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 16:7-11
I will bless the Lord who counsels me—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
8 I always let the Lord guide me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
11 You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Read the Entire Psalm
My Body also rests securely. Some day your physical body will cease to function. You will die. While you live in this life in Christ your body can rest securely. Why? Because the Lord will not abandon you. In death he will not abandon you. He is faithful to the end of your earthly life and beyond. Praise him for his enduring faithfulness.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 1:1-18 – Christian Standard Bible
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.
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 war in Ukraine. Pray that the war would come to an end.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
In the wilderness, Israel followed God as he led them with his miraculous presence. This would have been astounding…at first. Much like an astounding event in your life. When your life has been changed by rebirth, by the birth of a child, or by some other blessing, how long does it take before you cease to marvel at what has happened? If you see a mountain, a beach, or a forest you marvel at the sight, until you don’t. If you live near the mountain, you soon stop “seeing it.” So I can imagine what was initially marvelous, God’s powerful leadership through the desert, soon became annoying. “Why do I have to wait? I’m ready to go!” “Why do I have to go, I’m not ready yet!” In the wilderness, God’s presence dwelt in the tabernacle. It was the focal point of the entire nation as they traveled. When his presence was on the tabernacle, they stayed. When his presence “lifted,” they traveled. They were being trained to trust. They were being trained to move when God moved and stay still when God wanted them to. Jesus, John wrote, “tabernacled” among us. He is “God with us.” God is still teaching us to trust. He still wants us to learn to go when Jesus says “go” and to stay put when Jesus says we are to do so. Learning to go at God’s pace can be challenging, but living a step ahead or a step behind God’s pace can be disastrous. Where is God leading you now? Will you be content if he says to “be still, stay put?” Will you have the courage and faith to move when he says, “time to go!”