Reading the Word

Psalm 29:1–11 (ESV)

¹ Ascribe to the Lord, O 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 holiness. ³ The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. ⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. ⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. ⁷ The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. ⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. ⁹ The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” ¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. ¹¹ May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Understanding and Applying the Word

God’s voice is powerful. He speaks and it happens. He is the King of all and sits enthroned over all of creation. He is the Lord of the heavenly beings and of his people on earth. He deserves our worship and our praise.

When we think of speech, we probably do not think of power. Instead, we say things like “those are just empty words” or “give me actions not words”. However, in the Bible, God accomplishes his will through his speech. It is the word of God that shows the power of God. And it is the written word of God, the Bible, that works powerfully in the lives of people to both save and shape them into the image of Christ. So, when you read God’s word, it is not just any word that you read, but the powerful word of God. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name!

**Shaped by the Word is a daily Bible reading devotional. Please use the links at the bottom to subscribe to this page. You can also share this post with your friends through social media using the buttons below. Thanks for reading!