Category: 260 Devotional

Psalm 119 (vv145-160)

English Standard Version (ESV)

Qoph – The truth of God’s Word^­

¹⁴⁵ With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!
    I will keep your statutes.
¹⁴⁶ I call to you; save me,
    that I may observe your testimonies.
¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I hope in your words.
¹⁴⁸ My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promise.
¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
    O Lord, according to your justice give me life.
¹⁵⁰ They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
    they are far from your law.
¹⁵¹ But you are near, O Lord,
    and all your commandments are true.
¹⁵² Long have I known from your testimonies
    that you have founded them forever.

Resh – Love for God’s Word^­

¹⁵³ Look on my affliction and deliver me,
    for I do not forget your law.
¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause and redeem me;
    give me life according to your promise!
¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked,
    for they do not seek your statutes.
¹⁵⁶ Great is your mercy, O Lord;
    give me life according to your rules.
¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
    but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
¹⁵⁸ I look at the faithless with disgust,
    because they do not keep your commands.
¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love your precepts!
    Give me life according to your steadfast love.
¹⁶⁰ The sum of your word is truth,
    and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

 

Reflection

• “I rise before dawn” (v147). Christians throughout history have been practicing this discipline of dedicating our first word, thought, and time of each day to our God of creation.
• How would such discipline help you face the challenges and excitement of everyday life?
• The phrase “Plead my cause” in v154 is a legal term. The writer is asking God to be his advocate – essentially, he is asking God to represent him as his attorney. As followers of Christ, we have the promise of a divine attorney that represents us in God’s courtroom. His name is Jesus (ref 1 John 2:1-2).
• “All your words are true” (v160, NV). The psalmist continued the theme in v152 and affirmed again his belief that God’s Word has endured and will endure forever.
• Continue praying for the personal struggles you are facing or for someone else who is struggling. Remember, we have an advocate in heaven (1 John 2:1-2) who intercedes with God on our behalf (Romans 8:34-39).

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

Pe – The Wonder of God’s Word^­

¹²⁹ Your testimonies are wonderful;
    therefore my soul keeps them.
¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it imparts understanding to the simple.
¹³¹ I open my mouth and pant,
    because I long for your commandments.
¹³² Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    as is your way with those who love your name.
¹³³ Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
    and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from man’s oppression,
    that I may keep your precepts.
¹³⁵ Make your face shine upon your servant,
    and teach me your statutes.
¹³⁶ My eyes shed streams of tears,
    because people do not keep your law.

Tsadhe – The Righteous Character of God’s Word^­

¹³⁷ Righteous are you, O Lord,
    and right are your rules.
¹³⁸ You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness
    and in all faithfulness.
¹³⁹ My zeal consumes me,
    because my foes forget your words.
¹⁴⁰ Your promise is well tried,
    and your servant loves it.
¹⁴¹ I am small and despised,
    yet I do not forget your precepts.
¹⁴² Your righteousness is righteous forever,
    and your law is true.
¹⁴³ Trouble and anguish have found me out,
    but your commandments are my delight.
¹⁴⁴ Your testimonies are righteous forever;
    give me understanding that I may live.

 

Reflection

1. The testimonies of the Lord are wonderful because they illuminate the understanding of the simple. The psalmist, realizing his total ignorance of God, felt a great hunger for his word as he eagerly devoured and learned from it.
2. The psalmist claimed that God’s word is so wonderful that he wanted to obey it. The Bible can illuminate our lives, show us where we are spiritually and point us in the direction we need to go and how to live.
3. If we read the Bible and keep it and let it transform our life, we will glorify God. We will be drawn to Him and He will draw near to us.
4. When we look at the people around us ignoring God and doing things against God’s will, we feel a deep pain and agony. For they are against the word of God that we treasure and the Lord that loves us all, including these rebellious people.
5. The world may look upon God’s people as “small and despised”, but when you stand on God’s promises, you are a giant.
6. Pray for your friends and relatives, those that don’t care for God’s word, and reject God’s love. God has been extending his invitation to them, directing and loving them. Pray that they will return and repent of their rebellion and receive the Lord as their Saviour and Lord, too.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

 

Samekh – The Reverence God’s Word Inspires^­

¹¹³ I hate the double-minded,
    but I love your law.
¹¹⁴ You are my hiding place and my shield;
    I hope in your word.
¹¹⁵ Depart from me, you evildoers,
    that I may keep the commandments of my God.
¹¹⁶ Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
    and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
¹¹⁷ Hold me up, that I may be safe
    and have regard for your statutes continually!
¹¹⁸ You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
    for their cunning is in vain.
¹¹⁹ All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
    therefore I love your testimonies.
¹²⁰ My flesh trembles for fear of you,
    and I am afraid of your judgments.

Ayin – The Vindication of Those Who Keep God’s Word^­

¹²¹ I have done what is just and right;
    do not leave me to my oppressors.
¹²² Give your servant a pledge of good;
    let not the insolent oppress me.
¹²³ My eyes long for your salvation
    and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
¹²⁴ Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
    and teach me your statutes.
¹²⁵ I am your servant; give me understanding,
    that I may know your testimonies!
¹²⁶ It is time for the Lord to act,
    for your law has been broken.
¹²⁷ Therefore I love your commandments
    above gold, above fine gold.
¹²⁸ Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;
    I hate every false way.

 

Reflection

1. We all experience pressure to take unnecessary risks, tell lies, cheat, steal, compromise our values and ethics and the list goes on and on. The psalmist dealt with it too. Even though he made it abundantly clear that he intended to live by God’s Word, but the pressure to compromise was strong. He prayed for the evildoers to depart from him and for God to uphold him. For he wanted to keep obeying God’s Word and not be put to shame (vv115-116).
2. We need to be focused and immersed in God’s word so that we may live our lives with meaning and bearing witnesses for the Lord.
3. God’s word has been given to us free – we can’t buy it nor sell it. And it’s way more valuable than gold or any other precious stones (v127). Though it’s priceless, it can nonetheless change all other values.
4. We are too easily influenced by the worldly value. We measure and compare by people’s income, or the price of an item. Pray and ask God to cleanse your inner being. And help you to see and treat all with Christ’s love.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

Mem – The Sweetness of God’s Word^­

⁹⁷ Oh how I love your law!
    It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸ Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
    for it is ever with me.
⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers,
    for your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged,
    for I keep your precepts.
¹⁰¹ I hold back my feet from every evil way,
    in order to keep your word.
¹⁰² I do not turn aside from your rules,
    for you have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ Through your precepts I get understanding;
    therefore I hate every false way.

Nun – The Illumination God’s Word Provides^­

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.
¹⁰⁶ I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
    to keep your righteous rules.
¹⁰⁷ I am severely afflicted;
    give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
¹⁰⁸ Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,
    and teach me your rules.
¹⁰⁹ I hold my life in my hand continually,
    but I do not forget your law.
¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me,
    but I do not stray from your precepts.
¹¹¹ Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
    for they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² I incline my heart to perform your statutes
    forever, to the end.

 

Reflection

1. The psalmist loved God’s law, it gave him more wisdom than his enemies, his teachers, and the elderly sages who did not have it. It had enabled him to maintain his personal purity.
2. If God’s Word is sweeter to us than worldly wisdom (v103) and if we are steadfast in following God’s word, we can also stand strong through the ups and downs of life…and bring glory to God.
3. If you google v105, you’ll get over 200,000 hits. There is a song titled after this verse and a video of musicians performing the song. There is also a book with the verse as its title. You can even buy a plaque for your wall or desk with this verse on it. What makes this verse so special?
4. It’s the truth this verse conveys that God’s Word is our light in a dark world showing us the way home. It is easy to get lost in life. We have so many decisions to make and so many distractions. How do we find our way back? By turning to God’s Word, our lamp and our light.
5. When we stand firm in God’s word and live by it (vv106-112), the truth comes alive. We become living testimonies of the power of God’s Word to illuminate darkened lives and transform people from being lost to being on a journey with God.
6. Do you consider yourself a student of God’s Word? To follow Jesus, we need to know his ways. We learn about his character, his ways, and his expectations of his followers by reading and studying God’s Word.

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

Kaph – The Reliability of God’s Word^­

⁸¹ My soul longs for your salvation;
    I hope in your word.
⁸² My eyes long for your promise;
    I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
⁸³ For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
    yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
⁸⁴ How long must your servant endure?
    When will you judge those who persecute me?
⁸⁵ The insolent have dug pitfalls for me;
    they do not live according to your law.
⁸⁶ All your commandments are sure;
    they persecute me with falsehood; help me!
⁸⁷ They have almost made an end of me on earth,
    but I have not forsaken your precepts.
⁸⁸ In your steadfast love give me life,
    that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.

Lamedh – The Permanence of God’s Word^­

⁸⁹ Forever, O Lord, your word
    is firmly fixed in the heavens.
⁹⁰ Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
    you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
⁹¹ By your appointment they stand this day,
    for all things are your servants.
⁹² If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.
⁹³ I will never forget your precepts,
    for by them you have given me life.
⁹⁴ I am yours; save me,
    for I have sought your precepts.
⁹⁵ The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
    but I consider your testimonies.
⁹⁶ I have seen a limit to all perfection,
    but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

 

Reflection

1. Ever feel like God has forgotten you? Perhaps you prayed your heart out and turned to the Bible for answers, but it seemed that God didn’t show up. This is the situation of the writer of this passage. He sank into the depths of despair.
2. His hope is still in God. He longs for the fulfillment of God’s promises. He clings to God’s Word. But, where is God? To paraphrase verses 83-84, he is praying, “God, I’m drying up. How long must I hold on? How long will it be before you help me?” Yet, in spite of severe attacks by his enemies, he had remained true to God’s ways and requested safe keeping.
3. In the second passage (vv89-96), at the point of desperation, the psalmist turns toward God in surrender and praise. He has not escaped the clutches of his despair, but he has turned toward his source of help.
4. At the depths of his despair, the psalmist was moved to proclaim the sovereignty of God that God’s Word is firmly fixed – it is settled. God’s faithfulness endures. God made everything and He is in control of everything.
5. Next time when you feel crushed down and defeated by life, turn to Psalm 119:89-96 and pray these verses to God.

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

 

Teth – Confidence in God’s Word^­

⁶⁵ You have dealt well with your servant,
    O Lord, according to your word.
⁶⁶ Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
    for I believe in your commandments.
⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray,
    but now I keep your word.
⁶⁸ You are good and do good;
    teach me your statutes.
⁶⁹ The insolent smear me with lies,
    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
⁷⁰ their heart is unfeeling like fat,
    but I delight in your law.
⁷¹ It is good for me that I was afflicted,
    that I might learn your statutes.
⁷² The law of your mouth is better to me
    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Yodh – God’s Word as an Object of Hope^­

⁷³ Your hands have made and fashioned me;
    give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
⁷⁴ Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
    because I have hoped in your word.
⁷⁵ I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous,
    and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
⁷⁶ Let your steadfast love comfort me
    according to your promise to your servant.
⁷⁷ Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
    for your law is my delight.
⁷⁸ Let the insolent be put to shame,
    because they have wronged me with falsehood;
    as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
⁷⁹ Let those who fear you turn to me,
    that they may know your testimonies.
⁸⁰ May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
    that I may not be put to shame!

 

Reflection

• Sometimes we have to experience the painful consequences of bad choices in order to better understand the joy that comes with living according to God’s Word. Like a child who gets burned by touching a hot stove after repeated warnings from a parent, we too sometimes have to experience the hurt that comes from going astray (v. 67). But, even though it may take time, once we learn the lesson we can often look back on the experience and say it was good. And we learned a lesson more valuable than money (vs. 71-72).
• What are some valuable lessons you’ve learned from decisions made in the past – good and bad decisions?
• In verses 74 and 78, the writer prays that those who honor God would turn to him (the writer) and: (1) rejoice because he has put his hope in God’s Word (2) know God’s testimonies. He seems to be asking God to let others look upon him and have hope in God because God’s word is alive and active in his life. Can others see God at work in your life?
• Do you consider yourself to be a role model for others to follow?
• Ask God to help you let his words be alive and active in your life. Help you be examples for others to follow, for others to have reasons to hope in God.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

Zayin – God’s Word as a Source of Hope^­

⁴⁹ Remember your word to your servant,
    in which you have made me hope.
⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my affliction,
    that your promise gives me life.
⁵¹ The insolent utterly deride me,
    but I do not turn away from your law.
⁵² When I think of your rules from of old,
    I take comfort, O Lord.
⁵³ Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
    who forsake your law.
⁵⁴ Your statutes have been my songs
    in the house of my sojourning.
⁵⁵ I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
    and keep your law.
⁵⁶ This blessing has fallen to me,
    that I have kept your precepts.

Heth – Strong Commitment to God’s Word^­

⁵⁷ The Lord is my portion;
    I promise to keep your words.
⁵⁸ I entreat your favor with all my heart;
    be gracious to me according to your promise.
⁵⁹ When I think on my ways,
    I turn my feet to your testimonies;
⁶⁰ I hasten and do not delay
    to keep your commandments.
⁶¹ Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
    I do not forget your law.
⁶² At midnight I rise to praise you,
    because of your righteous rules.
⁶³ I am a companion of all who fear you,
    of those who keep your precepts.
⁶⁴ The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
    teach me your statutes!

 

 

Reflection

• What are some of the promises found in God’s Word that give you hope, bring you comfort in difficult times and/or get you excited about living?
• As a review, take a look at the promises found in these verses: Romans 10:9 (salvation), Matthew 5:3-12 (the Beatitudes), Matthew 6:33-34 (God’s provision), John 14:1-3 (Jesus’ return for us). These are just a small sampling of the many promises that are found in God’s Word.
• Thank God for his promises to you that give you hope. Most of all, thank God for his son, Jesus, through whom you have the most wonderful promise and hope of all – peace with God.
• Is it OK to ask for God’s favor on our lives (v58)? This is essentially the same question in v17. But, here in verse 58, the psalmist straight out asked for God’s favor and His grace. But, notice the phrase, “…according to your promise.”
• How quickly do you obey God’s Word? Do you take His word as advice to be considered or as commands to be obeyed? In today’s world, advice is readily available. We can shop for the advice that sounds best to us. But, if we aren’t careful, advice – even seemingly good advice – can lead us to become entrapped in cords of wickedness (vs. 61). Remember, v45 indicates that following God’s Word brings freedom. Let’s hasten to keep His commands (vs. 60).

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

He – Loytal Commitment to God’s Word^­

³³ Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
    and I will keep it to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
    and observe it with my whole heart.
³⁵ Lead me in the path of your commandments,
    for I delight in it.
³⁶ Incline my heart to your testimonies,
    and not to selfish gain!
³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
    and give me life in your ways.
³⁸ Confirm to your servant your promise,
    that you may be feared.
³⁹ Turn away the reproach that I dread,
    for your rules are good.
⁴⁰ Behold, I long for your precepts;
    in your righteousness give me life!

Waw – God’s Word and Salvation^­

⁴¹ Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
    your salvation according to your promise;
⁴² then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
    for I trust in your word.
⁴³ And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
    for my hope is in your rules.
⁴⁴ I will keep your law continually,
    forever and ever,
⁴⁵ and I shall walk in a wide place,
    for I have sought your precepts.
⁴⁶ I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
    and shall not be put to shame,
⁴⁷ for I find my delight in your commandments,
    which I love.
⁴⁸ I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
    and I will meditate on your statutes.

 

Reflection

• When we find ourselves seeking selfish gain, we are to stop and incline our hearts to God’s Word (vs. 36). When we find ourselves pursuing worthless things, we are to stop and pursue God’s ways instead (vs. 37). Repentance is recognizing we’re wrong, stopping what we are doing wrong and starting to do what is right in God’s eyes. How do we know what is right in God’s eyes? His Word tells us.
• As the psalmist continued to offer his prayer, he said to God, “I will keep your law…forever…” The writer then followed with “…and I shall walk in a wide place…” This statement, in verse 45, also translates, “…and I will walk about in freedom…” (The Voice). The psalmist considered keeping God’s Word as freedom. Why?
• Disobedience, going against God’s Word, is bondage. We might think that living without the word of God gives us freedom. On the contrary, disobedience binds us with guilt, regrets, consequences of bad choices, anxieties and all kinds of problems. Living in obedience to God’s word may not prevent us from ever experiencing these things, but an obedient lifestyle offers us a spiritual freedom that living disobediently cannot provide.
• Pray and ask God to take away the bondage of your past disobedience and set you free to worship and serve him with clean hearts and minds. Thank God for the freedom you have in following God and living according to God’s ways.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

Gimel – An Appreciation of God’s Word^­

¹⁷ Deal bountifully with your servant,
    that I may live and keep your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
¹⁹ I am a sojourner on the earth;
    hide not your commandments from me!
²⁰ My soul is consumed with longing
    for your rules at all times.
²¹ You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
    who wander from your commandments.
²² Take away from me scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your testimonies.
²³ Even though princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will meditate on your statutes.
²⁴ Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

Daleth – A Prayer for Greater Understanding^­

²⁵ My soul clings to the dust;
    give me life according to your word!
²⁶ When I told of my ways, you answered me;
    teach me your statutes!
²⁷ Make me understand the way of your precepts,
    and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
²⁸ My soul melts away for sorrow;
    strengthen me according to your word!
²⁹ Put false ways far from me
    and graciously teach me your law!
³⁰ I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I set your rules before me.
³¹ I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
    let me not be put to shame!
³² I will run in the way of your commandments
    when you enlarge my heart!

 

Reflection

• Beginning with verse 17, Psalm 119 becomes a prayer. The psalmist asked God to enlighten him in order to understand God’s word for he found delight in and hunger for God’s Word.
• The psalmist asked that God would open his eyes to see “wondrous things” in God’s word. Paul prayed for Christians to have “the eyes of your hearts enlightened” (Eph 1:18).
• In v19, the psalmist described himself as a sojourner, a visitor passing through this world and asked God not to hide His commandments from him. In v20, he longed for God’s judgments – for His Word. Do you see yourself in this way, as someone passing through life who desperately needs the direction and counsel of God?
• Have you ever found yourself spiritually dry or disobedient to God’s Word? What did you do for spiritual revival? What role does God’s Word have in your spiritual revival?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

Reading Psalm 119

 

­  This is the longest psalm in the Bible. It contains a series of eight-line meditations based on each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalm celebrates a revelation which brings delight, because each fresh word from God reveals not just information but its author.

 

­  Here are some characteristics of this psalm:

• Psalm 119 is written in the form of an acrostic poem. An acrostic is a series of lines or verses, which begin with or contain particular letters that, when taken in order, spell out a word or phrase. For example, GRACE – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense – is an example of acrostic. Acrostics are often used as tools to help with memorization.
• It is divided into 22 stanzas of 8 verses each.
• It uses 8 different words for God’s law. The psalm uses the full meaning of these 8 words to elaborate on The Word of God.
• Beginning with verse 17, it is written in the form of a prayer.

­  The eight different Hebrew synonyms used throughout this psalm in referring to Scripture are:

• Law, a teaching, indicating a single command, the Books of Moses, or all of Scripture.
• Testimonies, vivid and unmistakable witnesses to man of God’s will.
• Way, the pattern of life required by God’s law.
• Precepts, detailed instructions given by God as guardian of his people.
• Statutes, binding laws engraved on a permanent record.
• Commandments, orders or decrees given by competent authority.
• Promise, a term often translated “word”, suggesting the trustworthiness of divine truth in any form.
• Rules (Ordinances/Judgment), judgments made by God, containing God’s judgments concerning man’s rights and duties.

 

­  Together these words form a clear picture of the Scriptures. They are God’s authoritative word, in which we can have complete confidence, and through which we learn to trust God and to live a life characterized by godliness.

­  These can be taken as twenty-two brief meditations, each launched with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and easy for memorization. They speak of the love revealed in words which unveil the author-God and serve as light to guide God’s children all his/her life.

­  The psalmist who wrote this longest psalm sought refuge from his persecutors and found strength by meditating on the Word of God. This psalm is largely a collection or anthology of prayers and thoughts about God’s Word. C. S. Lewis compared it to a piece of embroidery, done stitch by stitch in the quiet hours for the love of the subject and for the delight in leisurely, disciplined craftsmanship. 

 

 

 

 

 

Psalm 119 (vv1-16)

English Standard Version (ESV)

Aleph – The Blessing of Obeying God’s Word^­

¹ Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord!
² Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
³ who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways!
⁴ You have commanded your precepts
    to be kept diligently.
⁵ Oh that my ways may be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes!
⁶ Then I shall not be put to shame,
    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
⁷ I will praise you with an upright heart,
    when I learn your righteous rules.
⁸ I will keep your statutes;
    do not utterly forsake me!

Beth – The Cleansing Power of God’s Word^­

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹ I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
¹² Blessed are you, O Lord;
    teach me your statutes!
¹³ With my lips I declare
    all the rules of your mouth.
¹⁴ In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

 

Reflection

• In the first paragraph, the psalmist rejoiced in the fact that people who obey God’s word wholeheartedly enjoy God’s blessing. The word “blessed” also translates as “happy”. Re-read verses 1-2 again substituting ‘happy’ in place of ‘blessed’. Based on these verses, how can we pursue happiness?
• God’s word is not a set of rules and regulations to keep us pure and moral. It is God’s total wisdom for creation, protection and redemption. Our only proper response is to wholeheartedly obey and follow.
• To store up God’s word in our heart (v11) is not limited to the memorization of individual verses or even whole passages. It extends to a holistic living in a person’s devotion to the Lord.
• Memorize v11 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you live the verse out in your daily life. You may memorize it by learning this children song by Steve Green. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOoeQoRHZVs

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

^­    Subtitle of each paragraph is from http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/OT/Psalms/Psalms.htm

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

118 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

² Let Israel say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”
³ Let the house of Aaron say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”

⁵ Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
    the Lord answered me and set me free.
⁶ The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
    What can man do to me?
⁷ The Lord is on my side as my helper;
    I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in man.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.

¹⁰ All nations surrounded me;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
¹¹ They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
¹² They surrounded me like bees;
    they went out like a fire among thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
¹³ I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
    but the Lord helped me.

¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my song;
    he has become my salvation.

 

Reflection

• The psalmist expresses thanks to God for delivering Israel from her many enemies. They had much to thank God for, especially His love which endures forever (vv1-4).
• Then, the psalmist gave personal testimony to God’s deliverance of him in answer to his prayer. God was with him, so he was not afraid of what others might do to him. The Lord would be his helper, even when his enemies surrounded him, The Lord gave him confidence that he could prevail over his adversaries.
• When God’s people discover that everything we have experienced actually demonstrates God’s enduring love for us, then whenever believers gather, it will be a Thanksgiving service. “Not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10)
• For what events in your life are you particularly grateful to God?
• How did God prove to be your helper, your strength or your salvation?
• Give thanks to the Lord (v1) for his goodness and his forever steadfast love for you.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

 

The Lord’s Faithfulness Endures Forever

117Praise the Lord, all nations!
    Extol him, all peoples!

²                 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

 

Reflection

• This shortest of all the psalms focuses attention on the importance of praising God for two of His most wonderful qualities, namely: his loyal love and his faithfulness.
• Here the psalmist celebrates a truth of which the prophets often spoke. God is the savior not only of Israel, but of the world. In Christ, the vision of this psalm has been fulfilled. All the nations, all peoples, praise and extol the Lord for the salvation Jesus has won.
• Recount your experience and knowledge of God’s love and faithfulness. Draw close to Him in praise and thanksgiving and tell Him how grateful you are for all His blessings in your life.

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

I Love the Lord

116I love the Lord, because he has heard

    my voice and my pleas for mercy.

²                 Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

³                 The snares of death encompassed me;
    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
    I suffered distress and anguish.

⁴                 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

⁵                 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
    our God is merciful.

⁶                 The Lord preserves the simple;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.

⁷                 Return, O my soul, to your rest;
    for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

⁸                 For you have delivered my soul from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling;

⁹                 I will walk before the Lord
    in the land of the living.

¹⁰               I believed,even when I spoke:
    “I am greatly afflicted”;

¹¹               I said in my alarm,
    “All mankind are liars.”

¹²               What shall I render to the Lord
    for all his benefits to me?

¹³               I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord,

¹⁴               I will pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵               Precious in the sight of the Lord
    is the death of his saints.

¹⁶               O Lord, I am your servant;
    I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
    You have loosed my bonds.

¹⁷               I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
    and call on the name of the Lord.

¹⁸               I will pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,

¹⁹               in the courts of the house of the Lord,
    in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

 

Reflection

• The psalmist gave thanks to God for delivering him from imminent death and for lengthening his life. He promised to praise God in the temple for these blessings.
• This is a hymn of individual thanksgiving, and it is also messianic. This is a good psalm to read when you need to recommit yourself to serving God.
• Recall a time when you did call on God and he answered you and showed you great and mighty things. What was this experience like for you? What “sacrifice of thanksgiving” could you give to God?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

To Your Name Give Glory

115Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,

            for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

²                 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”

³                 Our God is in the heavens;
    he does all that he pleases.

⁴                 Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.

⁵                 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.

⁶                 They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.

⁷                 They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    and they do not make a sound in their throat.

⁸                 Those who make them become like them;
    so do all who trust in them.

⁹                 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.

¹⁰               O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.

¹¹               You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.

¹²               The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us;
    he will bless the house of Israel;
    he will bless the house of Aaron;

¹³               he will bless those who fear the Lord,
    both the small and the great.

¹⁴               May the Lord give you increase,
    you and your children!

¹⁵               May you be blessed by the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

¹⁶               The heavens are the Lord’s heavens,
    but the earth he has given to the children of man.

¹⁷               The dead do not praise the Lord,
    nor do any who go down into silence.

¹⁸               But we will bless the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!

 

Reflection

• This is a hymn sung by the whole community, rejoicing in its solidarity as a people of the Lord. We are taught to give glory to God, and not to ourselves (v 1); and not to idols (vv 2-8). We must give glory to God by trusting in him, in his promise and blessing (vv 9-15); and by blessing him (vv 16-18). 
• Passover recalls events which set the God of Israel apart from the deities of all nations. Pagans scoff because God cannot be seen, yet their idols of silver and gold are inanimate lumps. Therefore, God’s people cry out together:

O Israel, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.

O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.

You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.

• What are some modern idols? Christian idols? In what sense do you become what you worship? Are there any ideas, things, people that you trust more readily than God?
• Consider how vastly superior God is to all idols. Ask God to help you forsake the idols in your life.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Tremble at the Presence of the Lord

114WhenIsrael went out from Egypt,
    the house of Jacob froma people of strange language,

²                 Judah became hissanctuary,
    Israel his dominion.

³                 The sea looked and fled;
    Jordan turned back.

⁴                 The mountains skipped like rams,
    the hills like lambs.

⁵                 Whatails you, O sea, that you flee?
    O Jordan, that you turn back?

⁶                 O mountains, that you skip like rams?
    O hills, like lambs?

⁷                 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,

⁸                 who turns the rock into a pool of water,
    the flint into a spring of water.

 

Reflection

• When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, he dwelt among them and ruled over them.
• The psalmist personified the Red Sea as seeing the Israelites coming and fleeing from them by parting its waters. Later when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, the Jordan River backed up as far as the town of Adam, farther north in the Jordan Valley, to let them cross. The mountains around Sinai quaked when God came down on Mt. Horeb to meet with his people.
• Therefore, everyone should tremble before the Lord (v7), as God’s creation does, because he uses his great power to save and to provide for his people. Remembering his deliverance and provision should move us to fear and be in awe of him. And we offer him praise.
• Where does your “salvation history” begin? What main events would you retell in a personal psalm?
• What in your life was: (1) Egypt? (2) The Red Sea? (3) The Jordan? (4) Sinai? (5) Water from the rock?

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

Who Is like the Lord Our God?

113Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!

²                 Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore!

³                 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised!

⁴                 The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!

⁵                 Who is like the Lord our God,
    who is seated on high,

⁶                 who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth?

⁷                 Heraises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

⁸                 to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.

⁹                 Hegives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

 

Reflection

• Psalm 113 is the first of a collection of six psalms (Ps 113-118) used in the celebration of Passover. They affirmed God for raising up the oppressed (Ps 113), and for deliverance from Egypt (Ps 114). They offered the praise of the community (Ps 115), the individual (Ps 116), and all the nationals (Ps 117). The cycle concluded with an exultant shout of praise that looked forward to the coming Messiah (Ps 118).
• Passover was truly a season of praise. Each year, the Jewish people recalled all God had done for them as each Jewish family reenacted the supper held the night death struck Egypt and passed by the blood-marked homes of God’s own. At last Pharaoh agreed to release his slaves. Passover thus was a festival of freedom, a joyous celebration of God’s salvation.
• The God of Israel, who is exalted over all nations and whose glory is above the heavens, stooped down to raise “the poor from the dust”, and lift “the needy from the ash heap”. It is fitting to praise the Lord God.
• We Christians too have a Passover to celebrate. God in Christ became a man, and humbled himself to accept death, that we, who are marked with his blood through our faith, might be lifted up beyond princes, to stand before the very throne of God.
• Spend some time meditating on your own Passover experience. Offer a praise and thanksgiving to God and the Passover Lamb.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved

112Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
    who greatly delights in his commandments!

²                 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.

³                 Wealth and riches are in his house,
    and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴                 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
    he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

⁵                 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
    who conducts his affairs with justice.

⁶                 For the righteous will never be moved;
    he will be remembered forever.

⁷                 He is not afraid of bad news;
    his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

⁸                 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
    until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

⁹                 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
    his righteousness endures forever;
    his horn is exalted in honor.

¹⁰               The wicked man sees it and is angry;
    he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
    the desire of the wicked will perish!

 

Reflection

• Ps 112, like Psalm 111, is an acrostic psalm, with each lines beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. While Psalm 111 celebrates God’s mighty deeds on behalf of the people, Psalm 112 offers instruction for response to God by the people.  
• This psalm puts the spotlight on humans, focusing on the blessings enjoyed by those who fear God (vv2-3). Though living in a dark and evil world, God’s people will be secure and steady because their hearts are with the Lord (vv4, 7-8, 10). Having themselves experienced God’s mighty acts on their behalf as well as God’s quiet, steady action of blessing (v2), they will share with the poor what God has given them (vv5, 9).
• If our sense of security and happiness depends on the stock market, the weather forecast, the evaluation report, we will continually be anxious of the “bad news”. However, if we honour the Lord, live according to God’s commandments and respond to God in praise and worship, our lives are built upon the solid eternal foundation of the Lord. We are being transformed by our relationship with the Lord and we will not be “afraid of bad news”, and our hearts will remain “firm, trusting in the Lord”.
• Do any of the lines in this psalm fit someone you admire? Do any fit yourself? Which one do you wish to fit you?

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

Great Are the Lord’s Works

111Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

²                 Great are the works of the Lord,
    studied by all who delight in them.

³                 Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
    and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴                 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and merciful.

⁵                 He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.

⁶                 He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the inheritance of the nations.

⁷                 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy;

⁸                 they are established forever and ever,
    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

⁹                 He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant forever.
    Holy and awesome is his name!

¹⁰               The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever!

 

Reflection

• The psalmist called God’s people to praise him, and declared that he would praise God publicly. He cited examples of God’s goodness, and praised him for his redemption and faithfulness.
• God’s people should commit to memory the great characteristics and works of their God so they will remember to trust and obey Him. Try to memorize these 10 short verses and allow them to move you to praise God. As you review this psalm, you will be reminded that God has chosen to exercise his power to redeem and to care for you, his child.
• How has God worked in your recent personal history? Can you think of any “works” you could remember (v4)?

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Sit at My Right Hand

A Psalm of David.

110 The Lord says to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”

² The Lord sends forth from Zion
    your mighty scepter.
    Rule in the midst of your enemies!
³ Your people will offer themselves freely
    on the day of your power,
    in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
    the dew of your youth will be yours.
⁴ The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
    after the order of Melchizedek.”

⁵ The Lord is at your right hand;
    he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
⁶ He will execute judgment among the nations,
    filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
    over the wide earth.
⁷ He will drink from the brook by the way;
    therefore he will lift up his head.

 

Reflection

• This psalm acknowledges God as the eternal King-Priest who will settle all disputes and judge all nations. The New Testament often uses this psalm to refer to Jesus as the Anointed One (Messiah) in the continuing dynasty of David. It refers both to His kingly role (v1, Acts 2:34-35) and the priestly role (v4, Heb 5:6).
• Think about the enemies you have. Picture them and yourself one day coming to Christ the Supreme Justice who will settle all disputes and rule with an iron hand.  That means submitting any of your own behaviors and beliefs that are not conformed or submissive to the Lord. How do you feel as you consider this scene?
• Whatever battles you are engaged in right now, rest assured that the Lord will ultimately triumph and that the Lord’s army will tackle those problems with you.
• What battles or problems can you turn over to him now for his intercession and judgment?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

Help Me, O Lord My God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹ Be not silent, O God of my praise!
² For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
    speaking against me with lying tongues.

⁶ Appoint a wicked man against him;
    let an accuser stand at his right hand.
⁷ When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
    let his prayer be counted as sin!
⁸ May his days be few;
    may another take his office!
⁹ May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow!
¹⁰ May his children wander about and beg,
    seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
¹¹ May the creditor seize all that he has;
    may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
¹² Let there be none to extend kindness to him,
    nor any to pity his fatherless children!
¹³ May his posterity be cut off;
    may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
¹⁴ May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
    and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!
¹⁵ Let them be before the Lord continually,
    that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!

²¹ But you, O God my Lord,
    deal on my behalf for your name’s sake;
    because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!
²² For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is stricken within me.
²³ I am gone like a shadow at evening;
    I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴ My knees are weak through fasting;
    my body has become gaunt, with no fat.
²⁵ I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
    when they see me, they wag their heads.

 

²⁶ Help me, O Lord my God!
    Save me according to your steadfast love!
²⁷ Let them know that this is your hand;
    you, O Lord, have done it!
²⁸ Let them curse, but you will bless!
    They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!
²⁹ May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
    may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!

³⁰ With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
    I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
³¹ For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
    to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.

 

Reflection

• Puzzled and distraught, David listed the crimes of those who wanted to kill him for they returned attack for kindness, tried to corrupt the court, wished for the ruin of his family and lied constantly. So, David wanted God to turn the evil back toward his enemies, to curse and shame them. He appealed to God’s steadfast love and care for the poor and the needy and prayed for his vindication. But he left justice in God’s hands rather than acting vengefully on his own. This is a valuable lesson for us today.
• For most of us, anger is not a comfortable emotion. We know the damage that anger can do, the pain it can cause. We know that we have been hurt, and anger feeds our desire to hurt back. Feeling anger and expressing it honestly to God and to others makes it possible for us to continue growing toward forgiveness.
• What do you usually do when you are angry with someone who is important to you? What anger do you want to express to God today?
• How would expressing your anger to God be helpful to you? How can other people be helpful to you in your struggle with anger?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

With God We Shall Do Valiantly

A Song. A Psalm of David.

108 My heart is steadfast, O God!
    I will sing and make melody with all my being!
² Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
³ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
⁴ For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!
⁶ That your beloved ones may be delivered,
    give salvation by your right hand and answer me!

⁷ God has promised in his holiness:
    “With exultation I will divide up Shechem
    and portion out the Valley of Succoth.
⁸ Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet,
    Judah my scepter.
⁹ Moab is my washbasin;
    upon Edom I cast my shoe;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

¹⁰ Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
¹¹ Have you not rejected us, O God?
    You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
¹² Oh grant us help against the foe,
    for vain is the salvation of man!
¹³ With God we shall do valiantly;
    it is he who will tread down our foes.

 

Reflection

• David began this psalm, which is a prayer for help against Israel’s enemies, with an expression of total confidence in the Lord. David’s very petition was worship, for he knew that “your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds”.
• God has promised the victory that David claimed. To “cast my shoe” (v9) represented Israel’s domination of a humbled and submissive Moab. David, even before the battle, so relied on the covenant commitment of God to be with Israel’s armies, that he spoke as if the victories were already won.
• This is a great expression of dependence on God and trust in Him for the deliverance He promised. We who are God’s people should face our spiritual enemies with the same humility and confidence.
• How has God’s provision or rescue for you in the past give you hope for the future?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

107 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!
² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    whom he has redeemed from trouble
³ and gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

⁴ Some wandered in desert wastes,
    finding no way to a city to dwell in;
⁵ hungry and thirsty,
    their soul fainted within them.
⁶ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷ He led them by a straight way
    till they reached a city to dwell in.
⁸ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
⁹ For he satisfies the longing soul,
    and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

¹⁰ Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    prisoners in affliction and in irons,
¹¹ for they had rebelled against the words of God,
    and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
¹² So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
    they fell down, with none to help.
¹³ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
    and burst their bonds apart.
¹⁵ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
¹⁶ For he shatters the doors of bronze
    and cuts in two the bars of iron.

 

 

 

Reflection

• The hungry, thirsty, and homeless of Judah cried to the Lord. God redeemed, and with unfailing love led them to a city where they could settle.
• The pattern seen here is followed in each portrait of redemption. (If time permits, try to read through the whole chapter.) Calamity leaves God’s people in desperate straits. They cry to God. He rescues them. Each calamity and rescue enriches our understanding of redemption, that we might praise God.
• In response to God’s rescue, the psalmist calls us to: “thank the Lord for his steadfast love…” (vv8, 15, 21, 31). Thanksgiving leads us to remember God’s action, but even more, it gives witness to God’s character – his goodness, his steadfast love, etc.
• Are you likely to call out to God in the midst of your trouble as those in this passage did? Why or why not?
• In what ways can you imitate the goodness of God displayed in this psalm?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Paul Arrives at Rome

¹¹ After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. ¹² Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. ¹³ And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵ And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. ¹⁶ And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.

Paul in Rome

¹⁷ After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸ When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. ¹⁹ But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. ²⁰ For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.”²¹ And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. ²² But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”

²³ When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. ²⁴ And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. ²⁵ And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁶ “‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
²⁷ For this people’s heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’

²⁸ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the gentiles; they will listen.”

³⁰ He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

 

Reflection

• Paul spent two years of imprisonment in Rome welcoming everyone who came to his house. Acts began with a crucifixion turned into a resurrection. There had been imprisonments, beatings, martyrdoms – not just for Paul but for many members of the early church. There had been open threats and secret intrigues. And there had been the more subtle danger of compromise – the pressure to be drawn back into Jewish ritual, absorbed into the old rule-keeping. Through it all, the gospel of Christ was spread to the world. Every attempt to confine it, to compromise it, to muffle it, to reject it was in the end ineffective. It spread from the center of the world in Rome through the far reaches of the globe.
• Acts closes with this image: Paul, opening his home and his heart, preaches boldly and without hindrance to all visitors. As he has received hospitality, he offers it to “all who came to him.” As “God shows no partiality” (10:34), God’s messengers must be similarly inclusive.  
• The words “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance ” (v31) summarize not only Paul’s two years in Rome, but his whole Christian life.
• Take a moment to reflect: To what degree would you like v31 to be a summary of your life as well?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Paul Sails for Rome

27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. ² And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. ³ The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. ⁴ And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. ⁵ And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. ⁶ There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. ⁷ We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. ⁸ Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

⁹ Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, ¹⁰ saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” ¹¹ But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. ¹² And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

The Storm at Sea

¹³ Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. ¹⁴ But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. ¹⁵ And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶ Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. ¹⁷ After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. ¹⁸ Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. ¹⁹ And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

²¹ Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. ²² Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³ For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, ²⁴ and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ ²⁵ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. ²⁶ But we must run aground on some island.”

Reflection

• In spite of the terrible conditions, Paul spoke hopefully that an angel of God had appeared to him in the night and assured him that he would arrive in Rome and stand trial before Caesar; and all who were with him would get there, too. He said, “Do not be afraid … take heart” (the Message vv24-25). God would strip them of what had obscured their awareness of him – the ship, the job, and the mad rush to Rome. But their lives would be preserved.
• God is also out to get us. Everything we consider a loss can be a chance to discover God at the center, to realize the preciousness of life itself, of love unencumbered by lust and pride and greed. God’s voice keeps coming in the midst of terror, disaster and hopelessness: “Do not be afraid … take heart.”
• Tell God your fear and helplessness. Find God in the midst of your problem and His presence. Listen to Him telling you: “Do not be afraid … take heart.”

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

……

¹² “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me.¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,¹⁷ delivering you from your people and from the gentiles—to whom I am sending you ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

¹⁹ “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. ²¹ For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.²² To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: ²³ that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the gentiles.”

²⁴ And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” ²⁵ But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. ²⁶ For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” ²⁸ And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” ²⁹ And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

³⁰ Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. ³¹ And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

 

Reflection

• Though his innocence has been clearly stated many times, Paul remains a prisoner. He repeatedly has to face the unfair charges of the Jewish leaders. He has made his defense with integrity and power, and in return he gets only threats of death. In it all, Paul’s witness remains consistent. And his greatest desire is that his accusers and those in judgment over him “should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (v20).
• How do you respond to the unfairness and injustice in the world around you—poverty, homelessness, the unfairness in your own life? It is difficult to assume an attitude like Paul’s in the face of injustice. But God sees and knows what is right, and he understands the anger we feel.
• Ask God to give you the proper response to injustice and a heart that is soft toward those who do not know him.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Paul Appeals to Caesar

25 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, ³ asking as a favor against Paulthat he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. ⁴ Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. ⁵ “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

⁶ After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. ⁷ When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. ⁸ Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” ⁹ But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” ¹⁰ But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” ¹² Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

¹³ Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. ¹⁴ And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, ¹⁵ and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. ¹⁶ I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. ¹⁷ So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. ¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. ¹⁹ Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. ²⁰ Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. ²¹ But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”²² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

²³ So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. ²⁶ But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

 

Reflection

• Two years had passed since the last trial, and Festus had become the new governor. The Jews had not given up. The Jewish leaders “requested” that Festus transfer Paul to Jerusalem so that he could be put on trial (v3). They were, in fact, preparing to ambush Paul on the way and kill him. Festus refused but asked the Jewish leaders to come to Caesarea for the trial.
• In Caesarea, Festus convened the court. Paul was brought in and the Jewish leaders stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him that “they could not prove” (v7). Paul had a brief but strong defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense” (v8).
• Paul has kept his identity as a Roman, a Jew, and a Christian. He diligently laboured for the Lord, he obeyed the Roman’s law, and he didn’t defy the Temple and the Jewish tradition. And Festus and King Agrippa knew he was innocent.
• Every one of us carries different identities: a citizen of a country, an employee of a company, a student of a school, a friend to someone, a member of a family.   How are you keeping your various identities?

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Paul Before Felix at Caesarea

24 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. ² And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, ³ in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. ⁴ But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. ⁵ For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. ⁶ He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. ⁸ By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

⁹ The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

¹⁰ And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. ¹¹ You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, ¹² and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. ¹³ Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. ¹⁴ But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. ¹⁶ So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. ¹⁷ Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. ¹⁸ While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— ¹⁹ they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, ²¹ other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”

Paul Kept in Custody

²² But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” ²³ Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

²⁴ After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” ²⁶ At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. ²⁷ When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

 

Reflection

• The high priest Ananias brought some elders and a spokesman before the Roman governor Felix. Paul made a compelling defense and showed how weak the chief priest’s case against him was. But Felix waffled, and refused to decide the case. Paul was put under house arrest, and kept there for two years. Later Felix and his third wife heard Paul’s discourse on “righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment” (v25). Felix was frightened and sent Paul away. Only his hope that Paul would offer him a bribe moved Felix to talk with Paul from time to time.
• It seems this is a defeat for Paul. But in fact it was success! For Paul, and the Gospel, had a hearing. We shouldn’t expect to be popular, or that the majority of folks will experience instant conversion. But we must have a chance to be heard.
• To follow up on #4 of Ch 22’s reflection; have you had an opportunity to share your story with someone? Did you have a hearing? How was it received? What did you learn from this experience? Pray on.

o    Lord, I pray that you draw ___________ to yourself.

o    I ask you, Lord, to prevent Satan from blinding ___________ to the truth.

o    Holy Spirit, I ask you to convict ___________ of sin and the need for Christ’s redemption.

o    I ask that you send someone who will share the gospel with ___________.

o    Lord, I pray that ___________ will confess Jesus as Lord, grow in faith, and bear fruit for your glory. Amen.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

23 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” ² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” ⁴ Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” ¹⁰ And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

A Plot to Kill Paul

¹² When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

¹⁶ Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” ¹⁹ The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” ²⁰ And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. ²¹ But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” ²² So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

 

Reflection

1. In the court, Paul identified himself with the Pharisees, and claimed that the real issue before the court was belief in resurrection. It was his resurrection from the dead, that Jesus was proven “with power to be the son of God” (Rom 1:4).
2. However, an uproar broke out (v7). Paul wasn’t able to continue his defense. The dispute became so violent that Lysias, the commander, had Paul brought into the barracks (v10) into protective custody by the Roman authority. For the rest of Acts, Paul remain a prisoner of the Romans for more than four years.
3. The situation must have seemed bleak to Paul. He had been warned over and over again that he would face dire troubles in Jerusalem. But in one of the darkest nights of his life, Jesus appeared to Paul and said “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” (v11). As during other critical moments of Paul’s ministry and life, God gave him special reassurance through a vision.
4. The protection of God the Father’s strong arms is always around us. Think about God’s hand in your life and ministry. How have you seen him work to protect and direct you toward his will? Thank him for his mighty but unseen acts that keep you safe and secure as you walk through this life.
5. In what ways do you need to grow in humbly acknowledging God’s hand in your life? How has your hope for God’s will to be done in you been affected by looking at God’s hand in Paul’s life?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

22 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”

² And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:

³ “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. ⁴ I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, ⁵ as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

¹² “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ¹³ came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;¹⁵ for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

¹⁷ “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ ²¹ And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the gentiles.’”

Reflection

• Paul’s faith began in an amazing way on the road to Damascus. He was bold to share his story and ultimately God’s story. This chapter gives us a thorough yet succinct explanation of the person Paul was before he met Christ, how he met Christ, and the person he became after he met Christ.
• Reflect on your story –Who were you before Christ? What was like when you met Christ? In what ways is your life different now as a result of meeting him? Are other people different today because of your interaction with Jesus?
• Think about how you might describe your life-altering encounter with the living God and your faith journey. Now write your story of faith in just two or three paragraphs. Make it a simple but interesting story of your faith journey.
• Pray that God will provide you an opportunity to present your story of God and you with another person in the coming week. When you sense the open opportunity, take the risk and share the stories.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Paul Goes to Jerusalem

21 And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. ³ When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed ⁶ and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. ⁸ On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. ¹⁰ While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the gentiles.’”¹² When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”

¹⁵ After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.¹⁶ And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.

 

Reflection

• Believers in Caesarea pleaded Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but to no avail. So, they said, “The Lord’s will be done.” How would this prayer “The Lord’s will be done” explain who’s really in control of your life? Now, who’s in charge of your life? Is God in his rightful place in your life, or is there another “god” seated on that throne?
• On January 8, 1956, deep in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador, five missionaries were brutally murdered by a tribe of Stone Age Indians. The five young men sang this hymn “We Rest on Thee” as they went to their death, taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Auca Indians.

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.

Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear Name, all other names above;
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

• The five missionaries and their families knew that God was in charge of their lives. Theirs is a life that lived out the prayer “The Lord’s will be done.” After the murdering, the wives and other family members decided to stay to continue the missionary work left by their loved ones among these people. A tragedy beyond comprehension, through love and forgiveness, has been transformed to an inspiring and moving story of miracles.
• Here is their story told by the son of one of the missionaries, Steve Saint. “End of the Spear” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-gg27Ltf98

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.