Wednesday, May 28, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Psalm 97

The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him,
and consumes his adversaries on every side.
His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
and all the peoples behold his glory.
All worshipers of images are put to shame,
those who make their boast in worthless idols;
all gods bow down before him.
Zion hears and is glad,
and the towns of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O God.
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.

The Lord loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful;
he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name! (NRSV)

Reflection

Psalm 97 is so beautifully written with such powerful and strong imagery portraying God’s power and authority over all the earth and over all of God’s creation — “His lightning lights up the world. … The mountains melt like wax before the Lord.” Such powerful depictions fill me with a sense of awe and inspire me to acknowledge the sovereignty of God in our lives and over this world.

With so much chaos and uncertainty in the world today, it is good to know that there is a real and true higher authority. God is King and God reigns over the realities of this world, over our lives, and over our circumstances. What a comforting realization that the foundation of God’s throne is “righteousness and justice.” How encouraging to know that the authority of God requires justice to be done and righteousness to inspire our decisions, actions, and our behaviors and how we treat other people. For the psalm says, “Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.”

Psalm 97 also speaks to the evils of idolatry. In today’s world, the word idolatry doesn’t conjure up thoughts of golden calves. The “golden calf” today is a metaphor for adoring and deifying (even inadvertently) anyone or anything other than almighty God. In our times, it’s not calves, but it could be wealth, possessions, power, fame, our work, or our affiliations — the list goes on. Like a calf made of metal, none of these things possess real authority over anything in God’s creation. They are of the world, not of God.

Prayer
Holy God, we give you praise and glory for your divine power and sovereignty over all creation. Today and always may we live with confident assurance that God’s call for justice and equity will guide and protect us forever. Amen. 

Written by Ken Gaines, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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