Psalms 66:10-12 KJV
For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
It seems to me that Christians in America, might be headed for a time of proving.
Life in this church age is, in fact, a proving time for all believers. But there are undoubtedly times when that proving is more pronounced than at other times. Some Christians have experienced very little that could be called proving in the last 70-100 years. They would say we have been in the "Philadelphia era" of the church, (taken from the seven churches of Revelation using them to describe seven church periods in history) the time of the greatest revival in church history. Whether that is the case or whether churches just got really good at religion that felt unworldly to them but was passable to the culture, I am not sure. But this does appear to be sure, it is getting tougher today.
In the face of these tougher times this Psalm has some instructive word;
First, God's trying is as if we were silver
He counts those who are tried as precious and valuable. His proving is not proof of His displeasure with us, but of His treasuring us.
Second the proving might be intense. Verses 10 and 12 sound terrible to endure
While he treasures his people he spares them not in the crucible of trial. Don't mistake the heat of proving to mean he has no love for us. But neither mistake His love for us to mean He will spare us from hard proving.
Third, the work of proving ends in great reward
I take that wealthy place to be heaven and not earth.
• No spot or blemish arrives in heaven
• Sin is not fit for that wealthy place
It is true that we are forgiven because of the cross. But God is not finished with us at the Cross. We are risen in Christ to walk in newness if life and God has ordained the saved to good works. Filthiness, blasphemy, adultery even lying cannot enter into heaven. Grace has forgiven us. Mercifully and lovingly God has taken in hand to prove us as silver in the fire, til we are fit to dwell in that wealthy place.
For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
It seems to me that Christians in America, might be headed for a time of proving.
Life in this church age is, in fact, a proving time for all believers. But there are undoubtedly times when that proving is more pronounced than at other times. Some Christians have experienced very little that could be called proving in the last 70-100 years. They would say we have been in the "Philadelphia era" of the church, (taken from the seven churches of Revelation using them to describe seven church periods in history) the time of the greatest revival in church history. Whether that is the case or whether churches just got really good at religion that felt unworldly to them but was passable to the culture, I am not sure. But this does appear to be sure, it is getting tougher today.
In the face of these tougher times this Psalm has some instructive word;
First, God's trying is as if we were silver
He counts those who are tried as precious and valuable. His proving is not proof of His displeasure with us, but of His treasuring us.
Second the proving might be intense. Verses 10 and 12 sound terrible to endure
While he treasures his people he spares them not in the crucible of trial. Don't mistake the heat of proving to mean he has no love for us. But neither mistake His love for us to mean He will spare us from hard proving.
Third, the work of proving ends in great reward
I take that wealthy place to be heaven and not earth.
• No spot or blemish arrives in heaven
• Sin is not fit for that wealthy place
It is true that we are forgiven because of the cross. But God is not finished with us at the Cross. We are risen in Christ to walk in newness if life and God has ordained the saved to good works. Filthiness, blasphemy, adultery even lying cannot enter into heaven. Grace has forgiven us. Mercifully and lovingly God has taken in hand to prove us as silver in the fire, til we are fit to dwell in that wealthy place.
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