3 John; Psalm 27:4-14

3 John
Here we have another short letter, only 15 verses, from the aging Apostle John. This time it is to an individual, Gaius. Here is an assignment for you. Read through the verses. See if you can tell any themes John wished to emphasize. Also, see if you glean any information about the early church. Tomorrow I will tell you what I have found about these questions.

Psalm 27:4-14
vv. 1-3 tell us that the Lord is our light and our salvation and our fortress. We can count on Him for our help.

In vv. 4-6, David expresses his desire to live in the presence of the Lord every day of his life. This is indeed a lofty desire and one that we should also have. Sadly, I'm afraid that many times our attention is drawn away from God and onto frivolous and meaningless possessions or events in our lives. It would be a good practice to pray daily that we would have the desire to live in God's presence and delight in it, meditating on His Word. Then we can express our joy in the Lord, singing and praising Him with music. v. 6

vv. 7-14 deal with prayer. What do these verses teach us about prayer?

• Talk to God. vv. 7-8 We must communicate with God even when we are not in trouble! As a parent, how would you feel about a child who talked to you only when he or she needed something? David said, "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me.' And my heart responds, 'Lord, I am coming.'"
• Be honest with Him. vv. 9-10 If God seems far away, it's perfectly fine to express our doubts and fears to Him. If it seems that God has abandoned us, we can tell Him all about it. "Don't leave me now; don't abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close." People can and do let us down, but God will never abandon us!
• Ask Him for direction. v. 11 We often are unsure about decisions we must make, and these are when we need to go to God. "Teach me how to live O Lord, Lead me along the right path."
• Ask for protection from enemies or danger. v. 12
• Praise Him for His goodness. v. 13
• Wait for His answers! v. 14 "Wait patiently for the Lord, Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."