STRENGTH IN THE HEART (8)

“The LORD will GIVE STRENGTH to HIS PEOPLE; The LORD will bless His people with peace” – Psalm 29:11

God supplies His people with STRENGTH in the HEART individually and collectively: “The LORD will GIVE STRENGTH to HIS PEOPLE; The LORD will bless His people with peace” (Psa.29:11). The Lord is all-powerful – eternally omnipotent. He has no rival in the heavens above, no equal in the earth beneath, or contender in the waters below the earth. He “sits as King forever” (v.10). His strength brings peace, protection, help, mercy, and joy. He specialises in strengthening the weak and weary and giving grace to those who are humble of heart. From start to finish, this glorious song of David declares the splendour and wonder of the Lord God Almighty whose name is great, whose glory is everlasting, and who is worthy to be praised and worshipped throughout eternity.

Our powerful Lord controls the raging waters beneath and the roaring thunder and flashing lightning above. The voice of the Lord is heard throughout this psalm, speaking into many, different circumstances; and His glory thunders. His voice commands the waters and the waves. The voice of the Lord is powerful and majestic (vv.3-4). His voice rules over all of nature: the cedars, flames of fire, the wilderness, and the forests (vv.5-9). His voice breaks the mighty cedars of Lebanon into pieces, causing Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion to run like a young wild ox. There is no mountain too lofty that cannot be moved at His command; there are no waters too wide that He cannot bridge, and there is no circumstance in life that we’re facing to which He will not respond.

The voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire, shakes the wilderness Kadesh, and even makes the wild deer give birth to their calves (vv.7-9). The Lord is not only present in every situation and understands every circumstance we are facing, but He knows those that are His. It was as David reflected on the mighty wisdom of God and the way He protected His forefathers in times gone by, that he could rejoice that God will continue to STRENGTHEN HIS PEOPLE and to bless them with His perfect peace. The Lord knows His people, but His people must know their Lord and trust in the power of His might, by faith – and be able to assuredly say: “The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation” (Exo.15:1).

The Lord not only gives us His Strength in times of need, He also blesses His people with peace. Strength and Peace are two rare qualities many are searching for. People are longing for Strength to commence life’s crucial projects, to continue through the next hour, day, week, or month, and to complete life’s assignments. However, we often rely on our capabilities instead of asking God for Strength, which leads to His peace: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jh.14:17a). The Supply of God’s Strength gives Peace that’s devoid of trouble or fear. He blesses those who believe in Him with: Peace with God through the forgiveness of sin; and the precious Peace of God that passes all human understanding, that settles deep within our hearts and enables us to enjoy sweet fellowship with Him.

The Lord is not blind to our needs or deaf to our call! He “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph.1:3). All His promises are settled: “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2Cor.1:20). But we must appropriate them so that no matter how fiercely the storms of life batter our boat, we have confidence in the One Who rules the tempest with His Word and causes the stormy seas to be still. No matter what life throws our way, we can have confidence in the truth of God’s Word and joyously proclaim, “The Lord is my strength and He is my peace"!