Psalm 66:8-12 - July 3, 2009

Ps 66:8-12 "Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; 9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." NIV

This passage is both perplexing and wonderful in its revelation of the training ground of God. The psalmist is lifting up a cry of praise before all who will listen. But reflect for a moment upon the nature of this praise as the psalmist relates the journey that he and his people have traveled; “You… tested us. You refined us… You brought us into prison… (You) laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads!” What a list! All of these struggles the psalmist attributes to God. The understanding that the writer communicates is in line with the words of Heb 12:6-7 “…the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.’ 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.”
Through all of these trials this psalmist has resisted the temptation to respond to his trials with bitterness and instead is able to recognize the purpose of God that has been taking place in the midst of his trials and the trials of his people. Where many people would be overwhelmed by such a list of hardships and yield to a bitter and poisoned spirit the psalmist declares in a voice of praise that God has “preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.” Look at what this psalmist has chosen to focus on. Instead of falling into complaint about the difficulties he lifts his voice to celebrate the power of God that has been displayed in keeping his people strong in their faith and stable in their focus. This passage so clearly identifies the reality that every person has a choice of how they will respond in the midst of trial. Will the test that you are going through make you bitter or will it make you strong and grateful!?
There is a second principle that is being related in this passage and that is the understanding of how their story ends. Many times we attempt to pass judgment upon the Lord and His dealings with us before the story is actually over. Imagine if Job had concluded things about God’s character before his story was finished. He lost everything and endured through a horrible season of life but experienced the Lord in a dimension of personal revelation through the process that he had never known before. His testimony was very clear as his trials came to a close as he said in Job 42:5 “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Not only was Job walking in a much deeper revelation of the Lord through his trials at the end of the journey the scriptures record that he received back twice as much as that which was taken from him through the trials. In the same way David, Joseph and Moses each endured the stripping away of favor and material blessing as they walked through an extended season of testing but in each case the Lord proved faithful as they kept their hearts directed towards him and embraced the humility that these trials worked in their lives. Each one of us must remember that the Lord has not changed in his dealings with men and that even though for a season our circumstances may not reflect the blessed life His word promises us we can know with assurance that our Lord will deliver and provide abundantly for us and for those that we love as we keep our hearts rightly directed towards Him in faith.