For You, God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined. You lured us into a trap; You placed burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us out to abundance.
I will enter Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows that my lips promised and my mouth spoke during distress. Psalm 66:10-14 HCSB
Surrendering our lives to Christ and devoting ourselves to Him does not mean we will escape times of testing. Psalm 66 is a celebration of a national deliverance. When the psalmist says, “You lured us into a trap…” it is referring to the power of their enemies. Often times we will face enemies that have power over us. This means they have the ability to cause us some serious problems.
In verse 12, the psalmist says, “You let men ride over our heads, we went through fire and water…” This refers to the triumph of the enemies. Sometimes it seems as though our enemies are winning. But verse 12 doesn’t stop there. It says, “You brought us out in abundance.”
God takes good care of us. We will go through times of testing, but if we remain faithful and obedient, He will bring us through the flood and the fire. He will bring us through in abundance. These times of testing are made to make or break us. It’s easy to love the Lord when all is well. It’s a whole other thing to love the Lord when times are hard. We must remain faithful and obedient during hard times as well as good times.
I love what the Psalmist says next. He promises to keep the vows he had made to the Lord. We may promise God many things when we are down and wanting His help. But it is so easy to forget those promises when the hard times are over. I worked with many men and women who found Jesus while they were incarcerated, but sadly many left him there. They returned to their sinful ways as soon as they were freed to do so.
A time of testing should produce strength and endurance. But more importantly it provides a testimony. When we endure a difficult time of testing and we come through it in abundance, it shows others the hope they can have in Christ. God’s got this. He will bring us through it.
As Christians, we have either just come through a time of testing, are going through a time of testing, or are about to go through a time of testing. What really matters is how we behave during the time of testing and what we do afterwards.
During a time of testing, we must remember Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Keep serving God as you wait for Him to work things out for you.
When your enemy seems to be winning the battle, know that God will make you victorious in the war. Trust in God during these difficult times. Serve Him, obey Him, and commit yourself to Him. He will bring you through. And when He brings you through use your testimony to help others.
Have a great day!