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 19:8-11 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life;
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad;
the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.
10 They are more desirable than gold—than an abundance of pure gold;
and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.
11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.
Read the Entire Psalm
Praise God for the gift of His word. He did not have to reveal himself to us through the bible but he has – take a moment and thank him. He did not have to instruct us or renew us through his word but he does – thank him for his instruction.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Haggai 2:1-9 – Christian Standard Bible
Encouragement and Promise
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people: 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem to you like nothing by comparison? 4 Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel—this is the Lord’s declaration. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land—this is the Lord’s declaration. Work! For I am with you—the declaration of the Lord of Armies. 5 This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.’”
6 For the Lord of Armies says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of Armies. 8 “The silver and gold belong to me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. 9 “The final glory of this house will be greater than the first,” says the Lord of Armies. “I will provide peace in this place”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
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 for the war in Ukraine. Pray that it would end. Pray for those suffering.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
In The Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegory of the Christian life, Christian and Hopeful use the key called Promise to escape from Doubting Castle and their captor, a giant named Despair. As they escape, they discovered that the key of promise opens some locks with ease, but others are desperately difficult to open, even with the key of promise. Nevertheless, the key of promise does work on even the most difficult locks.
Most of us have familiar and strong “locks” in our life. We find ourselves, sometimes daily, trying to unlock the same old lock in order to come out of doubt or despair.
Are you familiar with the locks in your life (fear of the future, feeling out of control, insecurity about what other people think of you, a performance mentality, feelings of worthlessness, loneliness, etc.)? If not, take some time to reflect on what those locks might be in your life. You may need a Christian friend or mentor to help you.
If you are familiar with the common “locks” in your life, have you identified New Testament promises that can be trusted as keys to unlock those “locks” consistently? If not, take some time to identify some “keys of promise” from the Scriptures. Memorize them. Meditate on them. Use them to walk in the freedom, life, and safety of the King’s road.