God's Voice of Thunder

Thunder. Lightning. Storms. These demonstrations of the glory of God have always fascinated me because of the power which they exhibit. The incredible feeling that comes from standing outside in the rushing wind as the sky turns dark and a heaviness fills the air with the deep rumbling of clouds colliding overhead...there's nothing quite like it. Last night, the thunder crashed and the lightning flashed in response to the whispering wind that slowly crept through the trees. The bright flashes of lightning seemed to temporarily fake the brightness of day as they lit up the entire landscape in momentary bursts of illumination. Soon after these bright flashes temporarily exposed the scenery, the thunder would roar with such power and authority that the windows would shake and my bones would quake. As this simple process repeated itself over and over again, I began to grow accustomed to the phenomenon and eventually disregarded the powerful natural demonstration of God's power as simply another storm. I shut the window blinds to close out the light flashes, but my efforts were of ill affect. The thunder continued to rumble and the lightning continued to invade the room with its light as if unaffected by the barrier of the window coverings. Nonetheless, I chose to disregard this activity and fell asleep with knowledge that the storm would pass over by the morning.

Just as the thunder roared and the lightning flashed during this storm, God has brought storms into my life to demonstrate His power and authority. His thundering voice proclaims righteousness to the nations and judgement to the workers of iniquity. The bright flashes of His marvelous light expose every wicked thing of darkness as in the brightness of the middle of day. He speaks in a still small voice just as the wind whispers through the trees within the violent storm.

He is calling to me. I have been given the choice to acknowledge His power and authority or to attempt to ignore the manifestation of His glory by sleeping in the comfort and protection of my own confidence. What decision will be made? Will I acknowledge the creator of the universe and submit to His authority and unconditional love, or will I disregard His power and majestic expression of love for the purpose of resting in my own self-confidence and self-made protection? What will you decide today?

“At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place. Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.” (Job 37:1-5 ESV)

“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne...” (Revelation 14:1-3)