Finding Christ in the Old Testament - Psalm 66

Finding Christ in the Old Testament

Psalm 66

"Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; give to Him glorious praise! … Come and see what God has done: He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of man. … You have tested us, O God; You have tried us as silver is tried. … But truly God has listened; He has attended to the voice of my prayer."

This psalm is a song of deliverance, proclaiming the mighty works of God in redeeming His people. It recalls how He led Israel through the Red Sea, refining them like silver through trials, yet ultimately delivering them. This foreshadows Christ, who leads His people through the waters of baptism and the trials of faith, purifying them for His kingdom. Just as Israel was tested and refined, so too was Christ, who suffered and was perfected through obedience (Hebrews 5:8-9). In Him, we find the ultimate deliverance—not merely from earthly troubles but from sin, death, and the devil. When we pass through trials, we trust in the One who has already walked through suffering for us. His resurrection is the final declaration that God has heard our prayers and granted us victory.

Devotion

The refining fires of suffering are not a sign of God’s absence but of His work in us. Just as silver is purified through fire, so too are we made holy through trials. Christ Himself endured suffering, and in Him, we are strengthened and sustained. Our prayers do not fall on deaf ears—God hears, He delivers, and He is glorified in our redemption.

New Testament Verse:
1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV) “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Collect
Almighty God, who refines Your people as silver is tried, grant that we may endure the trials of this life with steadfast faith, knowing that in Christ, You have already secured our deliverance, and that through Him, all suffering is transformed into glory; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn Verse:
"When through fiery trials your pathway will lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, will be your supply.
The flames will not hurt you; I only design
Your dross to consume and your gold to refine."

LSB 728:3, "How Firm a Foundation"