Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. (Ps. 97:2)
Expanded Passage: Psalm 97
As a young teenager, I once hiked to the summit of a mountain with my family. Slowly, clouds began forming around us on the trek up. Upon reaching our destination, we found ourselves caught in a thunderstorm—inside the clouds! I was already terrified of storms, so this was a nightmare for me. We huddled against a large rock and waited out the storm. I prayed fervently, and felt my fear surrender to peace. Ever since, I have no fear of storms, but have learned an appreciation for their beauty and a reverence for God’s power they display.
The psalmist describes the appearing of King Yahweh as a terrible storm (clouds, thick darkness, fire, lightning). Such awesome power is overwhelming, and chaos accompanies these storms. Yet, amidst that chaos, we find a firm foundation beneath the King’s throne: righteousness and justice. The Hebrew word for “justice” might best be understood as Yahweh’s divine order. Thus, the King has come to restore the world to right order again!
We find comfort, first, in God’s sovereign control over everything in the face of wickedness that plagues his creation. Second, hope gives us comfort as we look forward to the day King Jesus will restore right order for eternity. Take heart; fear not, for Yahweh the Great King reigns forever, and he will guard his faithful people until the end. Hallelujah! (Praise Yahweh!)
Spend time thanking and praising King Jesus for his just, righteous rule.
Noah Cromer is, first, God’s child; second, a husband and father. He gladly serves at Southern Wesleyan University in residence life and as an adjunct professor.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
