Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
(Psalm 99:5 ESV)
There is something in us that loves to lift things up. We lift trophies after a victory. We lift our phones to capture a moment. We lift our voices when a song moves us. To “exalt” something is to raise it above the rest, to give it the highest place.
The Hebrew word in Psalm 99:5 is rum (רוּם), pronounced like the word “room.” It means to be high, to rise, to lift up, or to exalt. It can describe something physically elevated, like a tall mountain. But it is often used spiritually, describing God, who is infinitely above all things.
Psalm 99 is a throne-room psalm. It declares that the LORD reigns. He sits enthroned between the cherubim. Nations tremble. The earth shakes. And then comes the call: “Exalt the LORD our God.”
That might sound strange at first. How do we lift up the one who is already the Most High? God doesn’t need elevation. He’s not competing in a popularity contest. His greatness doesn’t rise or fall based on what we think of Him. He doesn’t need our applause to remain who He is.
So what does it mean to rum the Lord?
To exalt God is not to make Him higher than He already is. It is to acknowledge the truth that He is already higher, and then to arrange our lives accordingly.
We exalt God when we give Him the highest place in our thinking, our priorities, and our deepest affections. We exalt Him when we choose obedience over convenience. We exalt Him when we trust His wisdom above our own. We exalt Him when we speak of Him with reverence rather than casual indifference.
Psalm 99:5 also connects exalting with worship: “Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool.” In the ancient world, the footstool was the place beneath a king’s throne. To bow at the footstool is to acknowledge his authority.
Rum lifts God high. Worship bows us low. And those two movements belong together, because they tell the same truth from different directions. If God is truly high, then we are not. To exalt God is to surrender the illusion that we sit on the throne of our own lives.
In a world that exalts celebrities, wealth, success, and self-expression, Psalm 99 redirects our focus. It holds up a different vision of greatness and invites us to step down and raise God up to His rightful place.
Exalt the LORD your God and lift Him high in your thoughts today. Lift Him high in the words you speak. Lift Him high in the choices you make. And then bow at His footstool, in recognition of the only one who is truly, perfectly holy.
Prayer: Holy God, you are high above all things. Forgive us when we exalt ourselves and the things of this world. Lift our eyes to see your greatness. Teach us to honor you in our thoughts, our words, and our lives. You alone are worthy to be exalted. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day