Praise Him In All Seasons
Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. Psalm 66:8-12
There are two things for us to notice in these verses. The psalmist begins with a call to be heard praising God, and he also gives us a reminder that even though our circumstances may become difficult at times, God always cares for us and brings us through every trial. “Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard” (Psalm 66:8). The psalmist calls for praise to God, and then as part of that praise, recounts God’s goodness, “he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping” (Psalm 66:9). He follows this verse of praise with praise also for the work of refining that God has done in His people. “For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” (Psalm 10-12). To refine a metal, like silver, it is put in the fire to burn off any impurities. The Israelites experienced many difficulties during their time in Egypt, oppressed by Pharoah and treated as slaves. They also experienced difficult moments as they traveled through the wilderness learning how to trust God, to follow Him and obey Him. These verses of recounting God’s goodness and remembering moments of refining reminded them that He “has preserved [their] lives and kept [their] feet from slipping.” In verse 12, there is a shift, “but you brought us to a place of abundance.” All that God has done for Israel, both in wonderous signs and miracles and also in seasons of refining, brought them to a place of abundance.
We have those moments also. We have moments when, like Israel, we are feeling the fire of refining, and the circumstances are difficult. In those seasons it can be hard to praise God, but when we reflect on His previous goodness, look back at all He has done for us, then we are able to lift our voice in praise. Just as God’s people are reminded earlier in this psalm of His faithfulness at the Red Sea, we too have moments where God has so evidently worked on our behalf. We have mountain top moments where God has moved so powerfully in our lives, and we remember the amazing things He has done for us. It is easy to praise Him in these moments because God’s power to preserve our lives and fix our feet is so easy to see. We are filled with gratitude when we remember the mighty deeds He has done for us, but we can also let these moments remind us of His great care and love for us during difficult moments of refining. We find comfort because God loves us enough to continue working in us to make us more like Him.
God is faithfully leading us to a place of abundance. It is the place where we are the very reflection of Him. When silver is refined in the fire, it becomes reflective. May God’s faithful leading through seasons of refining cause us to reflect the very image of our Creator. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Let us be grateful for the refining that causes us to look more and more like Him. Let us also be heard praising God. Will you remember what He has done for you? Will you praise Him for preserving your life and also for the difficult seasons of refining that serve to transform you into His image?
-Jennifer
