Psalm 97 (I Exalt Thee)

"Psalm 97 (I Exalt Thee)" is a worship song based on Psalm 97 that celebrates the absolute sovereignty and majesty of God over all the earth. Written by Steve and Vikki Cook, it captures the psalm's vivid imagery of God enthroned above the clouds, with righteousness and justice as the foundation of His throne. Psalm 97 is one of the "enthronement psalms" (Psalms 93-99) that celebrate the Lord's kingship over all creation and all nations. The Cooks' adaptation distills the psalm's themes into a singable, congregational form while preserving the sense of awe and reverence that the original Hebrew poetry conveys. The declaration "I exalt Thee" invites the worshipper into the posture of the psalmist — bowing before the King whose glory is above the heavens. This approach of setting the Psalms to modern melodies for congregational singing reflects a growing movement in Reformed churches to reclaim the Psalter as the heart of Christian worship, as it was for centuries in the Reformed tradition.