post by Lisa Buffum, April 20, 2023
Begin by reading Psalm 29 on Biblegateway.com or in your own Bible.
The word “ascribe” in Psalm 29 caught my attention. The same word resides in several Bible versions, but the King James instead says, “Give unto the Lord.” [bold added] Ascribe is not a word I see very often, so I was curious about it.
Dictionary.com defines ascribe as 1) to credit or assign, as to a cause or source and 2) to attribute or think of as belonging, as a quality or characteristic.
Therefore, it seems to me that while David as psalmist is reminding both the heavenly beings and us to give to the Lord all of the glory due to Him, he is also affirming that honor and glory and strength and splendor and holiness are attributes of God’s character regardless of whether we ascribe or not.
David then goes on to celebrate seven (the number of Biblical perfection) attributes of the voice of God as witnessed in all of creation. His voice is powerful. It is majestic. It breaks and twists and shakes.
God’s voice is perfect.
God’s voice is God’s word. God’s word is made flesh is Jesus (John 1). The Bible is also God’s word. It tells of Jesus’ command over creation in the same way David does in this psalm. We know from scripture Jesus’ voice commands demons and storms. Jesus’ voice speaks with authority. It calms seas. It speaks words of forgiveness and healing and comfort and peace.
A friend and I are on a mission to share memes with the hashtag #SloganSunday on Facebook – one every Sunday. In preparation, I collect memes that catch my attention all week in my photos. This psalm makes me think of a meme I have had stuck in my head for several weeks. It is a quote from Oswald Chambers which says “Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey.”
I have been asking God to speak to me and to move actively in my life. I am waiting and watching and listening for His voice. I have been praying for the opposite of fear when He does speak. I am asking for the will to obey when He speaks. I am asking for peace. For the psalmist says, “The Lord blesses his people with peace.” May it be so. And, when He does speak, I must ascribe all glory to the Lord.
Photo by Micah Tindell on Unsplash
PS – A new course with a new instructor beginning May 1: Welcoming Our Veterans Home. You might want to check this one out!
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Lisa is the Director of Online Education for the Institute for Discipleship, overseeing the ministries of BeADisciple.com. Lisa completed a Master’s degree in Christian Ministry from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, in May of 2006.
She is the mother of three children, and currently, “Mimi” to four grandbabies. Lisa teaches the instructor training course, Lay Servants as Christian Transformational Leaders, and other courses as needed, and provides technical assistance for instructors and learners for every IFD course.
