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Daily Bible Reading

Morning Bible Reading - Psalms 34

¹ <<[A Psalm] of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.>> I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise [shall] continually [be] in my mouth. ² My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear [thereof], and be glad. ³ O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. ⁴ I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. ⁵ They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. ⁶ This poor man cried, and the LORD heard [him], and saved him out of all his troubles. ⁷ The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. ⁸ O taste and see that the LORD [is] good: blessed [is] the man [that] trusteth in him. ⁹ O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for [there is] no want to them that fear him. ¹⁰ The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good [thing]. ¹¹ Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. ¹² What man [is he that] desireth life, [and] loveth [many] days, that he may see good? ¹³ Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. ¹⁴ Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. ¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD [are] upon the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their cry. ¹⁶ The face of the LORD [is] against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. ¹⁷ [The righteous] cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. ¹⁸ The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. ¹⁹ Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. ²⁰ He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. ²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. ²² The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^0-999 Chapter Outline David praises God, and encourages to trust him. (1-10) He exhorts to fear. (11-22)

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^1-10 If we hope to spend eternity in praising God, it is fit that we should spend much of our time here in this work. He never said to any one, Seek ye me in vain. David|s prayers helped to silence his fears; many besides him have looked unto the Lord by faith and prayer, and it has wonderfully revived and comforted them. When we look to the world, we are perplexed, and at a loss. But on looking to Christ depends our whole salvation, and all things needful thereunto do so also. This poor man, whom no man looked upon with any respect, or looked after with any concern, was yet welcome to the throne of grace; the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The holy angels minister to the saints, and stand for them against the powers of darkness. All the glory be to the Lord of the angels. By taste and sight we both make discoveries, and have enjoyment; Taste and see God|s goodness; take notice of it, and take the comfort of it. He makes all truly blessed that trust in him. As to the things of the other world, they shall have grace sufficient for the support of spiritual life. And as to this life, they shall have what is necessary from the hand of God. Paul had all, and abounded, because he was content, Php 4:11-18. Those who trust to themselves, and think their own efforts sufficient for them, shall want; but they shall be fed who trust in the Lord. Those shall not want, who with quietness work, and mind their own business.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^11-22 Let young persons set out in life with learning the fear of the Lord, if they desire true comfort here, and eternal happiness hereafter. Those will be most happy who begin the soonest to serve so good a Master. All aim to be happy. Surely this must look further than the present world; for man|s life on earth consists but of few days, and those full of trouble. What man is he that would see the good of that where all bliss is perfect? Alas! few have this good in their thoughts. That religion promises best which creates watchfulness over the heart and over the tongue. It is not enough not to do hurt, we must study to be useful, and to live to some purpose; we must seek peace and pursue it; be willing to deny ourselves a great deal for peace| sake. It is the constant practice of real believers, when in distress, to cry unto God, and it is their constant comfort that he hears them. The righteous are humbled for sin, and are low in their own eyes. Nothing is more needful to true godliness than a contrite heart, broken off from every self-confidence. In this soil every grace will flourish, and nothing can encourage such a one but the free, rich grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The righteous are taken under the special protection of the Lord, yet they have their share of crosses in this world, and there are those that hate them. Both from the mercy of Heaven, and the malice of hell, the afflictions of the righteous must be many. But whatever troubles befal them, shall not hurt their souls, for God keeps them from sinning in troubles. No man is desolate, but he whom God has forsaken.

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Psalms 34:0-999

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Psalms 34:1-999

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Psalms 34:10-999

Morning Bible Reading - Psalms 35

¹ <<[A Psalm] of David.>> Plead [my cause], O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. ² Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. ³ Draw out also the spear, and stop [the way] against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I [am] thy salvation. ⁴ Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. ⁵ Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase [them]. ⁶ Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them. ⁷ For without cause have they hid for me their net [in] a pit, [which] without cause they have digged for my soul. ⁸ Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. ⁹ And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation. ¹⁰ All my bones shall say, LORD, who [is] like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him? ¹¹ False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge [things] that I knew not. ¹² They rewarded me evil for good [to] the spoiling of my soul. ¹³ But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing [was] sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. ¹⁴ I behaved myself as though [he had been] my friend [or] brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth [for his] mother. ¹⁵ But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: [yea], the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew [it] not; they did tear [me], and ceased not: ¹⁶ With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. ¹⁷ Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. ¹⁸ I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. ¹⁹ Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: [neither] let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. ²⁰ For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against [them that are] quiet in the land. ²¹ Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, [and] said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen [it]. ²² [This] thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me. ²³ Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, [even] unto my cause, my God and my Lord. ²⁴ Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. ²⁵ Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up. ²⁶ Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify [themselves] against me. ²⁷ Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. ²⁸ And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness [and] of thy praise all the day long.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^0-999 Chapter Outline David prays for safety. (1-10) He complains of his enemies. (11-16) And calls upon God to support him. (17-28)

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^1-10 It is no new thing for the most righteous men, and the most righteous cause, to meet with enemies. This is a fruit of the old enmity in the seed of the serpent against the Seed of the woman. David in his afflictions, Christ in his sufferings, the church under persecution, and the Christian in the hour temptation, all beseech the Almighty to appear in their behalf, and to vindicate their cause. We are apt to justify uneasiness at the injuries men do us, by our never having given them cause to use us so ill; but this should make us easy, for then we may the more expect that God will plead our cause. David prayed to God to manifest himself in his trial. Let me have inward comfort under all outward troubles, to support my soul. If God, by his Spirit, witness to our spirits that he is our salvation, we need desire no more to make us happy. If God is our Friend, no matter who is our enemy. By the Spirit of prophecy, David foretells the just judgments of God that would come upon his enemies for their great wickedness. These are predictions, they look forward, and show the doom of the enemies of Christ and his kingdom. We must not desire or pray for the ruin of any enemies, except our lusts and the evil spirits that would compass our destruction. A traveller benighted in a bad road, is an expressive emblem of a sinner walking in the slippery and dangerous ways of temptation. But David having committed his cause to God, did not doubt of his own deliverance. The bones are the strongest parts of the body. The psalmist here proposes to serve and glorify God with all his strength. If such language may be applied to outward salvation, how much more will it apply to heavenly things in Christ Jesus!

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^11-16 Call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse: this was the character of David|s enemies. Herein he was a type of Christ. David shows how tenderly he had behaved towards them in afflictions. We ought to mourn for the sins of those who do not mourn for themselves. We shall not lose by the good offices we do to any, how ungrateful soever they may be. Let us learn to possess our souls in patience and meekness like David, or rather after Christ|s example.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^17-28 Though the people of God are, and study to be, quiet, yet it has been common for their enemies to devise deceitful matters against them. David prays, My soul is in danger, Lord, rescue it; it belongs to thee the Father of spirits, therefore claim thine own; it is thine, save it! Lord, be not far from me, as if I were a stranger. He who exalted the once suffering Redeemer, will appear for all his people: the roaring lion shall not destroy their souls, any more than he could that of Christ, their Surety. They trust their souls in his hands, they are one with him by faith, are precious in his sight, and shall be rescued from destruction, that they may give thanks in heaven.

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Psalms 35:1-999

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Psalms 35:6-999

Evening Bible Reading - Acts 22

¹ Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence [which I make] now unto you. ² (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) ³ I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. ⁴ And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. ⁵ As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. ⁶ And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. ⁷ And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁸ And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. ⁹ And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. ¹⁰ And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. ¹¹ And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. ¹² And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt [there], ¹³ Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. ¹⁴ And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. ¹⁵ For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. ¹⁷ And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; ¹⁸ And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. ¹⁹ And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: ²⁰ And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. ²¹ And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. ²² And they gave him audience unto this word, and [then] lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a [fellow] from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. ²³ And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air, ²⁴ The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. ²⁵ And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? ²⁶ When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. ²⁷ Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. ²⁸ And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born. ²⁹ Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. ³⁰ On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from [his] bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^0-999 Chapter Outline Paul|s account of his conversion. (1-11) Paul directed to preach to the Gentiles. (12-21) The rage of the Jews Paul pleads that he is a Roman citizen. (22-30)

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^1-11 The apostle addressed the enraged multitude, in the customary style of respect and good-will. Paul relates the history of his early life very particularly; he notices that his conversion was wholly the act of God. Condemned sinners are struck blind by the power of darkness, and it is a lasting blindness, like that of the unbelieving Jews. Convinced sinners are struck blind as Paul was, not by darkness, but by light. They are for a time brought to be at a loss within themselves, but it is in order to their being enlightened. A simple relation of the Lord|s dealings with us, in bringing us, from opposing, to profess and promote his gospel, when delivered in a right spirit and manner, will sometimes make more impression that laboured speeches, even though it amounts not to the full proof of the truth, such as was shown in the change wrought in the apostle.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^12-21 The apostle goes on to relate how he was confirmed in the change he had made. The Lord having chosen the sinner, that he should know his will, he is humbled, enlightened, and brought to the knowledge of Christ and his blessed gospel. Christ is here called that Just One; for he is Jesus Christ the righteous. Those whom God has chosen to know his will, must look to Jesus, for by him God has made known his good-will to us. The great gospel privilege, sealed to us by baptism, is the pardon of sins. Be baptized, and wash away thy sins; that is, receive the comfort of the pardon of thy sins in and through Jesus Christ, and lay hold on his righteousness for that purpose; and receive power against sin, for the mortifying of thy corruptions. Be baptized, and rest not in the sign, but make sure of the thing signified, the putting away of the filth of sin. The great gospel duty, to which by our baptism we are bound, is, to seek for the pardon of our sins in Christ|s name, and in dependence on him and his righteousness. God appoints his labourers their day and their place, and it is fit they should follow his appointment, though it may cross their own will. Providence contrives better for us than we do for ourselves; we must refer ourselves to God|s guidance. If Christ send any one, his Spirit shall go along with him, and give him to see the fruit of his labours. But nothing can reconcile man|s heart to the gospel, except the special grace of God.

Matthew Henry Commentary: ^22-30 The Jews listened to Paul|s account of his conversion, but the mention of his being sent to the Gentiles, was so contrary to all their national prejudices, that they would hear no more. Their frantic conduct astonished the Roman officer, who supposed that Paul must have committed some great crime. Paul pleaded his privilege as a Roman citizen, by which he was exempted from all trials and punishments which might force him to confess himself guilty. The manner of his speaking plainly shows what holy security and serenity of mind he enjoyed. As Paul was a Jew, in low circumstances, the Roman officer questioned how he obtained so valuable a distinction; but the apostle told him he was free born. Let us value that freedom to which all the children of God are born; which no sum of money, however large, can purchase for those who remain unregenerate. This at once put a stop to his trouble. Thus many are kept from evil practices by the fear of man, who would not be held back from them by the fear of God. The apostle asks, simply, Is it lawful? He knew that the God whom he served would support him under all sufferings for his name|s sake. But if it were not lawful, the apostle|s religion directed him, if possible, to avoid it. He never shrunk from a cross which his Divine Master laid upon his onward road; and he never stept aside out of that road to take one up.

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Acts 22:1-999

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Acts 22:4-999

A Commentary By J Vernon MCgee For Acts 22:16-999