The theme for today is: The voice of the Lord.

Calgary has had some spectacular thunderstorms recently. Zach and I loved thunderstorms. The thunder claps. The thunder rolls. The pouring rain. The lightning flashes. Supernatural fireworks with a front row seat!

David loved thunderstorms too. He wrote a psalm about it. Psalm 29. A psalm about a storm. A psalm about a voice. The voice of the Lord.

Psalm 29. A psalm of David. David starts where he should. With God. With God’s glory. Some Hebrew will come in handy again. The word ‘ascribe’ is used three times in the first two verses. The Hebrew word is ‘yahab.’ It means ‘give’ or ‘acknowledge.’ David sees a storm looming. His response is ‘yahab.’ His response is to give God praise. His response is to acknowledge God’s glory, strength, name, and holiness. His response is also to acknowledge God’s voice.

Once again we learn some more handy Hebrew. The word ‘voice’ appears seven times. Last I checked the number seven is significant in the Bible. I’ll just leave that there. Maybe a savvy pastor can take that one on someday. The Hebrew word for voice is ‘qol.’ David acknowledges the ‘qol’ of Yahweh. The voice of the Lord. The voice is perfect. There’s nothing like the sound of God’s own voice.

The voice “hovers over the waters.” Makes you think of creation doesn’t it? The voice is powerful. The voice is majestic. The voice breaks, flashes, shakes, makes and strips.

The voice of the storm. The voice with us in the storm. The voice that calms the storm. We will ‘yahab’ the ‘qol of Yahweh.’ The voice of the Lord who gives strength to us and to Zach. The voice of the Lord who gives peace to us and to Zach. So good to hear His voice.

Today’s Updates:

Zach has been pretty relaxed the last two days.  He sometimes gets agitated but settles fairly quickly. When agitated, he often requires a bit of extra oxygen. Zach is still having some trouble falling asleep and sometimes appears tense and worried when he closes his eyes. Zach slept very well last night, which we are thankful for. Please pray that Zach continues to get the rest he needs and that he can be free of pain and fear. 

We are doing our best to keep Zach’s room calm and comfortable. He benefits from having loved ones nearby. After a couple of weeks of adjusting and reducing Zach’s medications, the doctors are satisfied that the current regimen is working well for Zach.

Zach has also been willing and able to sit in his recliner chair more over the past few days. Today he was in the chair for six hours in a row! We are thankful for this progress. Please pray that Zach will continue to make progress in his mobility.

Zach’s left wrist is bent inwards and he will sometimes get agitated when the occupational therapist works on his wrist. The tendons in his wrist are very tight making it difficult to straighten. They have given Zach a cloth to hold to keep his fingers from tightening further. They continue to work hard to make sure this situation doesn’t become permanent. Please pray that Zach will respond well to therapy on his left hand and wrist so that he will be able to use this hand in the future.

Zach is trying to use his voice more often, moving his mouth and making sounds. He often seems to get frustrated because we can’t understand what he’s saying. Sometimes when we play familiar hymns or songs he will move his lips and make noises as if he wants to sing along.  Over the last couple of days, though, he is not responding to as many commands as before.

Please pray that Zach may continue to heal and that he will be able to communicate with us soon. Also, ask that Zach may better understand his situation and not be afraid. Pray that God will strengthen Zach and bless him with peace (Ps 29: 11).

“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 over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
 the Lord, over many waters.

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

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
 the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
 and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
 the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare,
 and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

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

May the Lord give strength to his people!
    May the Lord bless his people with peace!”

(Psalm 29)