Psalm 97 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 97 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
Verse 2Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Verse 3Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.
Verse 4His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
Verse 5The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.
Verse 6The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
Verse 7All worshipers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.
Verse 8Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O God.
Verse 9For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
Verse 10The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
Verse 11Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
Verse 12Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Devotion
Many people wonder and ask, “If the Lord is really a king with power, why is there so much evil in the world?” Our calling from the Lord is to hate the evil but to rescue people from its power.
It is by faith that we proclaim that “The Lord is king.” The revelation of God to Israel at Mt. Sinai came through the “clouds and thick darkness.” Consuming fire did go out from him to overcome his adversaries.
Faith takes the long rather than the short view of life. All the gods that people make for themselves will “bow down before him.” When we rejoice while suffering adversity, it is because faith clings to what is promised but not yet seen. “Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.”
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the day star shining in our hearts through the darkness that surrounds us. Amen.