The Lord Thunders

"The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters (Psalm 29:3 NKJV)."

It's 4:59 AM, and I can't sleep.

Thunder has been roaring for the last thirty minutes. The rain is heavy. I've checked the local radar and "red rain" is all around us. Jared, my five-year-old, is awake. He ate 5% of a bowl of cereal. Then, he requested a peanut butter roll-over. This is a strange time. The thunder is unsettling.

Last week a tornado touched down here in Greene County, just about 10 miles north of Leakesville. Yesterday, I talked with a lady who was in her home last week when the tornado touched down on her property. The winds from the tornado destroyed a large chicken house. Fortunately, no chickens were in the "house." She said, while the storm lasted only five minutes, she was terrified. The storm "jumped" her house and she was not hurt.

Many people state that a tornado sounds like a train, but she stated the tornado sounded more like a large diesel truck trying to start it's engine.

The scripture above states that the "God of glory thunders." Even now, as I hear thunder roaring in the distance, I am amazed by the power of the creator of the universe. The Bible frequently charges us to "fear the Lord." I don't believe this is a paralyzing kind of fear that we might have in the midst of tornadic winds, but it does entail a holy reverance.

Psalm 62:5 says, "My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him."

Silence is rare these days. For me, whenever traveling in my car I have to have the radio blaring. When in my bedroom by myself, I always have music playing. Silence makes us uncomfortable. Even now, as the air conditioner is blowing cool air on this unusually warm morning, the thunder in the distance is not as noticable.

God's voice thunders, but our busyness creates a static that keeps Him from being heard.

Last night, twenty ministers met at the George-Greene Association Building for a forum on worship. Tommy Mitchell, pastor of Agricola Baptist Church, has done an outstanding job of planning a series of monthly meetings for the ministers of the two counties.

As we discussed worship, the topic of various musical styles and instruments employed in worship was raised. We batted around the almost undefinable terms "traditional," "contemporary," and "blended" in relation to worship experiences at church.

One of the pastors, Roger Gilbert, made a great point. When we worship we may respond to God in song, but true worship does not begin with a song. Worship begins with the recognition we are in the presence of God. That realization should occur before we ever enter a church building. That realization can occur as we sit at our work station, on a deer stand, or during a morning walk. We must silence oursleves in order to hear God's thundering voice. God is everywhere. God is here.

As a pastor, the method or planned order of worship should not replace a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. I can't manufacture a worship experience. I believe the setting for corporate worship can provide an environment conducive to worship, but it's not as easy as opening a can and serving it. Unfortunately, many of us want microwavable services that you just pop in the oven and "get 'r done" with little inconvenience. However, worship is an every day priority that should be in a slow cooker.

“But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. (Habakkuk 2;20).”

So, let us shut up, stop, and listen to God. Don't be afraid of silence. Be afraid of making so much noise that you cannot His "thundering" voice.