More than Thunder

 I recall a line from the trailer for the movie Jaws, "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..." Then the ominous theme song would play.

I thought about that early this morning as wave after wave of thunder rolled over my eardrums and through my head; some claps were close enough to rattle the house. It also reminded me of the song More than Thunder recorded by Ken Young and the Hallel Singers in 2005. It is a contemporary Christian song about the awesomeness of our God.

More than Thunder
You calm the storm and walk on water.

You heal the blind and raise the dead from out their slumber.
Some hear the voice of God and say, "It's only thunder!"

But as for me I stand amazed.

You make the bread to feed the hungry.

You turn the water into wine for all the thirsty.

Some go away content and fail to see your glory.

But as for me I stand amazed.

When mountains shake, I will not forget to praise you!

When eagles soar, I will glorify your name!

When lightning flashes, I will celebrate your wonder!

Lord, may it always be to me more than thunder!

You make the stars shine in the heavens.

You tell the moon to move and stir the mighty oceans.

Some see your wonders and they never sing your praises.

But as for me I stand amazed!

When mountains shake, I will not forget to praise you!

When eagles soar, I will glorify your name!

When lightning flashes, I will celebrate your wonder!

Lord, may it always be to me more than thunder!

Who is like the Lord our God?

Great and wondrous are his ways.

Who is like the Lord our God?

Let all the earth be filled with praise!

When mountains shake, I will not forget to praise you!

When eagles soar, I will glorify your name!

When lightning flashes, I will celebrate your wonder!

Lord, may it always be to me more than thunder!

This morning from about 2-6 a.m., there was lots of thunder at my home; but it wasn't only thunder. Psalm 29: 3 sums it up well: "The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders!" It was the voice of my Creator.

As Zephaniah reminds us: "The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." I can imagine it was God's way of delighting in and rejoicing over me...and it sounded a lot like thunder! It was more...a lot more. Certainly it was MORE THAN THUNDER!

The God of Glory Thunders!
[photo: Virginia, 2008]

More than Thunder

July 2008 Mississippi River storm

Living in Southern Middle Tennessee, it's not unusual to be awakened by thunder at any time during the night. Early this morning it started about 5:30. As it often the case, it was followed by torrential rain and wind. What do you do when that ominous and always mysterious event interrupts your sleep? You go to the kitchen and peel potatoes for Sunday lunch confident that Mother Nature will subside by then, and your invited guests won't have to paddle to your home.

What came to mind while doing my KP duties was the Hallal song that has been a favorite of mine since it was first published in 2005 by Ken Young and others...More than Thunder.  Realizing that the voice of God is so much more that that; and knowing there is scientific explanation for the thunder and its companion lightning, I still like to imagine His booming through the storm. Psalm 29:3-4 states it well: The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

Click this YouTube link to hear the song (wait through the error message if one appears):

More than Thunder  

You calm the storm and walk on water,

You heal the blind and raise the dead from out the slumber.

Some hear the voice of God and say it's only thunder.

But as for me I stand amazed!

You make the bread to feed the hungry,

You turn the water into wine for all the thirsty.

Some go away content and fail to see your glory,

But as for me I stand amazed!

When mountains shake, I will not forget to praise you;

When eagles soar I will glorify your name.

When lightning flashes, I will celebrate your wonder!

Lord may it always be to me...more than thunder.

You make the stars shine in the heavens.

You tell the moon to move and stir the mighty oceans.

Some see your wonders and they never sing your praises.

But as for me I stand amazed!

When mountains shake, I will not forget to praise you;

When eagles soar I will glorify your name.

When lightning flashes, I will celebrate your wonder!

Lord may it always be to me...more than thunder.

Who is like the Lord our God?

Great and wondrous are his ways!

Who is like the Lord our God?

Let all the earth be filled with praise!

When mountains shake, I will not forget to praise you;

When eagles soar I will glorify your name.

When lightning flashes, I will celebrate your wonder!

Lord may it always be to me...more than thunder!

How Great Thou Art

The popular hymn "How Great Thou Art" is based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg in Sweden in 1885. The melody is a Swedish folk song. It was translated into English by British missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own composition. The message of this old hymn is one or amazement and adoration of our majestic Creator in heaven.

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.

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur

And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,

And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

A young minister’s two-mile walk in the rain provided the inspiration for “How Great Thou Art." The Reverend Carl Boberg of Monsteras, on the southeast coast of Sweden, was 25 years old when he wrote the lyrics of this song after trekking through a thunderstorm from a church meeting two miles away.

photo by Nick Scheerbart on unsplash.com

More than forty years later, an English missionary, Stuart Hine, first heard the song in Russia. He and his young wife were missionaries to the Carpathian area of Russia, then a part of Czechoslovakia. There, they heard a very meaningful hymn that was a Russian translation of Carl Boberg’s O Store Gud (O Great God). While ministering in the Carpathian Mountains, Hine found himself in the midst of a threatening storm. As it rolled through the mountain range, the thunder was so awesome that it reminded Hine of the beautiful Russian hymn that had already become so dear to him.

The gentle power and serene beauty of the lyrics proclaim the greatness of our God. We find ourselves singing both about the Creator and directly to Him in this magnificent prayer of praise. God, how great thou art!