1161 I love the Lord , because He hears My voice and my supplications . 2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live . 3 The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow . 4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord : "O Lord , I beseech You, save my life !" 5 Gracious is the Lord , and righteous ; Yes, our God is compassionate . 6 The Lord preserves the simple ; I was brought low , and He saved me. 7 Return to your rest , O my soul , For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 8 For You have rescued my soul from death , My eyes from tears , My feet from stumbling . 9 I shall walk before the Lord In the land of the living .
10 I believed when I said , "I am greatly afflicted ." 11 I said in my alarm , " All men are liars ." 12 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? 13 I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the Lord . 14 I shall pay my vows to the Lord , Oh may it be in the presence of all His people . 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His godly ones . 16 O Lord , surely I am Your servant , I am Your servant , the son of Your handmaid , You have loosed my bonds . 17 To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving , And call upon the name of the Lord . 18 I shall pay my vows to the Lord , Oh may it be in the presence of all His people , 19 In the courts of the Lord'S house , In the midst of you, O Jerusalem . Praise the Lord !
1171 Praise the Lord , all nations ; Laud Him, all peoples ! 2 For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord is everlasting . Praise the Lord !
1181 Give thanks to the Lord , for He is good ; For His lovingkindness is everlasting . 2 Oh let Israel say , "His lovingkindness is everlasting ." 3 Oh let the house of Aaron say , "His lovingkindness is everlasting ." 4 Oh let those who fear the Lord say , "His lovingkindness is everlasting ." 5 From my distress I called upon the Lord ; The Lord answered me and set me in a large place . 6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear ; What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I will look with satisfaction 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 will surely cut them off . 11 They surrounded me, yes , they surrounded me; In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off . 12 They surrounded me like bees ; They were extinguished as a fire of thorns ; In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off . 13 You pushed me violently so that I was falling , But the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and song , And He has become my salvation . 15 The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous ; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly . 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted ; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly . 17 I will not die , but live , And tell of the works of the Lord . 18 The Lord has disciplined me severely , But He has not given me over to death .
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness ; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord . 20 This is the gate of the Lord ; The righteous will enter through it. 21 I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation . 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. 23 This is the Lord'S doing e ; It is marvelous in our eyes . 24 This is the day which the Lord has made ; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 O Lord , do save , we beseech You; O Lord , we beseech You, do send prosperity ! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord ; We have blessed you from the house of the Lord . 27 The Lord is God , and He has given us light ; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar . 28 You are my God , and I give thanks to You; You are my God , I extol You. 29 Give thanks to the Lord , for He is good ; For His lovingkindness is everlasting .
71 Now concerning the things about which you wrote , it is good for a man not to touch a woman . 2 But because of immoralities , each man is to have his own wife , and each woman is to have her own husband . 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife , and likewise also the wife to her husband . 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body , but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body , but the wife does. 5 Stop depriving one another , except by agreement for a time , so e that you may devote yourselves to prayer , and come together e e again so e that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control . 6 But this I say by way of concession , not of command . 7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However , each man has his own gift from God , one in this manner , and another e in that. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9 But if they do not have self-control , let them marry ; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 But to the married I give instructions , not I, but the Lord , that the wife should not leave her husband 11 (but if she does leave , she must remain unmarried , or else be reconciled to her husband ), and that the husband should not divorce his wife . 12 But to the rest I say , not the Lord , that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever , and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband , and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away . 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife , and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband ; for otherwise your children are unclean , but now they are holy . 15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves , let him leave ; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace . 16 For how do you know , O wife , whether you will save your husband ? Or how do you know , O husband , whether you will save your wife ?
17 Only e , as the Lord has assigned to each one , as God has called each , in this manner let him walk . And so I direct in all the churches . 18 Was any man called when he was already circumcised ? He is not to become uncircumcised . Has anyone been called in uncircumcision ? He is not to be circumcised . 19 Circumcision is nothing , and uncircumcision is nothing , but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God .
(Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-9)
The apostle tells the Corinthians that it was good, in that juncture of time, for Christians to keep themselves single. Yet he says that marriage, and the comforts of that state, are settled by Divine wisdom. Though none may break the law of God, yet that perfect rule leaves men at liberty to serve him in the way most suited to their powers and circumstances, of which others often are very unfit judges. All must determine for themselves, seeking counsel from God how they ought to act.
(Read 1 Corinthians 7:10-16)
Man and wife must not separate for any other cause than what Christ allows. Divorce, at that time, was very common among both Jews and Gentiles, on very slight pretexts. Marriage is a Divine institution; and is an engagement for life, by God's appointment. We are bound, as much as in us lies, to live peaceably with all men, Romans 12:18, therefore to promote the peace and comfort of our nearest relatives, though unbelievers. It should be the labour and study of those who are married, to make each other as easy and happy as possible. Should a Christian desert a husband or wife, when there is opportunity to give the greatest proof of love? Stay, and labour heartily for the conversion of thy relative. In every state and relation the Lord has called us to peace; and every thing should be done to promote harmony, as far as truth and holiness will permit.
(Read 1 Corinthians 7:17-24)
The rules of Christianity reach every condition; and in every state a man may live so as to be a credit to it. It is the duty of every Christian to be content with his lot, and to conduct himself in his rank and place as becomes a Christian. Our comfort and happiness depend on what we are to Christ, not what we are in the world. No man should think to make his faith or religion, an argument to break through any natural or civil obligations. He should quietly and contentedly abide in the condition in which he is placed by Divine Providence.
