We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk. You are welcome to share this and include it in your church newsletters if you wish; we just ask that you please give credit to NTC and the author. Thank you!
Psalm 29 (NRSV)
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendour.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty 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 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 causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, “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!
Devotional: Celebrating the Triune God
The Sunday after Pentecost is designated as Trinity Sunday. This is when we celebrate our God who is three in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The timing of Trinity Sunday makes sense – in the past few weeks we have been reminded of the power of the Father God, the death, resurrection and ascension of the Son, and the coming of the Holy Spirit on all believers at Pentecost.
Although it has no specific mention of Father, Son or Holy Spirit, this psalm for Trinity Sunday points us to different aspects of God. Verses 3-4 remind us of the creation account in Genesis 1 – God’s creative power. When God speaks, there is action! But the action here is not just creative – God’s power can also be destructive. God’s voice can lead to action we would prefer not to see (5-9). Our God is the God of majesty and power (4) who is a mighty king forever (10). And although our God can bring destruction, God also brings peace and strength to people (11). This is the multifaceted, triune God we are called to worship.
Think:
1) Which of these aspects would you ascribe to the Father, which to the Son, and which to the Holy Spirit?
2) Which aspects of God’s nature do you tend to forget?
Prayer:
Father God, open our eyes to see anew your creating and sustaining power in our world. Jesus, teach us to understand more fully your work for us through your death and resurrection. Holy Spirit, enable and empower us to share our understanding of you with those we meet this week. Amen.
Rev Pam ReedNTC Registrar