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 28
1 To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.
4 Repay them for their deed; and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back on them what they deserve.
5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
and what his hands have done, he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
6 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.
David is the writer of this Psalm. He asks God to hear him and then He praises God for hearing Him. David states that God is His strength, but God is also the strength of His people. Many Psalms are personal, but they all have a communal nature because they were written to be sung and prayed by God’s people. Praise God that He hears your cry. Praise Him that He can strengthen you. Praise Him that He shepherds His people.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Matthew 21:1-11 – The Message
The Royal Welcome
21 1-3 When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: “Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, ‘The Master needs them!’ He will send them with you.”
4-5 This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:
Tell Zion’s daughter,
“Look, your king’s on his way,
poised and ready, mounted
On a donkey, on a colt,
foal of a pack animal.”
6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”
10 As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?”
11 The parade crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”
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 today for Christian Challenge. They will be meeting tonight at the church. Ask God to strengthen the students in their devotion to Jesus.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
By laying their outer garments at the feet of Jesus, the people were symbolizing an important reality. One reality was Jesus has authority over them. Two other ideas that the gesture demonstrated is that they are looking to him for protection and provision as the outer garments provided both protection and demonstrate their own status. This gesture was costly and personal. Following Jesus as King affords us a tremendous and priceless reward. The reward is that we know him and we live under his protection. Following him and receiving his grace is free but it does come at a great cost. We must lay down our lives before him. We must set aside our rights to prove ourselves and to protect ourselves. In a sense the people were exposed and made themselves vulnerable before Jesus as he rode into town on the donkey. He is good and gracious. How do you need to be vulnerable before Jesus? Ask him for help to be vulnerable before him today.