Psalms that Connect Us with God – Part 4 — A ‘Time With God’ Devotion

Subscribe to the ‘Time With God’ Podcast

Transcript

Good morning. We’re looking all this week at Psalms in the Bible that reflect King David’s beautiful relationship with God, a personal, caring relationship that’s growing.

As we look at these Psalms, it just challenges us and encourages us, doesn’t it, to build a personal relationship with God. Don’t just be committed to God. Don’t just be committed to church.

Rather, grow your relationship with God, not just your knowledge about God, not just your knowledge of the Bible, but rather go to the Bible to know God, to hear from God, to respond to God, to talk to Him, build a relationship with Him.

Each day we’re looking at a different Psalm this week that reflects David’s relationship with God, and today Psalm 66.

In this Psalm, David has gone through some hard times, and he’s come out of them and has trusted God through it all, and he just talks about it here. He says, “Shout for joy to God, all the earth, sing the glory of His name. Give to Him glorious praise. Say to God how awesome are your deeds. So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you. They sing praises to your name.”

Then he steps out of his direct conversation with God and starts speaking to us. He says, “come and see what God has done. He is awesome in his deeds toward the children of men”.

“He turned the sea into dry land. That’s when the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea as they escaped from Egypt. They passed through the river on foot.

Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by

“There did we rejoice in Him who rules by His might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations. Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Bless our God, O peoples. Let the sound of His praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.

“For You, O God, have tested us. You have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net. You laid a crushing burden on our backs. You let men ride over our heads.

“We went through fire and through water.”

Do you feel like that’s you right now going through fire and water? You’re trying to understand why is God letting this happen in my life? Why isn’t He setting me free from this difficult time, this painful situation?

You, God, have tested us. You’ve tried us as silver is tried.

We went through fire and through water, and then listened to him.

Yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. No matter what you’re going through now, hold on to God.

Trust God. He may be testing you, trying you, growing you by teaching you to trust Him in difficult times. But if you hold on to Him, obey Him, and trust Him, He will bring you out.

Of that difficult time into a place of abundance.

He says, “I will come into your house, God, with burnt offerings. I will perform my vows to you that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble”.

“I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams. I will make an offering of bulls and goats.”

That’s, in those days, how they showed their thankfulness to God. How can you show your thankfulness to God if He’s brought you out of a really hard time into a place of abundance? How will you show Him your thankfulness?

He goes on to say, “come and hear all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul”.

I really encourage you as you grow in your relationship with God, just to be open about it with the people around you. Tell them what God has done for you, what He has done for your soul.

He says, “I cried to God with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened. He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me”.

I’m John North.

Feature image: Canva Pro