faith

2 Corinthians 11

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NIV

11:1 I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness [because he was going to speak about himself and defend his credentials; this was top counter the boasts of the false teachers about themselves, their experiences, and their authority]. Yes, please put up with me [a please to listen before they are led astray]!

11:2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy [a protective kind of jealousy; Paul was guarding their relationship; Paul was protective of them because they belonged to Christ]. I promised [betrothed] you [when they came to faith in Christ] to one husband, to Christ [their loyalty belonged to Christ alone], so that I might present you as a pure [refers to spiritual faithfulness and doctrinal purity] virgin to him.

11:3 But I am afraid [an expression of pastoral concern; afraid that believers may abandon truth] that just as Eve was deceived [misled; seduced; the serpent caused her to believe what is false; believers are not immune from deception; Paul feared deception more than persecution] by the serpent’s cunning [Satan is described as crafty and deceptive; he creates doubt, distorts truth, creates confusion, and markets half-truths; Satan promises fulfillment apart from obedience], your minds [this is the battlefield] may somehow be led astray [to be corrupted or ruined] from your sincere [undivided loyalty] and pure [unmixed affection and faithfulness] devotion to Christ [wholehearted devotion to Christ is the goal].

11:4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

11:5 I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”

11:6 I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

11:7 Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?

11:8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you.

11:9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

11:10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine.

11:11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

11:12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

11:13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

11:14 And no wonder [refers to previous verse where Paul warned about false apostles and deceptive teachers who were masquerading as apostles of Christ and influencing believers in Corinth], for Satan himself [the ultimate source behind false teaching and spiritual deception; Satan distorts truth; see John 8:44] masquerades [to disguise or transform outward appearance; Satan presents himself deceptively in a convincing form; he does not make evil appear ugly, instead he makes evil appear attractive, reasonable, harmless, and even spiritual] as an angel of light [in Scripture, light is a symbol of truth, purity, holiness, revelation, and God’s presence; Satan can imitate what appears spiritual, good, wise and godly in order to deceive people and lead them away from sincere devotion to Christ].

11:15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

11:16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.

11:17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

11:18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast.

11:19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!

11:20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.

11:21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.

11:22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.

11:23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.


11:24 Five times [none of these beatings is specifically described in Acts, reminding us that Acts records only part of Paul’s missionary suffering; willing to suffer repeatedly because he believed the gospel was worth proclaiming and Christ was worth following] I received from the Jews [likely official synagogue punishments imposed by Jewish religious authorities] the forty lashes minus one [Deuteronomy 25:2–3 limited a beating to forty lashes; Jewish authorities commonly administered one less to avoid accidentally exceeding the biblical limit through a counting error; Paul endured as many as 195 lashes over five beatings].

11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods [a Roman punishment administered by government officials; see Acts 16:22–24 re incident in Philippi], once I was pelted with stones [refers to Paul’s experience in Lystra recorded in Acts 14:19], three times I was shipwrecked [three shipwrecks occurred before the famous shipwreck recorded in Acts 27, because 2 Corinthians was written earlier; Paul ultimately experienced at least four shipwrecks], I spent a night and a day [survived approximately twenty-four hours in the water after one of these shipwrecks] in the open sea [emphasizes his helplessness and vulnerability; had no control over the waves, weather, or possibility of rescue; God preserved his life because his mission was not finished],

11:26 I have been constantly on the move [ancient travel was slow, physically exhausting, and dangerous]. I have been in danger from rivers [encountered rivers without bridges or safe crossings], in danger from bandits [remote roads were vulnerable to robbers who attacked travelers], in danger from my fellow Jews [included plots, beatings, expulsions, and attempts to kill him], in danger from Gentiles [Gentile authorities, merchants, religious leaders, and crowds; resisted Paul because the gospel threatened their power, prosperity, or religious practices]; in danger in the city [faced riots, arrests, imprisonment, mob violence, and political pressure in urban centers such as Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Ephesus], in danger in the country [rural areas exposed Paul to isolation, harsh terrain, weather, wild animals, robbers, and the absence of assistance], in danger at sea [every voyage required him to accept the possibility of disaster due to weather and unforeseen circumstances]; and in danger from false believers [individuals who presented themselves as believers but worked against Paul and distorted the gospel].

11:27 I have labored [emphasizes effort] and toiled [emphasizes the exhaustion produced by effort] and have often gone without sleep [he sometimes chose to remain awake to serve and at other times, hardship made sleep impossible]; I have known hunger and thirst [he sometimes lacked life’s most basic necessities] and have often gone without food [circumstances often left him without food]; I have been cold and naked [inadequately clothed; Paul sometimes lacked sufficient clothing or shelter to protect himself from cold weather].

11:28 Besides everything else [the previous hardships affected his body; this burden affected his heart and mind.], I face daily the pressure [conveys the idea of something pressing upon or weighing heavily on a person; a description of the relentless emotional and spiritual weight of Paul’s responsibility] of my concern [refers to Paul’s deep, attentive care for the spiritual welfare of believers] for all the churches [Paul carried responsibility for a growing network of churches spread throughout the Roman world; unlike the physical challenges he faced, the weight of the welfare of the churches stayed with him always].

11:29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

11:31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.

11:32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.

11:33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.

Judges 16

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NIV 1984 Edition

16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.

16:2 The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn we’ll kill him.”

16:3 But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

16:4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.

16:5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver.”

16:6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”

16:7 Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”

16:8 Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them.

16:9 With men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.

16:10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.”

16:11 He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”

16:12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.

16:13 Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.”

He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric

16:14 and tightened it with the pin.

Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.

16:15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.”

16:16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.

16:17 So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”

16:18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands.

16:19 After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.


16:20 Then she [Delilah, a woman from the Valley of Sorek whom Samson loved and whom the Philistine rulers bribed to discover the secret of his strength and betray him into their hands (Judges 16:4–21)] called, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’

He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before [assumed that because God had empowered him in the past, God would continue to empower him in the present] and shake myself free [he had escaped danger many times before].’ But he did not know [he had become insensitive to God’s presence and unaware of his own spiritual condition] that the LORD had left him [God had withdrawn the special empowerment by which Samson had fulfilled his role as Israel’s deliverer; he had drifted so far from God that he did not realize what he had lost; read Ps. 51:11 re: David’s fear after his sin with Bathsheba; unlike Samson, David recognized the seriousness of his sin and pleaded with God for restoration].


16:21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.

16:22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

16:23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.”

16:24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands,
the one who laid waste our land
    and multiplied our slain.”

16:25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.
When they stood him among the pillars,

16:26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.”

16:27 Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform.

16:28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”

16:29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 

16:30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

16:31 Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led[d] Israel twenty years.

Proverbs 4

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NIV



4:1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

4:2 I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.

4:3 For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother.

4:4 Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live.

4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them.

4:6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

4:7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

4:8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.

4:9 She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”

4:10  Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.

4:11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.

4:12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

4:13 Hold on to instruction [this is an active command, not passive listening; the Hebrew carries the idea of seizing, gripping tightly, taking hold with intention], do not let it go [this assumes resistance — there are forces constantly working to loosen our grip]; guard it well [this introduces vigilance and protection — defending it from compromise, neglect, or selective obedience], for it is your life [this is the weight of the verse — not metaphorical exaggeration but reality; instruction is not merely helpful, it is life-giving and life-preserving].

4:14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.

4:15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.

4:16 For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.

4:17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

4:18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

4:19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

4:20 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.

4:21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;

4:22 for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.

4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

4:24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

4:25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

4:26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.

4:27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil

Joshua 14

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Joshua 14:10-12

14:10 Now then [a transition from remembrance to request; Caleb moves from recounting God’s faithfulness to claiming God’s promise], just as the Lord promised [Hebrew: dābar — spoken word; Caleb anchors his appeal in the reliability of God’s declared Word, not in sentiment or seniority], he has kept me alive [literally “caused me to live”; preservation attributed entirely to divine action — survival in the wilderness was not accidental but sovereignly sustained] for forty-five years [specific duration] since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness [a gentle acknowledgment of national wandering without bitterness; Caleb does not rehearse grievance — his spirit remains whole]. So here I am today [language of availability and readiness; presenting himself for assignment, not exemption; compare Isaiah 6:8], eighty-five years old [age stated as fact, not excuse; maturity becomes a platform for courage rather than a retreat into caution]!

14:11 I am still as strong today [the Hebrew implies firmness or capacity; not merely physical vitality but sustained capability for mission; Caleb was 85 years old] as the day Moses sent me out [as a spy into Canaan (Numbers 13:1-3)]; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle [Caleb does not redefine his role in old age — he still sees himself as a warrior] now as I was then.

14:12 Now give me this hill country [imperative request grounded in covenant promise; bold yet not presumptuous — he asks for what God already pledged] that the Lord promised me that day [the promise spoken in youth remains operative in old age]. You yourself heard then that the Anakites [the same giants reported in Numbers 13] were there and their cities were large and fortified [strongholds that intimidated ten spies still stand], but, the Lord helping me [conditional dependence; confidence rooted not in personal strength but divine partnership], I will drive them out [active obedience; faith does not negate effort — it energizes it] just as he said [promise remembered, promise claimed, promise pursued].

Psalm 34

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NASB

The LORD a Provider and Deliverer.


A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

Note: When David feared that Saul would kill him, he fled to Gath and sought the protection of the enemy — King Abimelech (or Achish) (1 Sam. 21:10—22:2). He should have run to the Lord instead. Once in Gath, David had to lie in order to escape. This Psalm is David’s testimony of what God did for him.

This psalm is an acrostic in which each verse begins with the succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


34:1 I will bless [the first thing David did when God delivered him from his troubles] the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually [an indication of deep gratitude] be in my mouth [we should speak and not be silent].

34:2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD [cf. 1 Cor. 1:31];

The humble shall hear it and rejoice.

34:3 [an exhortation] O magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

34:4 [David’s testimony begins with this verse] I sought the LORD, and He answered me, 
And delivered [or snatched from danger just in the nick of time] me from all my fears.

34:5 They [perhaps refers to the humble of verse 2 or those who fear God in verse 7] looked to Him and were radiant [our countenance will reveal who we are trusting],
And their faces shall never be ashamed.



34:6 This poor man cried and the LORD heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

34:7 The angel of the LORD [read Ps. 103:20-21 regarding the role of angels] encamps around those who fear [to have reverence for] Him, 

And rescues them.

34:8 O taste [to know by personal experience; an invitation to others to experience God for themselves] and see that the LORD is good;

How blessed is the man who takes refuge [cf. Ps. 5:11] in Him!

34:9 O fear [have reverence for] the LORD, you His saints [believers];

For to those who fear Him, there is no want.

34:10 [see 1 Peter 3:10-12 cf. Ps. 34:12-16] The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; 

But [unlike the young lions] they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.

34:11 Come, you children, listen to me; 

I will teach [David used his experience to teach the next generation to trust in God] you the fear of the LORD.

34:12 [these questions are answered in verses 13-14] Who is the man who desires life, 

And loves length of days that he may see good?

34:13 [cf. Ps. 141:3] Keep your tongue from evil,

And your lips from speaking deceit.

34:14 Depart [to create distance] from evil, and do good;

Seek peace, and pursue it.

34:15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, 

And His ears are open to their cry [cf. Ps. 34:6].

34:16 The face [represents God’s favor] of the LORD is against [because God is holy] evildoers, 
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.

34:17 The righteous [those in right standing with God] cry and the LORD hears,

And delivers them out of all their troubles.

34:18 The LORD is near [when we are brokenhearted it is easy to think that God is not near when indeed He is closer to us than ever] to the brokenhearted [the Hebrew word for “broken” in this verse is “nishberei” and comes from a root that means “birth” or “breakthrough” — when we are brokenhearted God draws near to us to birth something new in our lives; God can turn our breakdowns into breakthroughs; cf. Ps. 51:17], 

And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

34:19 Many [and varied] are the afflictions of the righteous [the righteous are not exempted from troubles]; 

But the LORD delivers him [cf. Heb. 4:16 — God is able to rescue in the nick of time] out of them all [out of every sort of affliction].

34:20 He keeps all his bones [a general principle rather than a guarantee; God guards the righteous or the righteous are under the protection of God]; 

Not one of them is broken [not a guarantee that our physical bones will never be broken but a general principle to assure us that the righteous are under God’s care].

34:21 Evil [has within it the seeds of decay and destruction] shall slay [the misconduct of the wicked will put them in peril] the wicked [those who are out of touch with God]; 

And those who hate [who are so opposed to the character of the righteous] the righteous will be condemned [will suffer the consequences of their hatred].

34:22 The LORD redeems [to set free by paying a price] the soul of His servants; 

And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned [to be held guilty].

Psalm 31

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NASB

A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise
For the music director. A Psalm of David

A Cry for Deliverance (31:1-18)

31:1 In You, Lord, I [where we take refuge in difficult times is a personal choice] have taken refuge [your safety in times of trouble is only as good as your refuge)];

Let me never be put to shame;

In Your righteousness rescue me.



31:2  Incline Your ear to me [the only thing worse than being in a tight spot is being in a tight spot with no one listening to your cries for help], rescue me quickly [time is always of the essence in difficulties];

Be a rock of strength for me,

A stronghold to save me.


31:3 For You are my rock and my fortress;

For the sake of Your name [David reminded God that His reputation was at stake] You will lead me and guide me.

31:4  You will pull me out of the net [analogy of a hunter in search of prey] which they have secretly laid for me,

For You are my strength.

31:5  [cf. Jesus’ last words in Luke 23:46; see also Acts 7:59 re Stephen] Into Your hand I entrust my spirit [David’s expression of trusting God in the midst of danger];

You have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth.



31:6  I hate [cf. Ps. 139:21-22] those who devote themselves to worthless idols [incapable to hearing or helping],

But [in contrast to those who trust in what is untrustworthy] I trust in the Lord [who is capable of hearing and helping].



31:7  I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithfulness [God is completely reliable; it is helpful to regularly “Count Your Many Blessings”],

Because You have seen [nothing ever happens behind God’s back] my misery;

You have known [God is never taken by surprise or caught off guard; cf. Ps. 139:1-8] the troubles [as well as the triumphs] of my soul,



31:8  And [knowing everything about me and my troubles] You have not handed me over to the enemy [because God is faithful];

You have [instead] set my feet [a symbol of stability (Ps. 121:3) and also of vulnerability (Ps. 38:16] in a large place [expresses the longing of those who find themselves in a tight spot].



A Lament (31:9-18)

31:9  Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress […in trouble];

[note the physical effects of being hated and hunted…] My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body too.



31:10  For my life is spent with sorrow

And my years with sighing;

My strength has failed [sin depletes strength] because of my guilt [the product of sin],

And my body has wasted away.



31:11 Because of all my adversaries [“The best of men may have the bitterest foes and be subjected to the most cruel taunts.” (Spurgeon); note the social effects of being hated and hunted…], I have become a disgrace,

Especially to my neighbors [sometimes those closest to us harm us the most],

And an object of dread to my acquaintances;

Those who see me in the street flee from me [a few will in our direction when we are maligned and hurting but many will distance themselves from us].



31:12  I am forgotten like a dead person, out of mind [the dead are soon forgotten; in 100 years no one will likely know that we ever lived];

I am like a broken vessel [useless].



31:13  [the threat against David was real] For I have heard the slander of many [the slander of one is bad enough],

Terror is on every side [complete vulnerability];

While they took counsel together [an increased risk of danger from many] against me [the object or target of the scorn of others],

They schemed to take away my life [a serious threat; cf. Acts 9:23-25].



31:14  But [this conjunction signals a change in attitude] as for me [David affirmed his trust in God], I trust in You, Lord,

I say, “You are my God [David affirmed his relationship with God; this is a comforting confession, especially in times of trouble].”



31:15  My times [cf. Ps. 139:16] are in Your hand [“I am immortal until God’s work for me to do is done. The Lord reigns” (Henry Martyn)];

Rescue [deliver] me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.



31:16  Make Your face shine [an expression of favor with God; cf. Num. 6:24-26] upon Your servant;

Save me in Your faithfulness.



31:17  Let me not be put to shame [as is the desire of those who persecute and trouble us], Lord, for I call upon You;

Let the wicked [those who are out of touch with God] be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.



31:18  Let the lying lips be speechless,

Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt [“What wickedness is it that unworthy characters should always be the loudest in railing at good men!” (Spurgeon)].



Thanksgiving (31:19-24)

31:19  How great [God’s goodness is abundant] is Your goodness,

Which You have stored up [in abundance] for those who fear You [blessings are found in proximity to God],

Which You have performed for those who take refuge in You [an act of trust and acknowledgement of God’s goodness],

Before the sons of mankind!

31:20  You hide them in the secret place [securely hidden from those who intend to harm] of Your presence from the conspiracies of mankind;

You keep them secretly [known only to God] in a shelter from the strife of tongues.



31:21  Blessed be the Lord,

For He has shown His marvelous faithfulness to me in a besieged city [the context in which God’s faithfulness was expressed].



31:22  As for me, I said in my alarm,

“I am cut off from Your eyes” [fear and alarm can cause us to lose perspective];

Nevertheless You heard [beautiful words indeed: “You heard”] the sound of my pleadings
When I called to You for help [the most important thing when calling for help is knowing that someone has heard you].



31:23  Love the Lord, all His godly ones [“Love is the universal debt of all the saved family…” (Spurgeon)]!

The Lord watches over the faithful [one of the many blessings of being faithful]

But fully repays the one who acts arrogantly [“Snares are made and pits are rigged by the proud for themselves commonly…” (Spurgeon)].



31:24  Be strong and let your heart take courage [cf. Josh. 1:6-9],

All you who wait for the Lord.