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 147:1-6
Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing to our God,
for praise is pleasant and lovely.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;
he gathers Israel’s exiled people.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars;
he gives names to all of them.
5 Our Lord is great, vast in power;
his understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord helps the oppressed
but brings the wicked to the ground.
Read the Entire Psalm
Hallelujah – This is sometimes translated as “Praise the Lord.” Look through these six verses for reasons to praise God. Look for the action words, like “rebuilds” or “heals”. He is great and he demonstrates his greatness. He is active in the world.
Scripture Reading
Exodus 34:5-8 – English Standard Version
5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.
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 FCA. Ask God to use the ministry of FCA to encourage student athletes and coaches to walk with Jesus.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
All of God’s attributes are one because God is one. God is not a conglomerate where certain attributes are more important than the others. For example, God’s love is not more important than nor is it opposed to God’s justice. You might think of the glory of God’s attributes like a diamond turning in the light reflecting different aspects of his character. Our passage this week reveals five key aspects of God’s character: mercy, grace, patience, faithfulness, and righteousness. Remember, no one attribute is more important than another. All of them reveal a particular aspect of who God is. Spend time today thanking God for who he is. Perhaps spend time in prayer, using our passage as a model. Spend time praying, not asking God for anything, but simply praising and thanking God for who he is––a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.