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 5
1 Listen to my words, Lord; consider my sighing.
2 Pay attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God,
for I pray to you.
3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil cannot dwell with you.
5 The boastful cannot stand in your sight;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who tell lies;
the Lord abhors violent and treacherous people.
7 But I enter your house
by the abundance of your faithful love;
I bow down toward your holy temple
in reverential awe of you.
8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness
because of my adversaries;
make your way straight before me.
9 For there is nothing reliable in what they say;
destruction is within them;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongues.
10 Punish them, God; let them fall by their own schemes.
Drive them out because of their many crimes,
for they rebel against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them shout for joy forever. May you shelter them,
and may those who love your name boast about you.
12 For you, Lord, bless the righteous one;
you surround him with favor like a shield.
Let all who take refuge in you rejoice. Today regardless of circumstances, you have reason to rejoice. In the New Testament Paul actually commands the church to rejoice. You can rejoice because God makes himself available to be a refuge. He has made himself accessible to you. Let God be your refuge. Let him be your shelter today. Praise him for being a refuge.
Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 – English Standard Version
4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
Colossians 1:16 – English Standard Version
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Proverbs 4:23 – English Standard Version
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Philippians 4:6-7 – English Standard Version
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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 CAYM. Ask God to use the ministry of CAYM to strengthen and establish Christian mentoring programs.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Scripture (life) is full of tensions. One of the great tensions is the sovereignty of God and responsibility of men and women. He is clearly all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good. What happens, happens because God is fully in charge. At the same time, we are able to choose and are responsible for our choices. The Bible does not try to mend this tension. It simply presents it as the reality that it is. We are not required to get our minds around it; we must simply believe what the Bible teaches. Mystery is not a contradiction. Mystery is just something that is currently unknown by us and perhaps permanently unknowable to us. With this tension in mind, let’s think about what we are responsible for and what we are not responsible for. We are responsible to live and share the gospel, but we are not responsible to “save” anyone. We are responsible to live faithfully, but we are not responsible to compel others to believe the gospel. We can, by our own faithful lives, make faithfulness “easier” or at least clear to those who watch us. We cannot, by our faithful lives, eliminate the choice that others have to be faithful or to be unfaithful. This is a painful reality when we consider our children. We would love to be able to compel them to happy godliness. We would love to be able to guarantee their success in life and death. What we can do and what we must do is fix our hearts and minds on faithfulness. We must not falter or waiver, and when we do, we must confess and get back on track. It doesn’t all depend on us, but others are depending on us. Be faithful.