Psalm 66

Psalms 66:12
"You allowed men to ride over our heads; we passed through fire and water, but you brought us out into a wide open place."
Sometimes what God allows into our lives is painful. In psalm 66 the picture of enduring fire and water summarize the difficulty of one part of life. But even in this description of suffering God has placed a message of hope. First he acknowledges that the trials are not continual. We may find such a statement empty for all of those who have lost their lives, but that would be a misunderstanding on life. It is not the duration of this fallen life that matters, but it is the closeness to God and his grace.
And after the trials are past God brings out his people to wide open spaces. Audio Adrenaline's song "Big House" is what comes to my mind as I read this passage. Will there be "open spaces" in this life? There may be. But they cannot compare to what God has in store for us.
Stuart