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 12:1-5
Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains;
the loyal have disappeared from the human race.
2 They lie to one another;
they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips
and the tongue that speaks boastfully.
4 They say, “Through our tongues we have power;
our lips are our own—who can be our master?”
5 “Because of the devastation of the needy
and the groaning of the poor,
I will now rise up,” says the Lord.
“I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.”
Read the Entire Psalm
No faithful one remains! Is this an accurate statement from the Psalmist? Can he really know that there are none who want to honor God? Whether his right or not, he does act rightly. He perceives that there are none who are faithful and so he cries out to God. He says, “Help, LORD!” Prayer is not a fall back position. God is sovereign. He is capable. He is wise. He cares. Cry out to him. Give him thanks and praise.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 2:1-12 – Christian Standard Bible
The First Sign: Turning Water into Wine
2 On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
4 “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 “Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
6 Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.
7 “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
9 When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom 10 and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this, he went down to Capernaum, together with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.
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.
- Pray for those in our church who are sick. Ask God to heal them and give them strength.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Is Jesus lord of all of your life? Don’t think about this question in terms of perfection, but think about it in terms of overall life direction. Everyone sins; everyone struggles with doubt or disobedience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t consistently and resolutely keep Christ as the very center of your life. If you are currently saying “no” to him in some area, consider what is driving this decision? Are you in doubt as to his goodness or wisdom? Do you think that if you truly surrender to him, it will be worse than if you try to maintain control of your own life? Think through your life carefully and prayerfully. Is there an area or issue where you need to say, “Yes, Lord, I see it…I have kept that back from you. I am afraid or I have been unwilling to give that to you and trust you with it. I repent of my sin and crown you Lord, again, of my whole life.” Don’t rush through this and don’t look for what is not there. Be still, ask God to reveal any area of sin or anything that you have withheld from him. Now, if you are willing, repent and relinquish control to him.