Thursday, June 2, 2011

Voice of Power

It is estimated that an average lightning strike produces 1000 Gigawatts of power. To put that in perspective, that’s how much power the mighty Colorado’s Hoover Dam produces.

If you had about 500 of them.

And that’s in a single lightning strike! So consider a night such as this, in which I watched the entire western sky illuminated with sheets and bolts of lightning, ever increasing in frequency and intensity. Occasionally a jagged bolt of lightning would rip a momentary gash across the night sky, as if to sever the curtain of darkness for a fraction of an instant and offer a glimpse of the power of heaven itself. Too far away to hear the resulting clash of thunder as the super heated air expanded at supersonic speeds, only the light of this magnificent transfer of power could be seen from my vantage point.

Perhaps that is how it is with God sometimes. We can see him and the manifestations of his power, but we cannot hear his voice. Sometimes that is by design, as Elijah experienced when a great wind, an earthquake, and a fire passed by in 1 Kings 19:11,12. The Lord’s voice was only heard in a still small voice, a voice that in all likelihood would be missed by an undiscerning ear.

Other times the Lord does speak through mighty thunderings, as Elihu reminded Job and his three so-called friends. “Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when is voice is heard. God thundereth marvelously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.” (Job 37:1-5) Just as I could not hear the thunder tonight by reason of distance from the source, sometimes we don’t hear God’s voice because we are not close enough to him to hear it. Or we simply choose not to listen.

It seems that in recent times mighty winds, earthquakes, and fires of various sorts have passed by, the meaning of which we often cannot comprehend, but all of which are surely in the hands of God. After all, “He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” (Ps 33:9) Moreover, “He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.” (Ps 104:32) And yet, despite the obvious manifestation of his power, many do not hear his voice. There will come a day when the whole world will recognize such calamities as the hand of God, but even then they will not hear his voice to “turn from their wicked ways.” (2 Chr 7:14) “And the kings of the the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev 6:15-17)

How much better to hear his voice—whether it be the still small voice that calls us to repentance, or the mighty voice that warns of judgment and wrath—and listen! If God can unleash the power of 500 Hoover Dams in an instant, who can stand against the onslaught of his wrath? Indeed, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation.” (Heb 2:3) “Who can stand before his indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.” (Nah 1:6) Surely no one can, but it is wonderful to know that if we put our trust in him we will pass unharmed beneath the shadow of his wrath, just as the firstborn in Egypt who abode within the houses stricken with blood upon their doorposts. Nahum rejoices in the very next verse that “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” (Nah 1:7)