s glory each day.

Consider the account of the golden calf at Sinai.

The children of Israel grew impatient as Moses was on the mountain. In their arrogant impatience they decided to make their own god and so fashioned a golden calf.

Moses went to God to plead for mercy for the people. After God promised mercy Moses had some other requests that culminated in his request to be shown God’s glory.

God’s reply was to tell Moses that no one could see God’s glory and live. However, he would place Moses in a hole and cover him with his hand and then pass by. After he had made his glory to pass by, God would remove his hand and Moses would then see the remnants of God’s glory.

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

The glory of God is compassion and grace and patience and love and faithfulness and forgiveness and justice. The glory of God was nailed to the cross, providing man with grace and love and forgiveness as God’s justice was poured out on his son.

Reading this moves me to meditate on these attributes of God and to consider how I can demonstrate them in the fallen world we live in.

When we ask God for compassion and grace, or patience, or forgiveness, or for justice we are asking to see his glory.  It is God's glory to love us.

Pray for his glory in your life, both because you need it and because everyone you come in contact with needs it as well.