Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 23 July 2014

wife is doing a teeny bit better, but is likely to be in bed all day, again
I'll be playing nurse again, so this is brief

===============================================

The Old Testament reading today is Psalms 38, 39, and 40.  Psalm 40 has a lot of meaning for me personally.  These psalms give you an idea of what David was going through at the time.  He never needed to go looking for trouble, he spent a lot of time running for his life.

Psalm 38 

1	O lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2	For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
3	There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
4	For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5	My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
6	I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
7	For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8	I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
9	Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
10	My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11	My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12	They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
13	But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14	Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15	For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
16	For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.
17	For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.
18	For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
19	But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
20	They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
21	Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
22	Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

Psalm 39 

1	I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
2	I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
3	My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,
4	LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.
5	Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
6	Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
7	And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
8	Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.
9	I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.
10	Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.
11	When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
12	Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13	O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

Psalm 40

1	I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2	He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3	And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
4	Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5	Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
6	Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7	Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8	I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
9	I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
10	I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
11	Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
12	For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
13	Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
14	Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
15	Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
16	Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
17	But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

================================

The New Testament reading is verses 12-35 of Acts chapter 23

Acts 23:12-35

12	And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13	And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
14	And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
15	Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
16	And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
17	Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.
18	So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.
19	Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
20	And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.
21	But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.
22	So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.
23	And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;
24	And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.
25	And he wrote a letter after this manner:
26	Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
27	This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.
28	And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:
29	Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
30	And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
31	Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32	On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:
33	Who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
34	And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;
35	I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.