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.
He redeems your life from the Pit. He forgives. He heals, and he redeems. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross you will no longer face eternal separation from God. Redeem means that he has bought you back. He and he alone has purchased you. You have not just been forgiven and healed, but you also belong. God has regained eternal possession of you. You are his! Give thanks and Praise to God that you belong to him.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Psalm 103 – New Living Translation
A psalm of David.
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
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 those who do not know God. Ask God to help you see the lost people around you and have compassion for them. Ask God for opportunities to build trust. Ask God to give you opportunities to have gospel conversations.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Today, I want you to remember. Remember that time when God let you down. You remember… that time… that time he didn’t come through for you. You remember, don’t you? No! you don’t remember because he has always come through for you!
That’s an actual conversation I had with a dear friend when I began to question God’s faithfulness. It was a hard time, and I needed someone to speak the truth to me, and that’s exactly what my friend did, he reminded me of God’s faithfulness. God has never let me down. I needed to hear this truth. Now there have been times I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but that’s different than failing or letting me down.
In verse 2, David tells himself to “Not forget all his [God’s] benefits.” Then David lists off the benefits. Here are a few: Forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, satisfies, renews.
Maybe your mind is full of all kinds of other thoughts; maybe you are feeling frustrated with how this last year has gone, feeling like you’ve been cheated somehow. And just maybe you are letting your mind speak untruths, and you are just camping out with these thoughts. Don’t do this! Do like David and start talking back to yourself with that gospel self-talk! Don’t let your mind go on with worthless thoughts; you control the conversation with yourself by speaking the truth to yourself. A good place to begin is with the benefits of walking with God that David lists here in verses 2-5. Look at each benefit and remember all God has done for you personally. When you’re done, offer God your praise!