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 131 Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I do not get involved with things too great or too wondrous for me. 2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like a weaned child.
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forever.
Put Your Hope in the Lord – Ask for a calm and quiet soul. Work for a calm and quiet soul by giving your cares to God. There are things that you are concerned about that are above your pay grade, they are too great or wondrous for you. This does not mean you should ignore these things but instead bring them to God. He is Great. He is Wondrous.
Scripture Reading
Galatians 1:10 – New International Version
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Ephesians 6:4 – New International Version
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
James 1:5-8 – New International Version
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
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 Amelia. Ask God to encourage her and guide her as she serves overseas.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
“Of Issachar, Men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.”1 Chron. 12:32
Such an interesting verse tucked away in the Old Testament. The context is that these military leaders were listed among various groups of warriors who were joining David to help him establish his kingdom. What they knew was that God had taken Saul out and had chosen David. They understood that this was what God was doing in their time, and they had the good sense to get in line with Him. Evidently their wisdom in discerning the times was well known enough to make it into this passage. This must have been something they were known for, and it must have been rare, otherwise it would not have been noteworthy enough to be mentioned. This ability to understand the times was both noteworthy and valuable for David. This ability remains both noteworthy and valuable. We think we know the times because we keep up with various blogs and news sites, but having information is not the same as having understanding. There is a lot of information out there; it doubles at an increasingly fast pace. However, there is not a lot of understanding out there. Especially the kind of understanding that tells us how to take appropriate action in our times. Then, even if we have understanding, we must have the courage to act on what we know. God help us have wisdom; God give us courage.