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 56:1-4 Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me; he fights and oppresses me all day long.
2 My adversaries trample me all day, for many arrogantly fight against me.
3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
Read the Entire Psalm
What do you do when you are afraid? The Psalmist here says he trusts God and his trust is not passive. His trust is engaged by praising God for his word. His word not just being a book, but God’s word being the revelation of himself and his character. This person trusts God by activating God’s word in his own life by recalling God’s character of faithfulness, compassion, justice, etc. When you think of who God is the last question “What can mere mortals do to me?” loses the power it once had. God is trustworthy. Ask Him to help you trust Him.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 21:1-11 – English Standard Version
The Triumphal Entry
21 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
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 Embrace. Ask God to use their ministry to bring the hope of the gospel to women who are considering abortion.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Jesus showed compassion to the crowd. They were cheering for him, crying out for him to save, proclaiming that he could save, and declaring him to be the son of David. During the midst of the praise and the signs of adoration, Jesus is weeping. He is not crying tears of joy but he is weeping with compassion for the city of Jerusalem. He knows what lies ahead for him. He knows that in a few short days the crowd will turn on him. He is sad that they are blind to what will actually bring them peace. He brings peace. He is one who has compassion for those blinded by sin. As you struggle with sin, Jesus has compassion for you. He is not indifferent to your struggle. You can go to him with your sin and suffering. He is compassionate. He is compassionate towards those who are lost and blind to their lostness. Ask him to give you compassion for those around you who are blind to their sin.