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 58:9-11 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns— whether green or burning—
he will sweep them away.
10 The righteous one will rejoice when he sees the retribution;
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then people will say, “Yes, there is a reward for the righteous! There is a God who judges on
earth!”
Read the entire Psalm
This is a difficult Psalm to read. Yes, it is wonderful that there is a reward for the righteous but the reward for the righteous results from the destruction of wicked people. The wonderful news is that God is just and judges. The terrible news is that God must judge because there is evil in the world. Praise Him for Justice. Thank Him for His patience with you. Pray for those oppressed by evil people.
Scripture Reading
John 15:18-27 – New International Version
The World Hates the Disciples
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
The Work of the Holy Spirit
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanks 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 Amelia and Rick. Ask God to encourage them, guide them, and use them as they serves overseas.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.” Take a moment to think about this verse. Jesus said this with certainty. If you follow Jesus, expect to be hated. Remember times when you faced mistreatment because of your faith. Maybe it was an awkward moment at work or being excluded for expressing your beliefs. Or perhaps you stood firm for a biblical truth that went against popular opinion. How did you respond? How might you respond differently now? These are tough questions, but it’s important to think about them. Now could be a good time to pray for those who have shown hatred toward you. Ask God to guide them from darkness into the light of Jesus. Also, thank the Lord for revealing Himself to you and for allowing you to share His name through your words and actions.