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 25:1-3 Lord, I appeal to you. 2 My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me. 3 No one who waits for you will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.
Read the Entire Psalm
I appeal to YOU. Read this Psalm aloud again and this time emphasize all the personal pronouns referring to God. He is a personal being. He is a being you appeal to and you can trust Him.
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 Peter 3:1-7 – The Message
3 1-4 The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition.
4-6 Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands. Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as “my dear husband.” You’ll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated.
7 The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground.
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 the college students from River going overseas this Summer. Ask God to strengthen and unite their teams. Pray they would be faithful to sow gospel seeds.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Peter said that husbands are to honor their wives as the “weaker vessel.” This is not insulting. All humans, Paul wrote, are “jars of clay;” we are easily broken vessels. Peter is focusing the husbands’ attention on being careful and loving with God’s creation. A priceless piece of pottery art is more valuable than a piece of unbreakable steel. The fact that we are jars of clay indicates several important things. First, we are created. God has made us for his own purposes. We are not our own; we belong to him. Second, we are fragile. Peter may have said that the wife is the “weaker vessel,” but that doesn’t change the fact all humans are weak vessels. Jeremiah wrote,
“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9
Our wisdom, strength and riches are not to be trusted. We have one legitimate boast, “I know the Lord!” I must delight in the things God delights in: love, justice, and righteousness.
Application: Have you taken pride in your mind, your physical strength, or the things you own? God is impressed with how we relate to him and others (love, justice, righteousness). Ask him now to give you a heart like his. Ask him to help you boast in him alone.