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Psalm 66

A war has just been fought.  The warriors have returned home.  They've won a great victory over a strong and deadly enemy.  The first several stanzas of the song call for praise to the God of victories.  They call all who hear to "Come and see the works of God."  The writer wants all to see how their God "turned the sea into dry land" – calling to mind the history of Israel's victory over the Egyptians in the Red Sea.  Whether the victory in mind when this psalm was written was actually the one during the Exodus or a later one, it's evident nevertheless that God provided it by doing wonderful exploits. 

As always in such a war, though, it's been hard, and the danger to individual warriors and to their nation was great.  In recognizing this danger the psalmist says, "You O God have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.  You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.  You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water . . ."  They had had a hard time!

And it's at this point that a certain principle can be observed here: all the hardships and troubles these warriors faced were from the hand of God and were not merely the results of their own mistakes or the efforts of those who hated them.  They're actually from the hand of a loving God Who seeks to refine each of His people - even though the "dross" has to be painfully burned away by the fire of affliction.  The results are always GOOD!  The singers do not say, "You, O enemies have tested us," but they sing, "You, O God, have tested us."

The final result is "a joyful shout to God," and those who are refined "sing out the honor of His Name" and make His praise glorious." The afflicted will finally be able to say to God, "how awesome are Your works!  Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You; they shall sing praises to Your name!"  In other words, the afflicted will be able to see - because of what they've endured - the goodness, mercy, and power of God.  They'll be much more aware of Who He is, how real His Presence with them has been.  They'll be better able to walk with Him as His people than they would have been without the affliction.

Not only will they be aware, but they'll be much more grateful for His mercies than they would otherwise have been.  They now say, "I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, which my lips have uttered and my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.  I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, with the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats."  When God brings victory after affliction, the result will be worship.  There will be praise, confession and forgiveness, and prayer.

None of these things would result from a life of ease, a life without painful trouble.  Oh that we would take this principle deep into our hearts!  Oh that, in the very midst of difficulty, we might be aware that God has good purposes in all He does!  Fear not to pray for a more patient, trusting heart, for though He may have to give it to you by way of affliction, the result will be eternal!

This is so true:

They're actually from the hand of a loving God Who seeks to refine each of His people - even though the "dross" has to be painfully burned away by the fire of affliction.  The results are always GOOD!  The singers do not say, "You, O enemies have tested us," but they sing, "You, O God, have tested us."

And verse 18:

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

Oh that all of our Father's people might believe this!  Many do not.