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 103:3-5
He forgives all your iniquity;
he heals all your diseases.
4 He redeems your life from the Pit;
he crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
5 He satisfies you with good things;
your youth is renewed like the eagle.
We will read Psalm 103 everyday this week for the devo. It will not be the Psalm of the Day. It will be the Psalm of the week! Take a moment and meditate on the three verses above. Read these verses again, but read them out loud. Emphasis the HE pronoun as you read. God is spirit. God is unseen. God is personal. God is a being. After reading, consider the first thing he does. He forgives all your iniquity. He forgives how much? ALL. He forgives all what? YOUR INIQUITY. Your rebellion against the personal God is forgiven. It is canceled. Praise the personal God who forgives ALL!
Scripture Reading
Psalm 103 – New International Version
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanks 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 Jason and Lisa. Ask God to encourage them and guide them as they serve overseas.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
It’s January 1st, 2024. It’s a new year. There are a lot of things that go on in our minds as we step into a new year. Sometimes, it’s filled with regrets, other times with anticipation, and still, at other times, it’s a mix of all kinds of emotions. Many times, we find ourselves thinking about things we want to change or wish we would have done differently. There’s nothing wrong with these kinds of thoughts. There’s probably a good reason to do so. If there are things you’d like to change or do differently this year, I’d say by all means do so. But, as you do, I want to challenge you first to take some time to reflect and remember the Gospel. Think back over this past year and remember God’s faithful love towards you. Think of ways he has blessed you in 2023. You may even want to write them down on a Post-it or a piece of paper and carry them in your pocket to look at as you go through the day. Why? Because “We have this hope [the gospel] as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” The Gospel is our foundational hope on which we place all other hopes, including things you may want to change or grow in. Remembering all God has done for you, his many blessings throughout 2023, helps you to have a proper perspective as you move into this new year. It helps plant us firmly in the truth of the gospel of Jesus.