311 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge.
Let me never be disappointed.
Deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Bow down your ear to me.
Deliver me speedily.
Be to me a strong rock,
a house of defense to save me. 3 For you are my rock and my fortress,
therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me. 4 Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me,
for you are my stronghold. 5 Into your hand I commend my spirit.
You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth. 6 I hate those who regard lying vanities,
but I trust in Yahweh. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness,
for you have seen my affliction.
You have known my soul in adversities. 8 You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy.
You have set my feet in a large place.
9 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress.
My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief. 10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
my years with sighing.
My strength fails because of my iniquity.
My bones are wasted away. 11 Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors,
A fear to my acquaintances.
Those who saw me on the street fled from me. 12 I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man.
I am like broken pottery. 13 For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side,
while they conspire together against me,
they plot to take away my life. 14 But I trust in you, Yahweh.
I said, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hand.
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. 16 Make your face to shine on your servant.
Save me in your loving kindness. 17 Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you.
Let the wicked be disappointed.
Let them be silent in Sheol. 18 Let the lying lips be mute,
which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.
19 Oh how great is your goodness,
which you have laid up for those who fear you,
which you have worked for those who take refuge in you,
before the sons of men! 20 In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man.
You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues. 21 Praise be to Yahweh,
for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city. 22 As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.”
Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you. 23 Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints!
Yahweh preserves the faithful,
and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly. 24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who hope in Yahweh.
321 Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh doesn’t impute iniquity,
in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me.
My strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to you.
I didn’t hide my iniquity.
I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh,
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 6 For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found.
Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him.
7 You are my hiding place.
You will preserve me from trouble.
You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go.
I will counsel you with my eye on you. 9 Don’t be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding,
who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you. 10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in Yahweh. 11 Be glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous!
Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!
16 But Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you.” 19 The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him. 21 Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.” 22 So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”
23 He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night [1].” 24 He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor. 25 He wrote a letter like this: 26 “Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. 27 “This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment. 30 When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.” 31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks. 33 When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, 35 “I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.
(Read Acts 23:12-24)
False religious principles, adopted by carnal men, urge on to such wickedness, as human nature would hardly be supposed capable of. Yet the Lord readily disappoints the best concerted schemes of iniquity. Paul knew that the Divine providence acts by reasonable and prudent means; and that, if he neglected to use the means in his power, he could not expect God's providence to work on his behalf. He who will not help himself according to his means and power, has neither reason nor revelation to assure him that he shall receive help from God. Believing in the Lord, we and ours shall be kept from every evil work, and kept to his kingdom. Heavenly Father, give us by thy Holy Spirit, for Christ's sake, this precious faith.
(Read Acts 23:25-35)
God has instruments for every work. The natural abilities and moral virtues of the heathens often have been employed to protect his persecuted servants. Even the men of the world can discern between the conscientious conduct of upright believers, and the zeal of false professors, though they disregard or understand not their doctrinal principles. All hearts are in God's hand, and those are blessed who put their trust in him, and commit their ways unto him.
