431 Clear my name, God; stick up for me against these loveless, immoral people. Get me out of here, away from these lying degenerates. 2 I counted on you, God. Why did you walk out on me? Why am I pacing the floor, wringing my hands over these outrageous people? 3 Give me your lantern and compass, give me a map, So I can find my way to the sacred mountain, to the place of your presence, 4 To enter the place of worship, meet my exuberant God, Sing my thanks with a harp, magnificent God, my God. 5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God - soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God.
441 We've been hearing about this, God, all our lives. Our fathers told us the stories their fathers told them, 2 How single-handedly you weeded out the godless from the fields and planted us, How you sent those people packing but gave us a fresh start. 3 We didn't fight for this land; we didn't work for it - it was a gift! You gave it, smiling as you gave it, delighting as you gave it. 4 You're my King, O God - command victories for Jacob! 5 With your help we'll wipe out our enemies, in your name we'll stomp them to dust. 6 I don't trust in weapons; my sword won't save me - 7 But it's you, you who saved us from the enemy; you made those who hate us lose face. 8 All day we parade God's praise - we thank you by name over and over.
9 But now you've walked off and left us, you've disgraced us and won't fight for us. 10 You made us turn tail and run; those who hate us have cleaned us out. 11 You delivered us as sheep to the butcher, you scattered us to the four winds. 12 You sold your people at a discount - you made nothing on the sale. 13 You made people on the street, urchins, poke fun and call us names. 14 You made us a joke among the godless, a cheap joke among the rabble. 15 Every day I'm up against it, my nose rubbed in my shame - 16 Gossip and ridicule fill the air, people out to get me crowd the street.
17 All this came down on us, and we've done nothing to deserve it. 18 our hearts were never false, our feet never left your path. 19 Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals? or lockup in a black hole? 20 If we had forgotten to pray to our God or made fools of ourselves with store-bought gods, 21 Wouldn't God have figured this out? We can't hide things from him. 22 No, you decided to make us martyrs, lambs assigned for sacrifice each day. 23 Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day? Wake up! Don't you care what happens to us? 24 Why do you bury your face in the pillow? Why pretend things are just fine with us? 25 And here we are - flat on our faces in the dirt, held down with a boot on our necks. 26 Get up and come to our rescue. If you love us so much, Help us!
451 My heart bursts its banks, spilling beauty and goodness. I pour it out in a poem to the king, shaping the river into words: 2 "You're the handsomest of men; every word from your lips is sheer grace, and God has blessed you, blessed you so much. 3 Strap your sword to your side, warrior! Accept praise! Accept due honor! Ride majestically! Ride triumphantly! 4 Ride on the side of truth! Ride for the righteous meek! "Your instructions are glow-in-the-dark; 5 you shoot sharp arrows Into enemy hearts; the king's foes lie down in the dust, beaten.
6 "Your throne is God's throne, ever and always; The scepter of your royal rule measures right living. 7 You love the right and hate the wrong. And that is why God, your very own God, poured fragrant oil on your head, Marking you out as king from among your dear companions. 8 "Your ozone-drenched garments are fragrant with mountain breeze. Chamber music - from the throne room - makes you want to dance. 9 Kings' daughters are maids in your court, the Bride glittering with golden jewelry.
10 "Now listen, daughter, don't miss a word: forget your country, put your home behind you. 11 Be here - the king is wild for you. Since he's your lord, adore him. 12 Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre; rich guests shower you with presents." 13 (Her wedding dress is dazzling, lined with gold by the weavers; 14 All her dresses and robes are woven with gold. She is led to the king, followed by her virgin companions. 15 A procession of joy and laughter! a grand entrance to the king's palace!) 16 "Set your mind now on sons - don't dote on father and grandfather. You'll set your sons up as princes all over the earth. 17 I'll make you famous for generations; you'll be the talk of the town for a long, long time."
27 On the fourteenth night, adrift somewhere on the Adriatic Sea, at about midnight the sailors sensed that we were approaching land. 28 Sounding, they measured a depth of one hundred twenty feet, and shortly after that ninety feet. 29 Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out four anchors and prayed for daylight. 30 Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow. 31 Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his soldiers, "If these sailors don't stay with the ship, we're all going down." 32 So the soldiers cut the lines to the lifeboat and let it drift off. 33 With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast: "This is the fourteenth day we've gone without food. None of us has felt like eating! 34 But I urge you to eat something now. You'll need strength for the rescue ahead. You're going to come out of this without even a scratch!" 35 He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, passed it around, 36 and they all ate heartily - 37 two hundred seventy-six of us, all told! 38 With the meal finished and everyone full, the ship was further lightened by dumping the grain overboard.
39 At daybreak, no one recognized the land - but then they did notice a bay with a nice beach. They decided to try to run the ship up on the beach. 40 They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller, raised the sail, and ran before the wind toward the beach. 41 But we didn't make it. Still far from shore, we hit a reef and the ship began to break up. 42 The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so none could escape by swimming, 43 but the centurion, determined to save Paul, stopped them. He gave orders for anyone who could swim to dive in and go for it, 44 and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it to shore safely.
(Read Acts 27:21-29)
They did not hearken to the apostle when he warned them of their danger; yet if they acknowledge their folly, and repent of it, he will speak comfort and relief to them when in danger. Most people bring themselves into trouble, because they do not know when they are well off; they come to harm and loss by aiming to mend their condition, often against advice. Observe the solemn profession Paul made of relation to God. No storms or tempests can hinder God's favour to his people, for he is a Help always at hand. It is a comfort to the faithful servants of God when in difficulties, that as long as the Lord has any work for them to do, their lives shall be prolonged. If Paul had thrust himself needlessly into bad company, he might justly have been cast away with them; but God calling him into it, they are preserved with him. They are given thee; there is no greater satisfaction to a good man than to know he is a public blessing. He comforts them with the same comforts wherewith he himself was comforted. God is ever faithful, therefore let all who have an interest in his promises be ever cheerful. As, with God, saying and doing are not two things, believing and enjoying should not be so with us. Hope is an anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast, entering into that within the veil. Let those who are in spiritual darkness hold fast by that, and think not of putting to sea again, but abide by Christ, and wait till the day break, and the shadows flee away.
(Read Acts 27:30-38)
God, who appointed the end, that they should be saved, appointed the means, that they should be saved by the help of these shipmen. Duty is ours, events are God's; we do not trust God, but tempt him, when we say we put ourselves under his protection, if we do not use proper means, such as are within our power, for our safety. But how selfish are men in general, often even ready to seek their own safety by the destruction of others! Happy those who have such a one as Paul in their company, who not only had intercourse with Heaven, but was of an enlivening spirit to those about him. The sorrow of the world works death, while joy in God is life and peace in the greatest distresses and dangers. The comfort of God's promises can only be ours by believing dependence on him, to fulfil his word to us; and the salvation he reveals must be waited for in use of the means he appoints. If God has chosen us to salvation, he has also appointed that we shall obtain it by repentance, faith, prayer, and persevering obedience; it is fatal presumption to expect it in any other way. It is an encouragement to people to commit themselves to Christ as their Saviour, when those who invite them, clearly show that they do so themselves.
(Read Acts 27:39-44)
The ship that had weathered the storm in the open sea, where it had room, is dashed to pieces when it sticks fast. Thus, if the heart fixes in the world in affection, and cleaving to it, it is lost. Satan's temptations beat against it, and it is gone; but as long as it keeps above the world, though tossed with cares and tumults, there is hope for it. They had the shore in view, yet suffered shipwreck in the harbour; thus we are taught never to be secure. Though there is great difficulty in the way of the promised salvation, it shall, without fail, be brought to pass. It will come to pass that whatever the trials and dangers may be, in due time all believers will get safely to heaven. Lord Jesus, thou hast assured us that none of thine shall perish. Thou wilt bring them all safe to the heavenly shore. And what a pleasing landing will that be! Thou wilt present them to thy Father, and give thy Holy Spirit full possession of them for ever.
