181 I love you, Yahweh, my strength. 2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. 3 I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised;
and I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death surrounded me.
The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The cords of Sheol were around me.
The snares of death came on me. 6 In my distress I called on Yahweh,
and cried to my God.
He heard my voice out of his temple.
My cry before him came into his ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled.
The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken,
because he was angry. 8 Smoke went out of his nostrils.
Consuming fire came out of his mouth.
Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down.
Thick darkness was under his feet. 10 He rode on a cherub, and flew.
Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him,
darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed,
hailstones and coals of fire. 13 Yahweh also thundered in the sky.
The Most High uttered his voice:
hailstones and coals of fire. 14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them;
Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them. 15 Then the channels of waters appeared.
The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. 16 He sent from on high.
He took me.
He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me. 18 They came on me in the day of my calamity,
but Yahweh was my support. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place.
He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness.
According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all his ordinances were before me.
I didn’t put away his statutes from me. 23 I was also blameless with him.
I kept myself from my iniquity. 24 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful.
With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. 26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure.
With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. 27 For you will save the afflicted people,
but the haughty eyes you will bring down. 28 For you will light my lamp, Yahweh.
My God will light up my darkness.
29 For by you, I advance through a troop.
By my God, I leap over a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect.
The word of Yahweh is tried.
He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. 31 For who is God, except Yahweh?
Who is a rock, besides our God, 32 the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect? 33 He makes my feet like deer’s feet,
and sets me on my high places. 34 He teaches my hands to war,
so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
Your right hand sustains me.
Your gentleness has made me great. 36 You have enlarged my steps under me,
My feet have not slipped. 37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them.
Neither will I turn again until they are consumed. 38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise.
They shall fall under my feet. 39 For you have girded me with strength to the battle.
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
that I might cut off those who hate me. 41 They cried, but there was none to save;
even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. 42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind.
I cast them out as the mire of the streets. 43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people.
You have made me the head of the nations.
A people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me.
The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. 45 The foreigners shall fade away,
and shall come trembling out of their close places. 46 Yahweh lives; and blessed be my rock.
Exalted be the God of my salvation, 47 even the God who executes vengeance for me,
and subdues peoples under me. 48 He rescues me from my enemies.
Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me.
You deliver me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations,
and will sing praises to your name. 50 He gives great deliverance to his king,
and shows loving kindness to his anointed,
to David and to his seed, forevermore.
191 The heavens declare the glory of God.
The expanse shows his handiwork. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech,
and night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice has gone out through all the earth,
their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a strong man rejoicing to run his course. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heavens,
his circuit to its ends;
There is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul.
Yahweh’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple. 8 Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart.
Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever.
Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is your servant warned.
In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive me from hidden errors. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins.
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I will be upright.
I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly. 18 When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews; 20 how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus. [1] 22 Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there; 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. 24 But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God. 25 “Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching the Kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am clean from the blood of all men, 27 for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and [2] God which he purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. 32 Now, brothers, [3] I entrust you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver, or gold, or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me. 35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36 When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 They all wept a lot, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.
(Read Acts 20:17-27)
The elders knew that Paul was no designing, self-seeking man. Those who would in any office serve the Lord acceptably, and profitably to others, must do it with humility. He was a plain preacher, one that spoke his message so as to be understood. He was a powerful preacher; he preached the gospel as a testimony to them if they received it; but as a testimony against them if they rejected it. He was a profitable preacher; one that aimed to inform their judgments, and reform their hearts and lives. He was a painful preacher, very industrious in his work. He was a faithful preacher; he did not keep back reproofs when necessary, nor keep back the preaching of the cross. He was a truly Christian, evangelical preacher; he did not preach notions or doubtful matters; nor affairs of state or the civil government; but he preached faith and repentance. A better summary of these things, without which there is no salvation, cannot be given: even repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, with their fruits and effects. Without these no sinner can escape, and with these none will come short of eternal life. Let them not think that Paul left Asia for fear of persecution; he was in full expectation of trouble, yet resolved to go on, well assured that it was by Divine direction. Thanks be to God that we know not the things which shall befall us during the year, the week, the day which has begun. It is enough for the child of God to know that his strength shall be equal to his day. He knows not, he would not know, what the day before him shall bring forth. The powerful influences of the Holy Spirit bind the true Christian to his duty. Even when he expects persecution and affliction, the love of Christ constrains him to proceed. None of these things moved Paul from his work; they did not deprive him of his comfort. It is the business of our life to provide for a joyful death. Believing that this was the last time they should see him, he appeals concerning his integrity. He had preached to them the whole counsel of God. As he had preached to them the gospel purely, so he had preached it to them entire; he faithfully did his work, whether men would bear or forbear.
(Read Acts 20:28-38)
If the Holy Ghost has made ministers overseers of the flock, that is, shepherds, they must be true to their trust. Let them consider their Master's concern for the flock committed to their charge. It is the church He has purchased with his own blood. The blood was his as Man; yet so close is the union between the Divine and human nature, that it is there called the blood of God, for it was the blood of Him who is God. This put such dignity and worth into it, as to ransom believers from all evil, and purchase all good. Paul spake about their souls with affection and concern. They were full of care what would become of them. Paul directs them to look up to God with faith, and commends them to the word of God's grace, not only as the foundation of their hope and the fountain of their joy, but as the rule of their walking. The most advanced Christians are capable of growing, and will find the word of grace help their growth. As those cannot be welcome guests to the holy God who are unsanctified; so heaven would be no heaven to them; but to all who are born again, and on whom the image of God is renewed, it is sure, as almighty power and eternal truth make it so. He recommends himself to them as an example of not caring as to things of the present world; this they would find help forward their comfortable passage through it. It might seem a hard saying, therefore Paul adds to it a saying of their Master's, which he would have them always remember; "It is more blessed to give than to receive:" it seems they were words often used to his disciples. The opinion of the children of this world, is contrary to this; they are afraid of giving, unless in hope of getting. Clear gain, is with them the most blessed thing that can be; but Christ tell us what is more blessed, more excellent. It makes us more like to God, who gives to all, and receives from none; and to the Lord Jesus, who went about doing good. This mind was in Christ Jesus, may it be in us also. It is good for friends, when they part, to part with prayer. Those who exhort and pray for one another, may have many weeping seasons and painful separations, but they will meet before the throne of God, to part no more. It was a comfort to all, that the presence of Christ both went with him and stayed with them.
