The Stones Will Cry Out
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Scripture: Psalm 97
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Take it Further: Psalm 97: Proclaim His Righteousness by Gabrielle Redcay
I got caught in a thunderstorm yesterday.
The overcast clouds should have been all the indication I needed to stay home. But a slight respite from the oppressive Charlotte sunshine was just too tempting.
About halfway through a leisurely loop around my neighborhood, the rumbles of thunder grew louder, deeper, longer. The wind picked up, sending trees sideways and leaves into somersaults across the pavement. The clouds snuffed all light out of the sky.
Then, a single raindrop whacked my forehead. And I took off running.
In seconds, the sky completely let out. Booming thunder accompanied flashes of lightning. Torrents of rain blurred my vision. I was seriously afraid until I stumbled inside and slammed my front door behind me.
“Clouds and thick darkness surround him, … His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. … The heavens proclaim his righteousness” (Ps. 97:2,4,6).
As we read Psalm 97 together, my harrowing sprint through the rain sprang to mind.
In this passage, the psalmist highlights how praiseworthy God is, but he does not do so by speaking about sunshine and butterflies. Instead, he focuses on God’s power—on fire and fear, lightning and trembling.
I, for one, can become numb to all the beauty around me. Vibrant sunsets and flowering trees sometimes cause me to pause and praise God, but more often I whiz by them without a second thought.
Throw me into a thunderstorm, however, and all I can say is, “Wow.” It is an almost subconscious response of awe and praise.
And that’s the way I think it should be. Creation isn’t shouting God’s praises out of obligation. The thunder booms because he is worthy. The sun rises because he is faithful. The birds sing because he is ever-present.
Even when we fail to acknowledge God, Creation will. And as Creation cries out, let’s listen—and join in.
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*Note: If you wish, you can look up this and other Bible passages online at youversion.com
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