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 64:1 Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;
protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
Read the Entire Psalm
Hear Me – What a wonderful prayer! Meditate on the thought of God taking the time to hear from you. He is the God who lifts up mountains; who imagined birds; who painted meadows and he is able and willing to hear you. He is also a wonderful protector. Pray to him now. Ask Him to hear you.
Give thanks to the Lord… what can a mere mortal do to me? A mere mortal can actually do a lot. They can inflict physical pain or emotional / relational pain. What can they do in an ultimate sense? Even if a person were to take your physical life, God’s love would endure. If you have trusted Christ, you would be with God forever. Even if they withhold their affection from you or slander you verbally, God’s faithful love endures. Would your emotional pain diminish? Maybe, but you can be certain that God’s faithful love will endure. Give thanks to Him for His faithful love. Praise Him for His enduring love.
SCRIPTURE READING:
John 10:22-42 – New Living Translation
Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”
31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”
33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
39 Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. 40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” 42 And many who were there believed in Jesus.
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 those who do not know God. Ask God to help you see the lost people around you and have compassion for them. Ask God for opportunities to build trust. Ask God to give you opportunities to have gospel conversations.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Apart from the lies of the enemy, what are some reasons that the believer can lack confidence in his salvation? One key reason is when we live in ongoing sin patterns. For the believer, all sin, past, present and future are forgiven. At the same time, we are to confess our sins, turn away from them, and turn back to God. If we continue to sin and fail to quickly and completely confess and return to God, then we will be like the prodigal living in a far country. Our Father is waiting for us to return so he can receive us back, but we are living in a pigpen of sin, thinking we are unworthy to return. The truth is that we are, in ourselves, unworthy to return to God. However, we don’t return to God touting our own worth, but claiming and clinging to the worth of Christ. Do not let your own sin rob you of your confidence in Christ.