Darkness His Covering

“He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him–the dark rain clouds around him–the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightening.” Psalm 18:11-12

Darkness His covering. Psalm 18:1-12 is poetic and beautiful–I wish someone would paint the scene. I would gaze at a painting of this for a long time. Or someone should compose a musical piece for an orchestra. Imagine the first verses are soft and beautiful–perhaps there is a light, happy tempo. Then comes tragic, scary music…heavy drum beats. Then comes a frantic small call for help…perhaps a lone woodwind instrument, like a clarinet. Next comes strong music that wells up…God is angry. The enemy is messing with His child. God comes in heavy music and symbols clash like the bolts of lightening in verse twelve.

It’s a beautiful picture. As I read it from the omniscient perspective, I am amazed at God’s love for each child of His. See how He moves to save His precious ones!? But I have been that child crying for help. The child surrounded by evil does not see from a broad perspective. That child cannot see beyond the darkness. And when that child calls for help and only sees more darkness and an approaching storm, that child might be tempted to lose hope. I’ve been there.

“He made darkness His covering.” Why does God make darkness His covering? He is Light itself. The Bible tells us that we won’t need a sun in heaven because God Himself will be our light. Why, then, does He come to come to save with darkness as His canopy?

I don’t know why He does it. I could speculate things like: if He came in His full glory, the earth would burn up and we would all die. Or perhaps those dark rain clouds cover Him only until He has fully approached to defend us.

I suppose it’s not for the child to understand why the Father does the things He does. But it takes faith for the child to trust his God–trust that his God is in the darkness, the clouds, the rain, the lightening, and the hail.

“Out of the brightness of His presence clouds advanced.”

How do clouds advance out of brightness? I don’t know how this works…but it is a reality that I need to learn and trust. The clouds that cover Him advance out of His brightness. A brightness that cannot be described. It cannot be contained. He is a good God. Behind the darkness is His goodness. The King of the universe coming to save me when I call.