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 142:3-7 When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!
In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
7 Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.
Read the entire Psalm
I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge” The writer of this Psalm feels alone and attacked. He looks around and sees no one. What does He do? He looks up. He cries out to the Lord. You are my refuge, he says. He cries out and then asks for three things. Attend to me, deliver me, bring me out and then at the end of verse 7 he remembers that he is not alone. Yes he cries to God but also the righteous are there to surround him. Praise God that He is present everywhere. You are never alone. Praise Him that He has given you His family.
Scripture Reading
2 Peter 3:1-11 English Standard Version
3 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Give thanks to God for His gifts and His goodness.
- 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 Youth Horizons. Ask God to provide staff for their open staff positions. Ask God to empower and guide mentors to faithfully invest in the kids they serve.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
The universe is said to be a “uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system.” This complex phrase is really quite simple in its meaning. The world normally works in normal ways, and there is nothing outside the physical world to impact it. So, the cosmos is like a giant clock that ticks away in predictable fashion, and this giant clock is all that there is. Now if you found a clock laying on the street, perfectly designed and keeping perfect time, you would never assume it just “happened” to be. You would look for its owner to return it. You would know it was designed by someone and it belonged to someone. The universe is infinitely more complex than a watch. It has been designed by God, and it belongs to him. Of course we are a part of that universe, and we are his possession. Since God made the cosmos, it is not a closed system. He can intervene in any way and at any time that he chooses. We call these miracles. Miracles are not contrary to “science.” Science is an attempt to understand the world as it is. The world is uniform in cause and effect, but it is not a closed system. God exists; the supernatural is real. This is a “scientific” fact. The greatest intervention into the universe was the incarnation. God became man and dwelt among us. That same Lord Jesus will return someday. This is a settled fact. Don’t be fooled by the steady “ticking” of the cosmic “clock.” Sure, things go pretty much the same day after day, because that is how God has designed things to work. But in his time, he will intervene again. You can count on it.