DAY SIX: MIGHTY TO SAVE

12/6/24

Psalm 29 begins with heralding God’s glory—His strength, His splendor, His holiness. We see how God is sovereign over all of creation. The power of His voice brings forests to ruin, causes fires to flash, and causes the wilderness to tremble. Even the deer in the forest will not give birth unless God makes them. He sits enthroned as a king forever, and the entire universe is upheld “by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3).

This epic psalm ends with the benediction, “May the LORD bless His people with peace.” How could this terrifying God who “shakes the wilderness” and “flashes forth flames of fire” bring peace to His people? It’s because that God became a man, and He bought peace by His own blood, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

In the month of Advent, when we imagine Mary swaddling her newborn Son, we should remember that she was caring for the God of the universe who was upholding the universe by the word of His power. This child once sat in a throne room, where legions of angels were crying out to Him, “holy, holy, holy!” That child came down from His throne to bring us peace, and it’s the peace that was hoped for in Psalm 29.

- Dane Bateman