Some things are just hard to miss. Having read sixty-five
psalms now it is clear that praise and worship are what fill the psalms. Psalm
66 is no different.
Psalm 66:1-4
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. "All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name." Selah.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. "All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name." Selah.
Again we have a psalm with a historical context. According
to many commentators it is also a psalm with prophetical words which look
forward to the millennial days of Christ to come. But for me, my daily study of
the psalms is about this day. It is about the spiritual applications pertinent
to my daily walk.
Psalm 66:5-7
Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him! He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him! He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
I look back at my own life and see the works of God. I have
been delivered from own enemies as God has parted my own personal Red Sea. I
have so much to praise God for. I don’t stop at praise for my salvation; I
praise God for His provision.
Psalm 66:8-9
Bless our God, O peoples, And sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip.
Bless our God, O peoples, And sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip.
I have placed myself in more places of peril than I can even
remember. God has brought me through each and every one. When I look back at
the trials I have faced it seems clear to me for the most part it has been my
own doing that got me in trouble. My own rebellious nature has always been my
problem. I am a sinner. I am not obedient to God’s way. God is my father.
Fathers, good fathers, discipline their children and they teach them by testing
and challenging them. God is no different.
Psalm 66:10-12
For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.
For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.
Yet you brought us out into a place of abundance, the author
declares. I could have written this. Sometimes God has had to allow things to
go in directions I prayed for them not to go. But the reason He allowed these
things is because He is refining me just as the process to refine silver is
accomplished.
Psalm 66:13-15
I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows, Which my lips uttered And my mouth spoke when I was in distress. I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts, With the smoke of rams; I shall make an offering of bulls with male goats. Selah.
I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows, Which my lips uttered And my mouth spoke when I was in distress. I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts, With the smoke of rams; I shall make an offering of bulls with male goats. Selah.
The significance here of the author speaking of burnt
offerings is that the burnt offering is an offering completely consumed by God
when offered in the OT. The message to us today is not about the sacrificial system
of the OT. The message is that God is so good to us that we ought to make our
offerings back in a way that they serve Him not us. If we serve in a ministry
that our motive is to feel good about serving, then we aren’t offering to God.
Not that you won’t feel good about serving, but that is just gravy. The joy
must come from a heart that simply loves God.
This great psalm gives a secondary message to us next.
Psalm 66:16-19
Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
This is a short sermon on prayer. First of it tells us to
first praise and thank Him for all He does for us as we pray. Then it tells us
to cry out with our mouth to Him. But then continue to praise Him for hearing
your prayers. We also read here that sin will prevent God from hearing our
prayers. Certainly sin is the only thing that can keep us from God if we are a
Christian. But Jesus has given us an out here. Yes, we may sin against Him. But
1 John 1:9 reopens the door.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The blood of Christ has made us righteous in God’s eyes.
Confession is not only good for the soul; it is the power that gives us
relationship again with God. Read verses 18 and 19 again.
Psalm 66:18-19
If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
We all are sinners. Take hold of Jesus. Do not listen to the
enemy tell you that you are unworthy because of your sin to go to God. Listen
to Jesus who says “you are unworthy to go to God but I shall cleanse you in my
blood and now you have peace with the Father.”
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
Exult in hope in the glory of God. Psalm 66 ends as we might
well end all our prayers.
Psalm 66:20
Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer Nor His loving kindness from me.
Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer Nor His loving kindness from me.
Wow! There is something to praise God about. What are you
waiting for?
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