May the Lord Bless Us with Strength and Peace

January 16, 2021

"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 over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!" - Psalm 29:9-11

Yesterday we read the previous verses of Psalm 29 that also referenced the voice of the Lord. In those verses, we were called to marvel at the power of God and to rightfully fear him. In these verses today, David reminds us that every being surrounding the Lord in his temple cries, "Glory!" They recognize that God is above all things in creation and that he is king over all.

It was from that king of power and glory that David requested strength and peace for God's people. What a wonderful prayer for David to make on behalf of the nation of Israel, and what an important prayer for us to offer up for the year of 2021. We need God's strength to persevere in these challenging times. We need his strength to heal from the devastating grief many have experienced. We need strength to be given in special doses for all the front-line workers, especially in healthcare. We need strength to continue in isolation for as long as needed. We need strength to rebuild businesses and economies. We need the Lord's incredible gift of strength to be poured out upon us. Through his strength, we can overcome the challenges of 2020 and become more than conquerors in 2021.

Not only do we need God's strength, but we also need his peace. We need peace to replace the anxiety that Covid-19 has brought into this world. We need peace to bring races together in true reconciliation. We need peace between our political leaders who seem to focus more on their differences than the similarities in representing God's people. Oh, how we need God's peace in every way today!

Let our voices join the ones surrounding the throne of God crying "Glory!" to the only one can truly equip us with his strength and bless us with his peace today.

Reflection:
Where are you looking for strength and peace these days? The Lord would have us to open our hearts to worship him and to look to him alone for these heavenly gifts.