The LORD gives his people strength.

The LORD blesses his people with peace.

— Psalm 29:11

My brother is one of these people. You know someone like him, too. He is not rattled. He is not uptight. He is not the one with the low growl voice leveling the airport rental car associate because some botch with the reservation has an aluminum can vehicle waiting when a monster van was ordered.

Strength isn’t always muscle and might, and when you couple the attribute of strength with peace? Yeah, I am not sure who WOULDN’T want this.

Most of us have monster moments, or we could have monster moments. It’s an option card we don’t have to play though, not when we hear this psalm from David. We can live our lives with strength and with peace even in the tense moments. How? We reorient. We rethink. We realize we are living for (and with) the LORD—the very one David says in Psalm 29 that has a voice that makes the barren wilderness quake, twists mighty oaks, and strips forests bare. We don’t have to power (or empower) ourselves. Instead, we have a LORD who takes care of things, especially the big things—and here I am not talking about a rental van.

Give up your power kick today. Step out of the “Me First” parade, the one where you’ve self-appointed yourself Grand Marshall. Give to the LORD all the heated passion and energy you have to argue with a rental car associate, a loved one, a neighbor, or even a stranger. Let the LORD be LORD, even if you’re driving an aluminum can car on a business trip or a vacation. Why? Because when you do, you’ll have strength. You’ll have peace.

PRAYER: Get me out of the way, so that You can be my way. Amen.