I’ve always been drawn to the Psalms. If I open a Bible with no specific intention of where to go, I’ll almost always end up there. The Psalms are my default Bible reading spot. Maybe it’s something about the tension held within God’s character expressed in poetic form that I find so alluring.
In December I began to ask God for a song. A few days later, I found myself in Psalm 93 which, my ESV study Bible informed me, had company: “Psalms 29; 93; and 95–99 are hymns of praise for God’s kingly rule over creation… It is Israel’s great privilege to be ruled by the God who is the universal Creator and Lord, who one day will rule all nations. Belief that God reigns is the ultimate solution to doubt and despair.”
In these Psalms, the writers call for praise to God for His terrifying holiness and justice and His power to rescue His people from their enemies. Think, literal armies camped outside Israel’s literal walls that wanted to literally kill and conquer them. This is a deep problem. A shallow King cannot rescue from deep problems, only a deep and sovereign King can. Our God is that King. The psalmists call for all of creation to praise God for his powerful and just kingship.
Most High is my personal attempt to capture and distill the same concepts and energy that I was so encouraged by in reading these Psalms. Surely a single little song cannot contain the breadth and depth of Truth that we find in the word of God, but maybe I can capture a little of it, even that would be amazing.
– Steve Parker
