He made darkness His covering. the dark waters and the clouds of the heavens became a canopy around Him.
God’s presence is described as being in darkness and clouds. This does not mean moral darkness, because God is light. Here the darkness is an image of His mystery and His unreachable greatness. A person cannot fully see or understand the Lord’s way of working. The heaviness of the waters and the clouds also creates a storm scene, preparing for the judicial power of the following verses. In the believer’s life as well, there can be times when God’s way of working is not clear and seems to be covered with clouds. At such times we may mistakenly think that He is not there, or that He has forgotten us. The psalm teaches that God can work “hidden” and yet in reality be near. Faith does not require understanding everything before trusting. We come to know His character from Holy Scripture, and on that foundation we rely even when His ways are covered with clouds.