GOD’S BLESSING AFTER TRIALS
Passage: Psalm 66:1~20  
Key verse: 12
Psalm 66For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(A)
2 Sing the glory of his name;(B)
make his praise glorious.(C)
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(D)
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe(E) before you.
4 All the earth bows down(F) to you;
they sing praise(G) to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”[a]
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds(H) for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,(I)
they passed through(J) the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice(K) in him.
7 He rules forever(L) by his power,
his eyes watch(M) the nations—
let not the rebellious(N) rise up against him.
8 Praise(O) our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives(P)
and kept our feet from slipping.(Q)
10 For you, God, tested(R) us;
you refined us like silver.(S)
11 You brought us into prison(T)
and laid burdens(U) on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;(V)
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.(W)
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings(X)
and fulfill my vows(Y) to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.(Z)
16 Come and hear,(AA) all you who fear God;
let me tell(AB) you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;(AC)
19 but God has surely listened
and has heard(AD) my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected(AE) my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(A)
2 Sing the glory of his name;(B)
make his praise glorious.(C)
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(D)
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe(E) before you.
4 All the earth bows down(F) to you;
they sing praise(G) to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”[a]
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds(H) for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,(I)
they passed through(J) the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice(K) in him.
7 He rules forever(L) by his power,
his eyes watch(M) the nations—
let not the rebellious(N) rise up against him.
8 Praise(O) our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives(P)
and kept our feet from slipping.(Q)
10 For you, God, tested(R) us;
you refined us like silver.(S)
11 You brought us into prison(T)
and laid burdens(U) on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;(V)
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.(W)
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings(X)
and fulfill my vows(Y) to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.(Z)
16 Come and hear,(AA) all you who fear God;
let me tell(AB) you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;(AC)
19 but God has surely listened
and has heard(AD) my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected(AE) my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Footnotes
- Psalm 66:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 15.
Cross references
- Psalm 66:1 : Ps 81:1; 84:8; 95:1; 98:4; 100:1
- Psalm 66:2 : Ps 79:9; 86:9
- Psalm 66:2 : Isa 42:8, 12; 43:21
- Psalm 66:3 : S Dt 7:21; S 10:21; Ps 65:5; 106:22; 111:6; 145:6
- Psalm 66:3 : S 2Sa 22:45
- Psalm 66:4 : Ps 22:27
- Psalm 66:4 : Ps 7:17; 67:3
- Psalm 66:5 : ver 3; Ps 106:22
- Psalm 66:6 : S Ge 8:1; S Ex 14:22
- Psalm 66:6 : 1Co 10:1
- Psalm 66:6 : S Lev 23:40
- Psalm 66:7 : S Ex 15:18; Ps 145:13
- Psalm 66:7 : S Ex 3:16; S Ps 11:4
- Psalm 66:7 : S Nu 17:10; Ps 112:10; 140:8
- Psalm 66:8 : S Ps 22:23
- Psalm 66:9 : Ps 30:3
- Psalm 66:9 : S Dt 32:35; S Job 12:5
- Psalm 66:10 : S Ex 15:25
- Psalm 66:10 : S Job 6:29; S 28:1; S Ps 12:6
- Psalm 66:11 : Ps 142:7; 146:7; Isa 42:7, 22; 61:1
- Psalm 66:11 : S Ge 3:17; S Ex 1:14; Ps 38:4; Isa 10:27
- Psalm 66:12 : Isa 51:23
- Psalm 66:12 : Ps 18:19
- Psalm 66:13 : S Ps 51:19
- Psalm 66:13 : Ps 22:25; 50:14; 116:14; Ecc 5:4; Jnh 2:9
- Psalm 66:15 : S Lev 16:5; Ps 51:19
- Psalm 66:16 : Ps 34:11
- Psalm 66:16 : Ps 71:15, 24
- Psalm 66:18 : S Dt 1:45; S 1Sa 8:18; Jas 4:3
- Psalm 66:19 : S Ps 18:6
- Psalm 66:20 : Ps 22:24
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
We should also remember to thank God for times of trouble and suffering in which God tested us. Sometimes we felt like people are riding on our heads! God let these things happen, but then he brought us through. He listened to our prayer when we were in trouble (19). Let’s remember how God has brought us through times of testing with our faith strengthened. Remembering God’s faithfulness to us, we can testify like the Psalmist did and renew our commitment to be faithful to serve.
Prayer: Father, thank you for your powerful salvation work in my life, even when it involved painful trials. Help me to tell others about how you have heard my prayer.
One Word: God brought me through the fire