That Voice!

“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 as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
    May the Lord bless his people with peace!” Psalm 29

Ascribe: To say or think that (something) is caused by, comes from, or is associated with (something or someone): assign, credit. To regard as arising from a specified cause or source; attribute. To regard as belonging to or produced by a specified agent, place, or time. To attribute, impute, or refer, as to a cause.

David the psalmist cannot contain his telling of the greatness of God. He calls all to sing, to praise, to ascribe in every way possible glory to Him as He deserves. With his voice, he speaks of God’s voice that thunders authority, majestically directs, destroys and gives life, flames and shakes and orchestrates His creation. It is the cause and credit of all that is and transpires. Be awed at His voice! Voice His praise!

The Lord has given most people a voice, and as stewards we must consider how it is used. Considering all the conversation, instruction, strategizing, relaying of information, and banter over the hours of a day, we have many opportunities to speak for, and with the grace of, Jesus. How committed are we to mimic that voice in our interactions and expressions?

How can I attune my voice to my Lord’s? Where and with whom can I voice encouragement, comfort, love, edification, blessing? How will I use my voice to describe what God has done, to share the gospel, to exalt His greatness? And how, this day, will I ascribe to God the honor, gratitude ,and glory of which He is worthy?

“O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!” ~ Robert Grant (1833)

Lord, may my voice ever resound with praise, ascribing all You are so gloriously due.