Psalm 119:105-128

The Message (MSG)

 ^105-112 By your words I can see where I'm going; 
      they throw a beam of light on my dark path. 
   I've committed myself and I'll never turn back 
      from living by your righteous order. 
   Everything's falling apart on me, God; 
      put me together again with your Word. 
   Festoon me with your finest sayings, God; 
      teach me your holy rules. 
   My life is as close as my own hands, 
      but I don't forget what you have revealed. 
   The wicked do their best to throw me off track, 
      but I don't swerve an inch from your course. 
   I inherited your book on living; it's mine forever— 
      what a gift! And how happy it makes me! 
   I concentrate on doing exactly what you say— 
      I always have and always will.

 ^113-120 I hate the two-faced, 
      but I love your clear-cut revelation. 
   You're my place of quiet retreat; 
      I wait for your Word to renew me. 
   Get out of my life, evildoers, 
      so I can keep my God's commands. 
   Take my side as you promised; I'll live then for sure. 
      Don't disappoint all my grand hopes. 
   Stick with me and I'll be all right; 
      I'll give total allegiance to your definitions of life. 
   Expose all who drift away from your sayings; 
      their casual idolatry is lethal. 
   You reject earth's wicked as so much rubbish; 
      therefore I lovingly embrace everything you say. 
   I shiver in awe before you; 
      your decisions leave me speechless with reverence.

 ^121-128 I stood up for justice and the right; 
      don't leave me to the mercy of my oppressors. 
   Take the side of your servant, good God; 
      don't let the godless take advantage of me. 
   I can't keep my eyes open any longer, waiting for you 
      to keep your promise to set everything right. 
   Let your love dictate how you deal with me; 
      teach me from your textbook on life. 
   I'm your servant—help me understand what that means, 
      the inner meaning of your instructions. 
   It's time to act, God; 
      they've made a shambles of your revelation! 
   Yea-Saying God, I love what you command, 
      I love it better than gold and gemstones; 
   Yea-Saying God, I honor everything you tell me, 
      I despise every deceitful detour.

Romans 15:14-21

The Message (MSG)

 ^14-16Personally, I've been completely satisfied with who you are and what you are doing. You seem to me to be well-motivated and well-instructed, quite capable of guiding and advising one another. So, my dear friends, don't take my rather bold and blunt language as criticism. It's not criticism. I'm simply underlining how very much I need your help in carrying out this highly focused assignment God gave me, this priestly and gospel work of serving the spiritual needs of the non-Jewish outsiders so they can be presented as an acceptable offering to God, made whole and holy by God's Holy Spirit.

 ^17-21Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I am most pleased—in the context of Jesus, I'd even say proud, but only in that context. I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders. In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching of the Message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet known and worshiped. My text has been, 

   Those who were never told of him— 
      they'll see him! 
   Those who've never heard of him— 
      they'll get the message!