Imago Scriptura 87 - Psalms 97-99 - Looking Up

Yesterday’s readings from Psalms 97-99 are Psalms that speak to the mighty power of God. They speak of righteousness, fire, lightning, mountains melting like wax, glory, powerful hands and arms, the seas rejoicing for God, nations trembling before God, and the list could go on. What I heard, however, was not as much a statement about God but about us looking up to God. Previous Psalms did not speak of God in such lofty terms but instead were laments about struggles with where God was at and what God was (or seemingly wasn’t) doing.

So those were the ones in my mind as I read these words from 97-99 and I wondered, “What changed?” What happened that we go from Psalms of lament to songs of praise? Now I understand that the Psalms are not arranged chronologically but I think that speaks to the progression of our lives that we have times our lives of faith where we do ask the “where are you” types of questions and we have the times where we have nothing to say but “glory” and offer praise and gratitude. There are days that feel I go to both extremes in the span of a few hours!

Yet, what is consistent in both is that God is there in both. God is there to take the laments and the questions and the doubts and God is there to receive the praise and the gratitude. God is like this mountain that is there no matter the weather and is not moved when the storms blow. I am grateful for that truth especially when the times are the darkest.