499_I will bless the Lord at all times

Psalm 66 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah

5 Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

A missionary was imprisoned for his faith in a foreign land. Every morning, despite the cold cell, the thin gruel, and the loneliness, he worshipped God in songs of praise. Baffled, one of the guards asked him, “Why are you singing? You’re in prison. You’re alone. No one hears you.” The missionary simply replied, “God hears. As long as I have breath, I will praise Him.” That kind of praise is not based on feelings or circumstances. It’s a way of life.

Psalm 66 reflects this praise. It’s not the kind that comes and goes depending on whether we’re having a good day, but that wells up from a heart secure in the knowledge of God’s greatness, which is the theme of this song. His greatness consists of his righteousness, justice, and kindness – the things in which he delights.

Psalm 66 is a magnificent psalm that calls all the earth to praise God. The psalmist knows that God is much greater than a merely tribal or regional deity. He is the Lord of all creation, the sovereign over every being and every element in nature. No resistance is possible, none is justified. He invites everyone—everything—to make a joyful noise to God.

God is not just the God of humans but the God of all creation. The universe itself praises Him—not only in words, but through obedience. The sun rises each day without fail, the moon waxes and wanes in perfect rhythm, the stars take their place in the night sky. The sea obeys His voice. The wind stills when He commands it. In the pages of Scripture, we see fish that listen to His instruction, plants that grow or wither at His word, and even worms that fulfill His purpose. All of creation, without hesitation or complaint, yields to the will of the Creator as their reasonable worship.

Yet we, made in His image, struggle to obey. We are the ones through whom His glory is most clearly meant to be revealed, among all his creatures. But we grumble, question, delay, and often resist.

In verse 5, the psalmist invites us to pause and reflect: “Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.” God’s power is not just seen in the cosmos, but in His dealings with humanity. He has intervened in human history—splitting seas, toppling empires, delivering the oppressed, and guiding His people with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

The parting of the Red Sea is repeatedly named in scripture as a miracle that is not only spectacular but delivered God’s people from their enemy in the nick of time. When he turned the sea into dry land so His people could pass through, he proclaimed: “I am the Lord.” Just so, He watches over all nations, and the psalmist issues a warning: “Let not the rebellious exalt themselves.” Pride, rebellion, and self-exaltation have no place before a God so awesome in his righteousness.

But praise is not rooted only in the memory of the past. The psalmist turns to his present age, recognizing the continuing deliverance of his people. “He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.”

Every breath we take, every morning we wake up, every time we are protected from unseen dangers—it is God’s sustaining grace. We’re not alive today by chance. The One who watches over his people neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is constantly guarding, guiding, and preserving us.

The bitter trials we undergo are part of God’s greater purpose. “You, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.” He remembers the crushing burden of slavery in Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, the fiery trials, the floods of adversity. But all these things came by God’s hand. It was his doing.

The purpose is simple: God was purifying His people. He allowed hardship, not to destroy them, but to refine them. He let them feel the weight of oppression, to lead them out into “a place of abundance.” This abundance wasn’t just about a good land, rich food, and security. God’s delight is always in having his people know him, love him, and trust him with all their hearts. This is the heart of abundant life.

And the psalmist doesn’t simply say “thank you.” His words are: I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will fulfill my vows to you.” When he was in trouble, he cried out to God and made promises—and now he keeps them. Praise becomes tangible. True praise is not just singing songs or offering words of thanks. It’s fulfilling our commitments, walking in obedience, and offering ourselves as living sacrifices.

And the psalmist boasts about God’s goodness: “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” His testimony is an act of worship. He doesn’t keep God’s goodness to himself. He shares it. He bears witness to answered prayer, to God’s mercy and steadfast love. He doesn’t pretend to be perfect; instead, he shows that he prayed with an honest heart and that God did not turn away from him. Nobody can play with evil deliberately and still think that God will hear his prayer.

Every trial, every rescue, every moment of grace becomes a testimony that points others to the goodness of God. We testify that God helps us and delivers us, not because of our goodness but because we believe that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. Our stories are not just for us—they are to glorify Him and encourage others to wait on the Lord in faithfulness.

The psalm ends just as it begins—with praise. “Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” God hears and loves his people. Trouble does not mean he has forgotten us. He answers the prayer of a heart that is set on God’s righteousness and God’s kingdom. He is the hope of his people, even when they falter or backslide, for he is faithful.

Making praise a way of life means we do not reserve praise just for Sundays, not just when things go well, but always. We praise him for every triumph as we have trusted him in every trial. We praise him when things seem good and pray with unwavering faith and thankfulness when they turn sour. Praise is rooted in who God is, and that never changes.

And when we focus on God’s greatness, our problems shrink to their rightful size. Seen through the lens of God’s power, love, and faithfulness, they cease to appear overwhelming. He has said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink.” He is our Creator, our Provider, and our Sustainer. And He withholds no good thing from those who love Him.

So, let us praise Him—not just with our words but with our lives. Let obedience mark our steps. Let thanksgiving shape our prayers. Let testimony flow from our mouths. For God is worthy of praise—not just for a few moments but over our lifetimes.