Psalm 66:8-12

The second part of Psalm 66:5-12 ("Come and see what God has done") is verses 8-12:

"Bless our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept us 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 burdens on our backs;
you let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
you have brought us out to a spacious place."

1. In verses 5-7, the first "awesome deed" of Yahweh this psalmist mentions is the exodus from Egypt. Now in verses 9-12b, he mentions Yahweh's guidance and protection of his people during the forty years of wilderness wanderings. Following the thoughts of Deuteronomy 8:1-5, the author of Psalm 66 describes the wilderness wanderings as a time of "testing." He compares it with refining silver. A refiner puts silver ore taken from the ground into a hot furnace to melt off the alloys and to purify the silver. In the same way, God, our loving Father, refines us in the furnace of daily living for him in order to discipline us for his service. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes the necessity of spiritual "testing" or discipline (see Psalms 11:4-5; 17:3; 26:2; 139:23; Job 23:10; Jeremiah 6:27-30; 12:3; Zechariah 13:9; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Hebrews 12:4-11; James 1:2-4).
2. During times of testing and discipline, it feels like we have been trapped in a net and will never escape, that we are carrying heavy burdens which are about to crush us, that enemies are riding over us mercilessly to trounce us to the ground, and that we are passing through hot and devouring fire and treacherous and rushing waters. But at the end of the testing, God suddenly brings us out into a spacious place--like he brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan, which he gave to them as an inheritance. So, as we are moving along in life experiencing its trials and reverses and disappointments and tragedies, "let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1b-2).

John Willis