There was loud thunder that shook the house. In the summer, love to sit outside on the porch and watch a thunderstorm! I love the feel of a storm, the smell of a storm and to see the storm. For whatever reason thunder storms fascinate me. I think, deep down, there must be some feeling of seeing (lightening) and hearing (thunder) God's greatness. And my human need to worship comes forth.
One of my all time favorite hymns is, “How Great Thou Art.” “O Lord O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed….Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!” A song so full of praise! I just learned the story behind this hymn. "In 1885, Carl Boberg was out for a walk when a thunderstorm appeared out of no where. A severe wind began to blow. Looking around after the storm passed, Boberg became overwhelmed by the brightness of the sun and the sound of birds singing. He then heard a church bell in the distance. In awe, he fell to his knees and gave thanks to God. This is when the words to "How Great Thou Art" began to form in his heart.
I have been blessed to stand at the Grand Canyon and think of the beauty of God's handiwork. I have been blessed to stand on the top of Table Mountain, South Africa and look down on the clouds and think of God's wondrous works! I do not need to see God to believe He exists. There are so many things around that show me He exists. Romans 1; 20, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
As much as I love thunderstorms, there are times that they have intimidated me. When the whole sky lights up, when my house shakes or when I have been on the water, I am reminded how small I am. This kind of fear reminds me of who is in charge and how powerful my God is. If God can control the most powerful elements of nature, certainly He can control the parts of my everyday life! This power and and strength of God gives me peace! We should give God all praise, all glory and honor for Who He is - the Creator, singing, "How Great Thou Art". "Oh Lord, my God When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed."
We will never fully understand the greatness of God until we get to Heaven. Psalm 145: 3, "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom." I love how David's words of thousands of years ago talks about proclamation. He is shouting, "this is amazing!!" and I believe then we will bow in humble adoration, saying, "O Lord my God, how great thou art.” Today, let's consider the world His hands have made. Think about the stars and the rolling thunder. Realize that His power is displayed throughout the universe.