Hearing God’s Voice from His Word
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Take a moment and turn your attention to God. Tell God that you desire to trust and obey Him. Ask God to speak to you from His word.
Psalm of the Day
Psalm 133 How delightfully good when brothers live together in harmony!
2 It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard onto his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord has appointed the blessing— life forevermore.
Aaron was the first priest of the nation of Israel. Aaron was anointed with oil. The oil running down his face and beard and onto his priestly garments symbolized the unity of the nation under their priest. The dew running down from the mountain symbolized God’s blessings on His people. Living in harmony with one another under God’s instruction and for the blessing of others is a work of God. Thank God for the possibility of living in harmony. Pray that the delightful goodness of harmony among us would increase and be a testimony of God’s goodness.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 Peter 1:17-25 – The Message
17 You call out to God for help and he helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.
18-21 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.
22-25 Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That’s why the prophet said,
The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers wilt,
God’s Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanksgiving to God.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you.
- Confess your sin to Him and receive forgiveness.
(1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins.”) - Bring your personal requests to God.
(Psalm 62:8 “Pour out your heart before God”) - Pray for someone in your small group.
- Join with others from River and pray for Christian Challenge as they meet tonight at River.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
When God’s grace gifts and human grit converge in a life, others are blessed by that life. Peter wrote of the greatest of all grace gifts, the precious blood of Christ through which God has redeemed us. Peter also wrote that his readers had “purified themselves through obedience to the truth.” This could be confusing because we might think, “I thought God purifies us, how can we do this for ourselves?” This question confuses the different aspects of our salvation. God justifies us, we cannot assist in this. However, we must choose to obey God to become more like Jesus (pure). This is not entirely a human endeavor; God’s spirit empowers our efforts, but it is a collaboration. Now, what is the outcome of this convergence of God’s grace gifts and human grit (faithfulness to obey)? People are loved. As we grow, our love for others grows as well. This means that as we live in God’s grace and train for godliness, we are positioning ourselves to love others. This love for others exalts God, and now we have come full circle. God’s grace gifts in our lives extend his love to the lives of others and result in God being glorified.
Application: Reflect on all of God’s grace gifts in your life. Not just your salvation, but all of them. Health, family, intelligence, opportunity, friends…work through the list in your mind. Now, reflect on the ways you have been faithful. Don’t underestimate your own choices. Being faithful is showing up and putting forth effort. You are being faithful (gritty) right now as you use this devotional. Give thanks to God for his gifts, and ask God to empower your continued grit.