Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 66
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah
5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
Reflections
Having gone through a deep period of trials and hardships, David comes out of it feeling more spiritually strengthened and closer to God. As a result He praises God for what He has done to bring him to this point. David had to be tested and put through the fire in order for him to realize that God has been so faithful and has never abandoned him and is sure to see us through any hardship that we face.
David recalls all the past times in which God has revealed His faithfulness to His people. Throughout every season of the nation of Israel’s journey, God had not abandoned them. In the end they were able to recognize that trusting God even through the hard times meant that God is always faithful and that He keeps His promises to never abandon us. It is also strengthened their faith and allowed for them to see that choosing to put their faith in God was the only solid option.
Our hope through hard times can sometimes be displaced and often times we run to other sources to bring us comfort and peace. Sometimes when God puts us through difficult situations it is to teach us that our faith and our strength can only be rooted in Him. He is the number one sustainer and true author of our joy in all the difficulties that we face. God wants to teach us to praise Him in every season.
Trust that God hears your prayers and that He is putting you through the fire to refine you and to strengthen your faith. He is a God that can be trusted and will be sure to bring good to all the situations we face in this life.
The Psalmist exalts many of God attributes. One of those is just how merciful He is and how attentive He is.
But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
God is not an informal guy in the clouds with a long gray beard waiting to punish people. He is quite the opposite. God is slow to anger. He is quick to forgive a repentant heart and He is quick to hear the pleas of His children. Do not be afraid to bring your cares to the Lord. He is listening and responding.