Over All the Earth
Opening Prayer
I come into Your presence, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I come to worship You, Holy Trinity.
Read Psalm 66
1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
8 Praise our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
and fulfill my vows to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
This psalm calls us to celebrate God’s awesome works. He has worked in history (5–12), and in the history of our lives (16–20). Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Think Further
This psalm, probably from the later period of Israel’s history, sets out the dynamic connections between the life of the believer, the history of Israel and God’s plan for the world. It is built around a summary recollection of the story of God’s people. He “turned the sea into dry land” (6) so that his people “passed through the waters on foot,” remembering the Exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea (Exod. 14). He did not allow the rebellious—Pharaoh and the people of Egypt—to thwart his purposes.
The psalm then recalls both Exile and return many years later. Even though the Exile happened as a result of the people’s disobedience, God was still sovereign and used it as a time for testing and refining (10), before bringing his people back to the land (12). The language of “fire and water” echoes Isaiah 43:2 in describing God’s faithfulness through this time.
The surprising dimension to this recollection is that God’s faithfulness and blessings are not for his people alone. His “awesome deeds” have been performed for “humankind” (5, from the Greek)—for humanity, not just for the nation of Israel. So the psalmist invites “all the earth” to worship and bow down (4). God’s purpose to bless all people as he has blessed his own finds its ultimate expression in the ministry of Jesus, who brought peace to those who were “near” and those who were “far away” (Eph. 2:13,17).
Finally, these blessings are not just national and global—they are also personal. The psalmist is able to testify that the big-picture pattern of God’s gracious rescue is something that he has experienced in his own life. The love of God has indeed been poured into our hearts by his Spirit (Rom. 5:5).
Apply
What connections can you see between your experience of God and the story of God’s people in Scripture? How might this help you express God’s love to others?
Closing prayer
Awesome God, although nations rage and tyrants posture, You will have the last word. How great You are.
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