Praise for Deliverance

401 I waited patiently for Yahweh.
He turned to me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit,
out of the miry clay.
He set my feet on a rock,
and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God.
Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh. 4 Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust,
and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done,
and your thoughts which are toward us.
They can’t be declared back to you.
If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

6 Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire.
You have opened my ears.
You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come.
It is written about me in the book in the scroll. 8 I delight to do your will, my God.
Yes, your law is within my heart.” 9 I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly.
Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know. 10 I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart.
I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation.
I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.

11 Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh.
Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me.
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up.
They are more than the hairs of my head.
My heart has failed me. 13 Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me.
Hurry to help me, Yahweh. 14 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it.
Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt. 15 Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!” 16 Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you.
Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!” 17 But I am poor and needy.
May the Lord think about me.
You are my help and my deliverer.
Don’t delay, my God.

A Prayer for Healing

411 Blessed is he who considers the poor.
Yahweh will deliver him in the day of evil. 2 Yahweh will preserve him, and keep him alive.
He shall be blessed on the earth,
and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies. 3 Yahweh will sustain him on his sickbed,
and restore him from his bed of illness. 4 I said, “Yahweh, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

5 My enemies speak evil against me:
“When will he die, and his name perish?” 6 If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood.
His heart gathers iniquity to itself.
When he goes abroad, he tells it. 7 All who hate me whisper together against me.
They imagine the worst for me. 8 “An evil disease,” they say, “has afflicted him.
Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.” 9 Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
who ate bread with me,
has lifted up his heel against me. 10 But you, Yahweh, have mercy on me, and raise me up,
that I may repay them. 11 By this I know that you delight in me,
because my enemy doesn’t triumph over me. 12 As for me, you uphold me in my integrity,
and set me in your presence forever. 13 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,
from everlasting and to everlasting!
Amen and amen.

BOOK II

Thirsting for God

421 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
so my soul pants after you, God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me,
how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to the house of God,
with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day. 5 Why are you in despair, my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God!
For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence.

6 My God, my soul is in despair within me.
Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls.
All your waves and your billows have swept over me. 8 Yahweh will command his loving kindness in the daytime.
In the night his song shall be with me:
a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me,
while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you in despair, my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God! For I shall still praise him,
the saving help of my countenance, and my God.

Paul Sails for Rome

271 When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. 2 Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. 3 The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself. 4 Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5 When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board. 7 When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 9 When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them, 10 and said to them, “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 gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

12 Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking northeast and southeast.

The Storm at Sea

13 When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore. 14 But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon. [1] 15 When the ship was caught, and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat. 17 After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along. 18 As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

21 When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them, and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss. 22 Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me. 26 But we must run aground on a certain island.”

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 27:1-26

Commentary on Acts 27:1-11

(Read Acts 27:1-11)

It was determined by the counsel of God, before it was determined by the counsel of Festus, that Paul should go to Rome; for God had work for him to do there. The course they steered, and the places they touched at, are here set down. And God here encourages those who suffer for him, to trust in him; for he can put it into the hearts of those to befriend them, from whom they least expect it. Sailors must make the best of the wind: and so must we all in our passage over the ocean of this world. When the winds are contrary, yet we must be getting forward as well as we can. Many who are not driven backward by cross providences, do not get forward by favourable providences. And many real Christians complain as to the concerns of their souls, that they have much ado to keep their ground. Every fair haven is not a safe haven. Many show respect to good ministers, who will not take their advice. But the event will convince sinners of the vanity of their hopes, and the folly of their conduct.

Commentary on Acts 27:12-20

(Read Acts 27:12-20)

Those who launch forth on the ocean of this world, with a fair gale, know not what storms they may meet with; and therefore must not easily take it for granted that they have obtained their purpose. Let us never expect to be quite safe till we enter heaven. They saw neither sun nor stars for many days. Thus melancholy sometimes is the condition of the people of God as to their spiritual matters; they walk in darkness, and have no light. See what the wealth of this world is: though coveted as a blessing, the time may come when it will be a burden; not only too heavy to be carried safely, but heavy enough to sink him that has it. The children of this world can be prodigal of their goods for the saving their lives, yet are sparing of them in works of piety and charity, and in suffering for Christ. Any man will rather make shipwreck of his goods than of his life; but many rather make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, than of their goods. The means the sailors used did not succeed; but when sinners give up all hope of saving themselves, they are prepared to understand God's word, and to trust in his mercy through Jesus Christ.

Commentary on Acts 27:21-29

(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.