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IBS 72 - Psalm 66:8-12

Psalm 66:8-12
“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, 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.” 

To begin with, the psalmist that wrote this started this new stanza by praising God. Most of the Psalms that I’ve read so far begin with praise to God. This has shown me how important it is to bring praise to God. It is necessary for the soul to praise it’s creator. It brings healing and joy. Praising God is such an important thing. Every day, even before I get out of bed I try to remember to praise God. There is so much to praise Him about first thing in the morning. Like, “God thank you that I’m alive, that I didn’t get stung by a scorpion, that there are now snakes in my home. I will rejoice in your name for your protection through out the night!” Praising God should be done throughout each and everyday day. 
Then this Psalmist goes on to talking about how God tested them. I could apply that to my life. He has tested me so much since the beginning of this year, refining me, growing me, challenging me. It’s not easy. To be willing to let God refine me. To be refined you have to go through fire. To grow you have to be challenged. To change you have to let go of your hold self and become new. Non of that is easy, it’s not said and done. It’s a process, sometimes taking longer then other times. This process of being refined, for me, has thrown me things that I’d never thought I’d have to deal with. Things I didn’t think I had to work on and things I didn’t think I had to let go. The refining process is painful.
This Psalmist concludes this stanza in a way I love. “But you brought us to a place of abundance.” This is my favorite verse in this stanza. Although I’m still be refined, “the place of abundance” is right in front of me. The abundance is right here, and I’m able to go through it. God doesn’t just take me to be refined and then leave me there. He takes me there, goes through it with me, and then I go into the place of abundance with Him. And that place makes the whole thing worth it. 

It’s all because of love that He does this. If I’m willing, then He’ll put me through fire, and guide me to the place of abundance. He’ll guide me to being closer to His heart. To being more like Him. He loves me so much that His desire is for me to be with Him, and I can’t be with Him if I’m not refined. And because I love Him back, I will go through the fire so I can be brought to the place of abundance. 

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