The Kids Keep Singing (2014 Remix)

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Pete

Hear the word “Hosanna” and most of us will go immediately to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Cloaks spread on the road . . . branches cut from trees and laid before this One coming to them humbly, mounted on a donkey — the coming king foretold by Zechariah (9:9) and the other prophets.

The crowds surrounding Him . . . shouting at the top of their lungs, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9).

But as I was reading in Matthew this morning, I was surprised at a second mention of a choir of people crying “Hosanna.” The din of the crowds having died off, there was still a small group who continued the “Hosanna” rhythm after He entered the temple area. A small group . . . literally . . . as in a group of small people. The kids keep singing . . .

And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise’?”

(Matthew 21:14-16 ESV)

You can imagine that those who had been singing the song outside the temple started losing the tune when they started seeing Jesus turn the place upside down — like literally turning the place upside down. Jesus is overturning tables and flipping over chairs. Change is bouncing off the pavement. Animals are bleating in excitement. Pigeons are in a flap. Not hard to imagine a bit of chaos in this place of unholy commerce.

And then there’s the disapproving presence of the priests and scribes as they cast a steely glance at this Jesus of Nazareth. Already determined to find a way to put him to death, you can just see in their hardened faces that they are done with Him. So, I’m guessing the song has died out and the crowd has stopped singing altogether. No more, “Hosanna!” from this group.

But not the kids. The kids keep singing.

The children, having seen the “wonderful things” Jesus’ was doing — having taken note of His healing of the blind and lame — take up the song the adults have determined is no longer politically correct. Amidst the chaos of the cleansing of the temple and despite the cold, condemning eyes of the religious leaders — even though the crowd has gone silent — the kids keep the chorus going, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” And so, the praise continues, ordained of God, prepared for the kids.

I imagine they cried out with joy and excitement. The same way you hear a kid crying out, “Again!” as you push them on a swing or give them some other ride. “Again!”

In this case though, the children are not asking to receive something more. Instead, they delight in giving something more — adoration to the One who is worthy of all adoration. They desire to declare the Name of Him whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace. Their joy is in offering the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of their lips, a sweet-smelling aroma offered to heaven’s portal. All out of the mouths of babes.

Undistracted by the activity. Undaunted by the animosity.

Though the crowds have gone quite . . . the kids keep singing!

O’ that I might be such a kid. The song fresh despite the circumstance. The voice determined regardless of disapproval. The praise which God has prepared for me to deliver, offered wholeheartedly.

Only by His grace. Only for His glory.

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Crossing the Fault Line

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Pete

At first, it might seem counterintuitive. But as I hover over part of my reading in Matthew 18 this morning, I’m thinking that if those of us in the church talked more about other believers’ sins, we’d have a closer, tighter, more transparent and authentic fellowship.

I’m not saying that we should all want the “gift of judging” others. I’m not saying that ours is to call out every sin we perceive in a brother or sister. Actually, it’s a pretty limited set of sins we’d be talking about.

And, I’m not saying that this would be a public calling out. I’m not talking about online posts, or offline gossiping or politicking. Not a crowd-sourced condemnation for the purposes of cancellation. Instead, it would be a private, loving, gentle conversation with the desire for reconciliation.

Oh, and one more thing . . . I don’t’ think it’s optional.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” ~ Jesus

(Matthew 18:15 ESV)

Go and tell him his fault . . . That’s the command-to-obey I’m chewing on this morning. I’m not focused on the escalation (v. 16-17), just noodling on the initiation.

Long ago, I learned from some teacher or some commentary that what is translated as “if” could equally be translated as “since”. So, the possibility of a brother or sister sinning “against you” is really less about an unlikely “if” than it is an unsurprisingly “when.” Put a bunch of sinners saved by grace — who are battling the old nature every day when they wake up –together in community, and how likely is it that someone’s gonna sin against someone else? Pretty likely.

When that happens . . . go and tell them their fault.

Don’t go tell everyone else, keep it between you and them alone. And this isn’t about cataloguing all their faults; it’s just a conversation about that fault against you. Because it’s not about “giving it” to your brother, it’s about gaining your brother. It’s not about fracturing fellowship — that’s what sin wants to do. Instead, it’s about building up the fellowship. Reinforcing real relationship through reconciling, grace-filled conversations about things we’d just as soon avoid talking about. Things when not discussed will, over time, inevitably fracture the fellowship.

Seems to me that we (aka me) need to be willing to cross the fault line with one another.

Only by God’s grace.

To show a fractured world authentic unity for God’s glory.

Amen?

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A Conversion Thing or A Sanctification Thing?

Posted on February 17, 2026 by Pete

Hovering over the opening verses of Matthew 18 this morning and I’m struck that while as parents (and grandparents) we’re focused on wanting our kids to grow up, the Father wants His to “grow down.” And I’m asking myself, is that a conversion thing or a sanctification thing?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to Him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

(Matthew 18:1-3 ESV)

Turn and become like children . . . That’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

At first, it sounds like a command to obey, something I must do. But with a little digging, the word “turn” is in what’s called the “Passive Voice” which “represents the subject as being the recipient of the action.” That’s why the NASB and the NKJV translate it as “unless you are converted.” While we all need to repent and “turn”, only God can change the heart.

But with a little more digging, the word “become” is, in all likelihood, in the “Active Voice” where “the subject is the doer or performer of the action.” So, if I’m picking up what Jesus is laying down, entering the kingdom of heaven is not just a matter of being turned — a “born again” once forever work of conversion, but it’s also a matter of becoming like — an on-going work of sanctification.

Becoming like children . . . an on-gong work of sanctification . . . hmm . . .

Do I see that as part of the Spirit’s lifelong work in me? Do I think of it as part of what submitting to the Spirit’s work involves? I’ve spent so much of my life trying to “grow up”, am I really ready to “grow down”? Thinkin’ I should be . . .

Sounds kind of humbling, doesn’t it? It’s meant to be . . .

“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” ~Jesus

(Matthew 18:14 ESV)

Buckle up for growing in humility. And don’t be surprised if growing a little in humility is going to come about at the expense of going through a certain amount of humiliation. If becoming more mature in the faith doesn’t look a lot like becoming increasingly meeker in the fray. If increasing doesn’t look a lot like decreasing.

Becoming like children . . . A conversion thing or a sanctification thing?

Yes.

Only by His grace. Always for His glory.

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A Sighing Savior

Posted on February 16, 2026 by Pete

I hover over the words and there’s a bit of a feeling of discomfort. And I say to myself, “Self, how come? Do you really want a monotone Jesus?”

I’m reading in Matthew 17 this morning where the “thrill of victory” from the high experienced on the Mount of Transfiguration is immediately followed by the “agony of defeat” encountered through the low of being stymied by a demon. While three of the disciples were facedown amidst the glory, the others were red-faced before the darkness. And while Jesus said to the three, “Fear not”, with the others He seems frustrated. And that’s where my discomfort comes in.

And when [Jesus, Peter, James, and John] came [down from the mountain] to the crowd, a man came up to Him and, kneeling before Him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”

(Matthew 17:14-17 ESV)

“O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?”

“How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this?” (MSG)

How can you read those red-lettered words in your bible and not be taken back a bit? How do you not hear the frustration,the exasperation, and the weariness? And this from the Son of God.

Hover over it. Chew on it. And tell me you’re not tempted (at least a bit) to just wanna move on from it. But pause — behold your sighing Savior.

My discomfort comes because I know what frustration can fuel within me. I cringe because I recall how my exasperation has too often been expressed. I want to skim past this because I know that so often my weariness has led to inappropriate words.

But thank God, I’m not the starting point when it comes to Jesus.

Jesus is the starting point when it comes to Jesus. The holy Son of God fully entering into the human condition and human experience.

And because He has been frustrated, He understands my frustrations. Because He has thrown up His hands in a situation, he gets it when my hands go up. But because He did so without sin, “perfectly” frustrated and without spot in His exasperation, He can cover me with His righteousness and forgive me for my failure.

No monotone Jesus here. But a reminder that a sighing Savior is a saving Savior.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV)

By His grace. For His glory.

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Bring It

Posted on February 13, 2026 by Pete

Started in on Leviticus this morning. Whole lotta burnin’ goin’ on. Different types of sacrifices, one common destination — “the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting” (Lev. 1:3). And what becomes clearer to me is that, at the heart of these sacrifices, there’s a lot more than just a destination involved, there’s a determination. A determination to bring it.

The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.

“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.”

(Leviticus 1:1-3 ESV)

When any one of your brings an offering . . . bring your offering . . . bring it . . .

Not just about making a delivery but about drawing near. Not just a drop off at some remote depot where the offering can get picked up and taken for processing. But a desire for closeness to God, the offering brought to the doorstep of the place where the glory dwells. You know, the tent of meeting, the place filled with the glory of God, the place where the presence of God could be known (Ex. 40:34-35).

So, bring it. Approach. Draw near. Let the offering be what brings you up close. Let it cause you to be present.

Not just a ritual but a pleasing aroma (Lev. 1:9, 13, 17). Not just a duty but a delight. Not because of our own offering, but through Another’s. Not content with just the entrance but longing to enter the holy of holies.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

(Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV)

Let us draw near . . .

Bring it . . .

To experience His grace. To know His glory.

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Behold, They Had Done It

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Pete

My grandson gets a kick out of completing a Lego kit. At his age, they’re small and simple projects (not yet ready for a 1,500-piece Mustang or a 3,600-piece Star Trek Enterprise), yet they still require him to sort the pieces, follow the instructions, and (at least to a certain degree) maintain focus. I mostly hang around for moral support as he works his way, page by page, through the instruction booklet. I always get a kick out of seeing him snap that last piece in place. That look of joy from his sense of accomplishment is pretty cool. Perhaps a bit reflective of the feeling in the air when the tent of meeting was assembled for the first time in Exodus 39 and 40.

Over 2,000 pounds of gold . . . 7,500+ pounds of silver . . . 5,300 pounds of bronze, along with unmeasured amounts of material for weaving curtains and tailoring garments. Along with thread galore for embroidering in fine detail heavenly images. All the materials needed to fashion all the pieces commanded. And then, it’s assembled per the instructions provided by the God who had determined that this was to be the place where His glory fell — the place where the glory dwelt. What was the sense of joy and accomplishment like when the last pieces were put in place? Pretty cool, I’m guessing.

But as I read of that “pretty cool” instance, I’m struck by some words that I think are pretty significant.

According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.

(Exodus 39:42-43 ESV)

Behold, they had done it . . . That’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

As great an accomplishment as it was — and though there would be Solomon’s bigger and better and more permanent and less transient 2.0 version, the temple — the tabernacle in the wilderness was at best temporary, a stop-gap measure. While it would provide for God’s presence in their midst through repeated, short-lived atonement for their sin, it wasn’t the final, eternal solution. Though it provided a place for God to meet with man, it came up short for providing a way for man to abide with God. It was limited because behold, they had done it.

For sure, they had done it just as God had commanded, but still, it was they who had done it.

I read those words, “behold, they had done it“, and there’s a familiar ring to them. A ring reminding me of declarations of another work completed. Another work opening the way for God to be in the midst.

A work prophesied at the conclusion of the Messianic, twenty-second psalm:

Posterity shall serve Him;
       it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
they shall come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn,
       that He has done it.

(Psalm 22:30-31 ESV)

A work completed, and poignantly recorded, at the conclusion of the Messiah’s earthly life:

When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

(John 19:30 ESV)

Jesus, the true and final and eternal temple — that temple that was destroyed and raised again three days later (Jn. 2:19-21). Jesus, through whom the foreshadowed once forever sacrifice of a lamb and the eternal intercession of a holy priest was fulfilled (Jn. 1:29, Heb. 2:17, 4:14-15, 7:25-26). Jesus, in whom the glory dwells and through whom the glory tabernacles among us (Jn. 1:14a). Just as Moses and Co. could look upon the cloud hovering over the tent of meeting and see something of the Father’s glory, in the Son we behold the radiance of the glory of God (Jn. 1:4b, Heb. 1:1-3). All possible because He hae done it and it is finished.

Behold, they had done it! Amazing.

Behold, He has done it! Amazing-er! Jaw dropping. Worship evoking.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

All by His grace. All for His glory.

Amen?

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A Stiff-Necked People

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Pete

Like a dog with a bone — that’s Moses. He’s relentless and won’t let it go. And so, the conversation continues just as it had started. “Lord, go with us!”

Moses has just encountered God as closely as any man could. Hidden in the cleft of the rock, Moses sees the LORD descend in a cloud; knows the Creator’s intimate presence as God “stands with him there”; feels the rush of wind as the LORD passes by him; and hears God’s voice as the Almighty proclaims His holy name (Ex. 34:5-7). And then, Moses does what you might expect someone to do after such an unprecedented encounter of the divine kind.

Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

(Exodus 34:8 ESV)

You might expect that to end the scene. God shows up! Moses goes down! Run the credits . . .

But wait, there’s more. Moses speaks.

Rather than just being still and knowing He is God (Ps. 46:10), Moses interrupts such a holy moment by bringing up a potentially triggering request (if God could be “triggered”). Rather than bask in the etherealness of the encounter, Moses crashes things back to earth by reminding God again of a stark reality.

And [Moses] said, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance.”

(Exodus 34:9 ESV)

Moses! Why break such a moment with such an ugly reminder?

Like fingernails pulled down a chalkboard, like a needle being dragged across a vinyl LP, Moses has to bring THAT up again. You know, that golden calf thing (Ex. 32). That thing that shattered the 10 commandments — literally! That thing that left 3,000 dead at the foot of the holy mount. That thing which resulted in God’s refusal to continue journeying with the people to the promised land lest He “consume them on the way” (Ex. 33:1-3). Moses, after such high and holy communion, why bring that up again?

‘Cause it was the whole point. Moses wanted to see God’s great glory, in order to know again the depth of God’s giving goodness and be assured afresh of God’s going grace. That glory encounter happened because of Moses’ post golden calf plea, “If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring me up from here” (Ex. 33:15-16).

And here’s the thing that grabs me this morning: the reason Moses gives the LORD for going “in the midst of us” is not that they were saintly saints but that they were a stiff-necked people.

Obstinate (NASB). Stubborn and rebellious (NLT). Hard-headed (MSG). That’s the price of admission for needing the glory of God to fuel the grace of God in order to know the goodness of God as God goes with you “in the midst.” It’s because getting to the promised land was not something they were going to do on their own. No matter how hard they might try to “straighten up and fly right”, they would always be prone to being stiff-necked and veer off course. And that’s why Moses pleaded, “O Lord, please go in the midst of us.”

So often we miss the presence of God because we fail to see our need for the presence of God or refuse to believe that God really does dwell with those who are “contrite and lowly in spirit” (Isa. 57:15). We fail to know His leading because we think we can trust our own GPS. We fail to know His grace because we won’t admit our need and weakness (2Cor. 12:9) — our weariness, our mourning, our feelings of worthlessness, our failures, our stiff-necked sin.

If we have found favor in Your sight, O LORD, go in our midst. Not because we’ve earned it or merit it. But because, knowing ourselves, we desperately need it!

It’s then that we can know afresh the solid footing of being set in the cleft of the Rock. It’s then we can experience anew the glory passing by as the goodness of God’s name is proclaimed. It’s then we can fall to our faces in worship and persistently plead, “I’m a stiff-necked person, Lord — a sinner saved by grace. Please continue to go in the midst of us.”

Only because of His boundless grace.

Only for His everlasting glory.

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They Said, “Yes”

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Pete

They had been schooled by the Master. Taught in parables. First, as part of a “public school”, Jesus having first spoken a number of parables to the “great crowds gathered about Him” (Matt. 13:1-35). Then, the disciples were privately tutored. Presented with additional insight concerning fields, weeds, and the harvest at the end of the age, followed by three additional, short-snapper parables (Matt. 13:36-50).

And, as any good teacher ought to do, He gave them a test. A simple, single question, “Yes” or “No” test.

“Have you understood all these things?”

(Matthew 13:51a ESV)

“Are you starting to get a handle on all this?” (MSG) Is it ALL coming together? Got it?

That’s quite the question. Especially if it’s viewed as the be-all and end-all determiner of whether they passed or failed the course. But they were quick to respond.

They said to Him, “Yes.”

(Matthew 13:51b ESV)

Yes, Master. We get it.

I can’t help but wonder if they were rightfully answering or just giving the right answer. The former, possible as they had “ears to hear”, hearts ready to receive the seed of the word of the kingdom, and the Author of the Word sowing the seed firsthand. The latter, though, also a possibility. Who, after all, would have admitted that simple stories about treasures and pearls and nets were too much for them to grasp. Who would risk saying, “No” in front of the others? And — I’m not gonna lie — if for some of those disciples they were just giving the right answer, then what Jesus says next kind of brings a smile to my face.

And He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

(Matthew 13:52 ESV)

Got it? Good, says Jesus. Congratulations! You are now scribes trained for the kingdom of heaven.

A scribe? A learned man? Someone trained in the Law? Someone qualified to share the Law? Someone who could be expected to speak to the Law? Or, as the case might be given their recent schooling — someone trained in the Kingdom, qualified to share about the Kingdom, and able to speak to the Kingdom?

Wait a minute! I’m a fisherman, a tax collector, a political activist, some guy who was sitting under a tree and responded to a call to come. Me? A scribe? A learned one? Uh, uh, I’m no academic. Not a brain. I’m just a follower.

Yup, says the Master. A follower who has been taught something. Has gained some insight into the good news of the kingdom. Now, a follower who can teach what he’s learned of the kingdom. What you’ve grasped now regard as treasure in your house. New treasure to go along with the time-tested gems of Moses and the Prophets. Not treasure to be stored up and hidden, but to be brought out and distributed.

If some of those disciples weren’t really picking up what Jesus was laying down, but were just giving the right answer, can you imagine the shock when all of sudden they “pass the course” and are conferred the title, “Scribe”? I find it kind of amusing.

But the amusement fades quickly as I chew on the implications of being taught by Jesus. Because they got it, they were expected to give it. What they had freely received they were expected to freely give (Matt. 10:8). They were not instructed by Jesus so that they could be reservoirs of knowledge, instead they were to be channels of blessing.

What they had learned about the kingdom was to be regarded as a sacred trust to be shared with others. They were now expected to be teachers and interpreters to others. Not necessarily behind a public pulpit, but certainly around their own dinner table. Not expected to be an orator, but at least open about their faith. Not that they should be regarded as some expert, but that they would be noticed as an everyday guy, or everyday gal, who had been with Jesus.

They said, “Yes.”

Yes, they got it — at least to some degree. Now, they were to give it.

Only by His grace. Always for His glory.

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Up and Down Intercession

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Pete

Don’t know how long it took Moses back then, but today there’s apparently a well-worn, 4.2 mile trail that allows you to hike up to the top of Mt. Sinai and back in about 4 to 6 hours. Covering a thousand foot vertical from the base of the mountain, when you’re at the top you are actually 7,500 feet above sea level — not incidental. So how come the interest in Mt. Sinai’s elevation? Because what hits me as I’m reading Exodus 19 this morning is the up and down nature of intercession.

First, Moses goes up to God (Ex. 19:3). Moses went up in order to receive what God wanted him to tell the people (Ex.19:4-6). Moses went up, but the people couldn’t go up (Ex. 19:12). So, Moses goes down (Ex. 19:14).

Then God calls Moses to the top of the mountain again. And Moses goes up again (Ex. 19:20). Only to receive more instructions for the people. So Moses goes down again (Ex. 19:25).

But, there’ll be another round trip. For God also tells Moses, “Go down, and come up bring Aaron with you” (Ex. 19:24). Whew! That’s a lot of hiking, a lot of up and down.

Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. That’s what it took for Moses to be the go-between he was tasked to be. That’s what it took for him to be the messenger God had called him to be. It’s kind of written into the job description of someone who is to intercede between a God who is “high and lifted up” (Isa. 6:1), dwelling in a “high and holy place” (Isa. 57:15), and those confined to the third planet from the sun. Up and down is just what’s needed when, as the author of Ecclesiastes puts it, “God is in heaven and you are on earth” (Eccl. 5:2).

Yet, even Moses’ willingness to remain faithful to such a yo-yo ministry, wouldn’t have been enough unless God was willing to condescend in a unidirectional trek Himself.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever. . . For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”

The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

(Exodus 19:9-11, 20 ESV)

The LORD came down . . . That’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

No matter how high Moses could climb; no matter how many laps his legs could endure, unless the LORD came down there’d be no ministry of intercession. 7,500 feet above sea level just wasn’t going to cut it. The LORD needed to come down in order to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. Apart from His will and His work, man’s efforts towards hearing God’s voice would never be enough.

True then, true now. The LORD came down.

In these last days God “has spoken to us by His Son.” He has made Himself known by the One “through whom He also created the world.” Jesus, Second Person of the Trinity, the promised Christ, “the radiance of God’s glory”, bearing “the exact imprint” of God’s nature, upholding “the universe by the word of His power.” Our forever intercessor who came down “making purification for sins” and is now “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb. 1:1-3)

Thankful for Moses’ ministry of mountain climbing and his up and down intercession.

In awe of God’s mercies in descending from heaven, in coming down so that intercession might be available for those He came to save to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25) — this day and forever.

All because of grace. All for His glory.

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Bad Weather Worship (2018 Rerun)

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Pete

Where I just see a storm, David saw a stage. Spirit, give me eyes to see.

Here are some thoughts, from a few years ago, on the Psalm that caused me to pause this morning.

A thunderstorm . . . that was the trigger. Foul weather, the inspiration for the song.

Whereas in Psalm 8 it’s the moon and the stars which provoke awe-filled wonder . . . and in Psalm 19 it’s the sun acting as the catalyst for declaring the glory of God, this morning, it’s a loud tempest that evokes praise in Psalm 29. So, I’m noodling this morning on bad weather worship.

Unlike David, how infrequently I connect the every day happenings of the creation with the Creator. Day after day the winds blow and the rain falls and I just brood about being wet. The rivers rise and I worry. The power of the sun is blocked by a massive enveloping cover and I’m thinking about the need for vitamin D supplements.

But what if the endless rain were to bring to remembrance the abundant out-pouring of His grace? A downpour experienced daily, but unable to fully comprehend it’s source. No apparent end to its supply. Filling streams and rivers and seas to overflowing. So much so that it causes us to respond, as another songwriter has written, “If grace is an ocean we’re all sinking.”

Or what if the winds were a reminder of how the Spirit of God works? With unseen, yet blatantly obvious power. Blowing where it wishes. And, though we hear its sound, we don’t know where it comes from or where it goes to (Jn. 3:8). Except to know that the Spirit brings dead people to life. That He enables deaf people to have ears to hear. That He intercedes when dumb people can’t find the words to say. That He is a deposit for redeemed people guaranteeing what is to come. A mighty, rushing wind come from heaven, apportioning divine enabling as He purposes (1Cor. 12:11).

And what if the cloud cover–that day after day after day of cloud cover–what if it were less a source of lament and more a reminder of the Father’s enveloping presence? Instead of seeing the grey skies as something to roar against, I rejoiced afresh in the refuge that is mine in the shadow of His wings. Reminded that, just like the seemingly endless cloud cover, “You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy” (Ps. 63:7). That the skies can be more than a constant grey to be endured, but could be creation’s cue to again sing with the psalmist of God’s faithfulness: “How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings” (Ps. 36:7).

Yeah, to be more like David. Where, in Psalm 29, the thunderstorm isn’t just the thunderstorm, but it’s the voice of God. The voice over the waters. Breaking cedars. Flashing forth flames of fire. Shaking the wilderness. Causing animals to go into labor.

Where every day (literally “every day!”) common atmospheric conditions reveal a God who is anything but common. Declaring, if we’ll but take notice, that Jehovah is “full of majesty.” And reminding us that “in His temple all cry, ‘Glory!'”

I encounter bad weather and often wring my hands. David encountered bad weather and worshiped.

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
       ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
       worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. . . .

The voice of the LORD is powerful;
       the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
       the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.

(Psalm 29:1-2, 4, 10 ESV)

Oh, to be more like David. To know more of bad weather worship.

By God’s grace. For God’s glory.

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