Devotional: You Laid a Crushing Burden on our Backs

 Psalm 66:10For 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.

I was struck by verse eleven in this passage.  The Psalmist tells us that God is the one who brings us to trials.  Sometimes I think we give the Devil too much credit for the trials and difficulties we have.

God is in sovereign control of all that comes our way.  Satan may have a part in it, as we see in Job, but God is ultimately in control of what He allows and what happens.  He has his good purposes to accomplish in each of our lives through the trials He allows.

Sometimes we can't make sense of the trouble we are going through, but God knows and has a special purpose for each one.  We may never realize the purpose until we are in heaven and able to look back. Then we will understand it all.  In the mean time, we need to respond in a godly manner to the trials that come our way. In this way, we will become more sanctified and bring glory to God in the process.