Psalm 66:12 (KJV) – “Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through wa-ter: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”
(NLT) – “Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance.”
Get ready for the statement…This is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible. Yep, it is true. One of the many, many favorite scriptures in the Bible.
Yes, I really do love it and consider it a favorite. I do think it can be stretched out of context when people put their focus on the first part of the verse, “Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads….” It seems like God is stirring up our enemies to crush us. However, that is not really what it is saying. When you see that God “caused” something in the Old Testament, it is normally declaring a permissive tense. In other words, He allowed it. One translation reads it this way, “You let men ride over our heads….”
You may think, “Why would God allow such a thing?” Well, whatever you allow, He allows.
Psalm 78:41 tells us, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” Or else God was limited when His people tempted Him and turned back. They faced “hell and high water” because of their disobedience and it was not God doing it to them.
When Job was bombarded with “hell and high water” in his life, often God is blamed…but God makes it clear that it was Job’s fear that opened the door to the crushing blows of the enemy (Job 3:25).
Obviously, God is a giver of every good and perfect give (James 1:17), He has already given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and He has already blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Hebrews 1:3). God is NOT trying to crush you. He is NOT trying to bring you to the place of 
destruction…that is the enemy (John 10:10). God is leading you to green pastures, still waters and safe, peaceful and prepared tables specifically set up for you (Psalm 23).
Psalm 66:12 makes it clear that God’s purpose is to bring you to your wealthy place. The word wealthy means satisfaction, running over and wealth. The scriptures are clear that this is where God wants His people.
You say, well I am in the middle of battles…dark places…frustrating situations. That means God is with you and leading you to your wealthy place. Psalm 23:4 tells us that He does lead us THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, but the key word is THROUGH…not TO. God has NO intention of us lying down in the middle of the dark valley and staying there…but to keep following Him to the table He has prepared for us.
The problem for many Christians (yes, they are Christians) is that they quit following his rod (the Word) and his staff (Holy Spirit) in the middle of the fire and water and then can’t figure out why they are stuck there and not making it to their place of satisfaction…of overflow…of wealth.
Beloved, if you are busy obeying His Word and following the prompting of His Spirit in every area of your life…you will find yourself moving THROUGH the fire and water, THROUGH the valley and TO your wealthy place. I know it can be hard. That is why God tells us we must use faith. I know it will knock you out of your comfort zone. That is why God tells us to not look at what we can see and look at what we can’t see (2 Corinthians 4:18). I know it will cost you more than you thought you had to give. That is why God connects so many promises to generosity. I know it seems even harder when you are in the middle of the battle. That is why God makes it so clear that in the middle of the valley, in the middle of the fire and water, and in the middle of hell and high water that He is with you. Psalm 23:4 reminds us, “…for I am with you.” His MAIN DESIRE is to take you THROUGH IT. To take you to the good that He has prepared for you.
However, YOU must obey His Word and listen to His voice (I absolutely could insert here listening to your man of God’s voice). You must do what God told you to do.
I have been a pastor for 35 years (in August) and I have seen many people step into their wealthy places. Some have entered in and have been engulfed by the goodness of the land. Some have at least entered in and are moving towards that overflow. But they all have the same testimony: “I went through fire and water (aka hell and high water), I worked the Word and obeyed the prompting of the spirit, and God brought me in to my wealthy place.”
I don’t preach what I preach because I got some approved message by the governing body of our ministry. I preach what I preach because God’s Word says it and I’ve seen it work, time and time again.
The interesting thing is that when you’ve entered in to the blessings and the blessed life (wealthy place) you set your heart and spiritual ear to hear more…to listen more…to obey more…to be more receptive to whatever God is calling you to do. Many will say, “Well it is easy for them to do it…they are blessed,” however, people who have walked through hell and high water and made it are more receptive because God’s Word and His Spirit is the thing that brought them through. So, if it has brought them this far, why would they change now.
The problem becomes when your battle, your valley, consumes you to the point that you decide to do things your own way. You follow what seems good to you and you feel, “Surely this way will work for me…it makes sense.” Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which see-meth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” You get shocked that you are stuck in the valley of the shadow of death, but you decided to do things your own way.
The Lord said it to me this way, “Too many people who are complaining about hell and high water, and not obeying what the Bible says, those people are most likely not in hell or high-water but standing in the middle of a puddle whining about things.”
I am not saying that your situation isn’t bad or isn’t frustrating, but when you are doing things your own way you are going to get stuck, and frustrated and overwhelmed, because nothing is changing. If you would sim-ply step over and do things God’s way, follow His Word, and obey His Spirit THEN you would be surprised how quickly the shift would happen. It may not be butterflies and unicorns overnight, but things would begin to change, because His Word said they would.
I love the Passion Translation of Psalm 66:12, “Road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back; Finally he brought us to this well-watered place.”
Beloved, whatever you are going through today…I am not taking it lightly and God is not taking it lightly…but there is a way OUT and a way INTO God’s best. That way is His Word and His voice. The hesitation to obey that is inside of you is the enemy and his plan for you, but obedience if God’s plan. Your fire and water has another side…keep moving…keep listening…keep obeying…and “…see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever (Exodus 14:12).”
Article written by Pastor Thad Callahan. Lead Pastor of Grace Fellowship of Morehead, KY. Pastor of the greatest group of people around.
