The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

No matter what excuse we give ourselves, Jesus’ Great Commission includes His disciples today. You and I. As a pastor told me, where he sends us, He equips us. Choose to believe that. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Sharing the Gospel By Aaron D’Anthony Brown“But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear them or be intimidated, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” – 1 Peter 3:14-15 The Fear to Share I used to relish the fact that I didn’t even have to travel overseas to share the Gospel. That’s what a few different sermons taught me and I was grateful. In a way, I felt let off of the hook, but if I were to be honest about myself back then, I’d have to also admit that I didn’t want to share the Gospel at all. Not out of disrespect for my faith but because of a fear that sharing God’s Word would lead to problems. I grew up in a family who prayed together, but never talked about why we prayed. I’ve been around people who say that they are Christian but don’t read Scripture and are totally on board with non-Christian beliefs and values. In my mind, talking about what’s actually in the Gospel could only cause friction and who wants that? Perhaps knowing that Jesus may not want you to travel overseas gives you a sense of relief, too. But do you feel let off the hook entirely with sharing the Gospel? Hopefully not, but if so, know that Jesus’ Great Commission extends to all of His followers, including us. The same fears we have about going to a foreign land and talking about God are the same fears we feel right here at home. A fear of conflict. A fear of being ill-equipped. A fear of the unknown. The truth is we don’t know what will happen when we share and maybe we don’t know how best to share. Yet, what is just as true is that if we don’t share the Gospel at all, then the good that could have potentially occurred definitely will not. So, how exactly do we work through these fearful insecurities? Intersecting Faith & Life: Overcoming our fears isn’t easy, but the few steps we can take are simple. Know Why You Believe Ask yourself this question, “Why do I put my faith in God and His Word?” Chances are you have good reasons for believing. Some people come to the faith intellectually, others through family tradition, and some people simply have a life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit. However you got to the faith, you have chosen to continue believing. Maybe you have witnessed God’s hand at work in your life or someone else’s. Maybe you experienced a miracle. Maybe you have been convicted by God’s presence. Whatever good the Christian faith has brought you, know that the same could happen for someone else if they got to know Christ. Know What to Share Once you understand the why behind your beliefs, then comes the question of what. If you had the opportunity, what exactly would you want somebody outside of the faith to know about God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit? Maybe you would share how much God loves them, or that the void they sense in their life could be tied to them lacking a relationship with Him. However, you choose to go about it, know that you can and should pray to God for discernment. He’ll give you direction. Get Uncomfortable One way or another, when sharing the gospel, you have to get uncomfortable. There’s no sugarcoating that reality. If you don’t already have the personality, that’s what’s bound to happen, especially if the Holy Spirit moves you to share with someone you know to be resistant or with someone you’re not close to. Whatever the case may be, realize that discomfort is normal and productive. Remember in Exodus when Moses was called by God and he felt ill-equipped because of his stutter and status? Or do you remember Paul being called to become an apostle after persecuting Christians? Imagine going from persecutor to disciple. Maybe you have a speech impediment or a background that makes you feel ashamed and unworthy. No matter what excuse we give ourselves, Jesus’ Great Commission includes His disciples today. You and I. As a pastor told me, where he sends us, He equips us. Choose to believe that. Further Reading (and Listening): Colossians 4:6 Matthew 28:18-20 “The Last J

Rather than looking to other people to encourage us today, let’s look to God by pursuing Him with our praise and worship, reading His word, and remembering His faithfulness.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: 3 Ways to Encourage Yourself Today By Lynette Kittle “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word”--2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Many people have been conditioned in our culture to start their day looking at their phones and social media first thing in the morning. Sadly, the majority of postings are usually more discouraging than encouraging. Others, start their mornings reading and listening to national and international news, where the woes and chaos of the world are front-and-center, headlining the pages. Both can leave us feeling discouraged before we even set foot on the floor or out the door. So what is the answer? Where do we turn to find encouragement to start our day? 1 Samuel 30:6 describes what David did when he needed encouragement. “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” Unlike David, too many of us are looking to others, dependent on their words, hoping and counting on them to constantly encourage us. But when encouragement doesn’t come and we feel alone, discouraged, and maybe even desperate, not knowing where to turn or what to do, we can encourage ourselves. David understood in his darkest, deepest hours, he wasn’t alone because he relied on his relationship with the Lord, knowing “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1). 3 Ways to Encourage Yourself Reading through 1 &amp; 2 Samuel and Psalms, we see how David knew how to encourage himself through focusing on his relationship with God. Through his life and words, we can learn to do the same. Following are three ways to encourage yourself today. Spend time praising and worshipping God. David’s heart longed after God, and he made time to spend with Him. In Psalm 42:2, he writes, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” David didn’t hold back when it came to expressing his love for God through worship. He is known for his over-the-top enthusiastic praise and worship of Him, 2 Samuel 6:14 describes. “Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might.” As Psalm 95:2 invites, “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.” Read the Bible. David spent time mediating on God’s word, as Psalm 119:15 describes, “I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.” God’s word is alive and able to cut right through discouraging thoughts and feelings in our lives in a way that brings life to us. As Hebrews 4:12 explains, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Even though others’ encouraging words may come few and far between, we can rely on God’s word to refresh, renew, and restore our lives when we take it in on a daily basis. Remember God’s goodness and faithfulness. Remembering God’s faithfulness and goodness stirs our hearts to be encouraged for today and the days ahead. Psalm 27:13 reminds, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”  David encouraged himself by remembering God’s goodness and faithfulness throughout the ages. “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago” (Psalm 77:11). Like David, during discouraging times, we can turn to the pages of the Bible to recall His mighty acts. As Psalm 119:90 reminds us, “Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures.” As well, like Psalm 77:12 expresses, “I will consider all Your works and meditate on all Your mighty deeds.” Intersecting Faith &amp; Life: Rather than looking to other people to encourage us today, let’s look to God by pursuing Him with our praise and worship, reading His word, and remembering His faithfulness.  <strong

Do you feel freedom and security to pray honestly and continuously in your prayers with God? What holds you back from pouring out your heart to Him or coming to Him again with the same request? How can you trust in Him even if the answer is no like it was for Jesus? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Pray Honestly and ContinuouslyWritten By: Emma Danzey Matthew 26:44 says, “So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.” Sometimes we might ask the question, “Am I allowed to pray what I really feel and think?” The truth is that God already knows our hearts and so there is no point in hiding what we are really going through from Him. However, we should recognize that our God does deserve respect and honor. We can trust Him. Jesus modeled prayer for us in multiple ways in Scripture. One particularly beautiful example is His prayers in the garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested.  “So he left them and went away once more" Jesus knew that he wanted the support of His friends, but He also realized that He needed to have intimacy and space as He prayed personally to the Father. Sometimes in life we need to pray with others, but other times we need to pray alone with our God and ask others to advocate and intercede on our behalf in their own times of prayer. There is still a communal aspect of prayer, but it is also very personal to Jesus and should be to us as well. Do you try to “Get away” and pray? This might look like waking up before the kids or talking to God after they go to sleep. You might have a war room in your closet. You could have a special route you like to walk and talk to God on. You may love to pray while you commute to work. Whatever that looks like for you, or you hope it looks like in the future, keep fighting for that time to be focused in prayer. “And prayed the third time” Jesus was no stranger to the concept found in Luke 18:1-8 with the persistent widow or the concept found in Matthew 7:7-8 to keep asking and seeking. Jesus was not ashamed or afraid to go back to God and pray a third time. He knew the value in continuous intercession. Notice that we can pray consistently for others, but sometimes, we do this over our own lives. This is not selfish, this is good to put on the armor of God, to pray for direction, and to submit ourselves under Christ’s authority while sharing our greatest desires and needs. “Saying the same thing" The Bible makes it clear that Jesus repeated the same prayer to the Father. He went before Him and made His request three times and it was always the same. Matthew 26:36b says, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  Why would Jesus, who knew His purpose and mission for coming to earth and knew that He had to die for our sins and would raise Himself back to life, pray this prayer? Do you also find it strange that He would be praying for the exact opposite of what He knew and had told His disciples was coming? Would that not be a waste of time? This makes us ponder our own prayers to God. Have you ever felt like what you were praying about was a waste of time? Or felt as if you were praying the same prayer over and over again? Did it seem like your words hit the ceiling instead of the ears of the Father in heaven?  I believe Jesus prayed this prayer to show us that even if our outcomes are not a “yes” from the Lord, that our time spent communicating our hearts to God are significant. Prayer bonds us to God, reaffirms our trust in Him, and allows us to have a place to share about our circumstances. Even if we feel like we keep going to the Lord with the same prayer requests and the same concerns, we can remember that Jesus did this. He did not shy away from telling His heart to His Father (and He knew the outcome). There is value in prayer.  Intersecting Faith and Life: Do you feel freedom and security to pray honestly and continuously in your prayers with God? What holds you back from pouring out your heart to Him or coming to Him again with the same request? How can you trust in Him even if the answer is no like it was for Jesus? Further Reading: Mark 26:36-56 Luke 22:39-53 John 18:1-12 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertis

Taking regular breaks to focus on God’s presence is not a luxury. It’s a vital practice for your spiritual well-being. By taking breaks from your busyness, you can experience in that stillness that God is really with you right where you are!  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: How Breaks from Your Busyness Can Help You Find God By: Whitney Hopler “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” – Psalm 46:10-11, NIV  In this fast-paced, constantly connected world, you can often find yourself engulfed in a whirlwind of tasks and distractions. Your schedule is packed, your to-do list is long, and finding time for rest can seem like an impossible luxury. Yet, in the middle of this busyness, God invites you to take regular breaks to focus on his presence with you. God urges you to “Be still, and know that I am God.” The command to “be still” is not just about physical rest. It’s also a call to mental and spiritual stillness. Being still involves creating moments in your day to pause, breathe, and shift your attention from your hectic schedule to notice God’s presence with you. This intentional stillness allows you to connect with God in ways that renew you spiritually.  When you’re busy, it’s easy to lose sight of God’s constant presence. Your mind can be preoccupied with the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities. However, taking regular breaks to be still before God helps you to refocus. It’s in these moments of quiet reflection that you can truly come to know and experience the reality of God’s closeness. Regardless of how busy or overwhelmed you may feel, God is always with you, ready to give you peace and guidance when you ask for it. Taking breaks to pay attention to God’s presence can transform your perspective – helping you to discover the wonder of God’s work in every situation.  So, imagine yourself pausing in the middle of a busy day to simply acknowledge God’s presence with you. This act of intentional focus can help you remember that you are not alone in your struggles and that God is actively involved in every part of your life. It’s a powerful reminder that God is not distant or disconnected, but intimately aware of your needs and concerns. In your moments of stillness, you can not only become more aware of God’s presence, but also of God’s protection and support. God is your fortress – your safe haven in stressful times. You can rely on God to be there for you, even in the middle of life’s chaos. Knowing that God is your fortress can give you the confidence to face your challenges with renewed courage and faith.  Here are some ways to incorporate breaks into your daily routine:  Schedule regular times throughout your day to pause and focus on God. These could be short breaks in the morning, midday, and evening. During your breaks, take time to thank God for his blessings and for being with you throughout your day.  Use everyday activities – such as a walk, a coffee break, or a commute – as opportunities to turn your attention toward God and enjoy God’s presence with you. Reflect on God’s promises and listen for his voice. Allow God’s presence to fill you with peace and guidance.  Spend a few minutes reading a Bible verse or a devotional, and then pray, asking the Holy Spirit to help you apply that wisdom to your life.  Taking regular breaks to focus on God’s presence is not a luxury. It’s a vital practice for your spiritual well-being. By taking breaks from your busyness, you can experience in that stillness that God is really with you right where you are!  Intersecting Faith and Life As you consider how breaks from your busyness can help you find God, reflect on these questions: How often do you take intentional breaks to focus on God during your day? What are some practical ways you can incorporate moments of stillness into your daily routine? How does recognizing God’s presence with you affect your approach to your daily

God loves you and He’s with you, staying by your side, and fighting this battle for you and with you! So, when life hits hard and the enemy’s attacks are relentless, go to God because He promises to be there for you. Remember, Jesus Christ has already defeated the devil and with Him, we will ultimately win! SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Holding On When You Want to Give Up By: Alexis A. Goring  “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” — 1 Timothy 6:12 NIV Life can be tough for everyone. Nobody has it completely easy. And if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ then you know that you’re also in a battle, because the devil doesn’t want you to have the eternal life that Jesus offers.  Often, the devil’s attacks are relentless. I know that we can become so worn down by the evil forces in this world that we feel like giving up. We might even allow ourselves to be attacked without fighting back. The Bible gives us weapons to use for this spiritual warfare and God hasn’t left us without help. But lately, I’ve realized that I haven’t been fighting as hard as I should. How often have I allowed the devil to beat me down while I stayed defenseless? It’s very easy to listen to negativity and throw yourself a pity party. But in recent years, God helped me realize that I am not defenseless; I can actively and effectively fight back!  We have the power that raised Christ from the dead inside of us (Romans 8:11).  Let’s exercise our authority as a Child of God and fight back with the Word of God! Ephesians 6:10-18 teaches us how to be prepared for this daily battle and to win with God on our side. It’s called putting on and activating the Armor of God: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Isn’t that a powerful promise to cling to? God has given us everything we need to defeat the enemy and to be victorious in Jesus Christ. I’ve learned to pray the Armor of God verses in the Bible at the start of every day. I’ve also learned some additional and practical steps to take to overcome attacks from the enemy.  Step One: Go to God. He is our Heavenly Father and stronger than Satan (our ultimate enemy). Read John 16:33.  Step Two: Ask Jesus Christ, our Savior, to pray for you. Read John 17:6-26. Step Three: Listen to Gospel music and worship God in song. Read 2 Chronicles 20:22. Step Four: Read the Bible and apply Scripture to overcome your struggle. Read 1 John 4:4. Step Five: Call a Bible-believing pastor, God-fearing friend, or Christ-following family member and ask them to pray for you. Read Ephesians 6:18. Step Six: Invest in Christian faith-based counseling services. Step Seven: Change your environment by going outdoors for a walk in nature.  One of my favorite Gospel music artists, Dr. Juanita Bynum, says sometimes you need to “praise your way through” dark times and spiritual attacks. Listen to her song “I Don’t Mind Waiting” for the encouragement your heart needs. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/_hEiGEfm2uE?si=q0oZLbIXGHxNqph6 Another song that illustrates my devotional points today is “Hold On, Don't Let Go” by Richard Smallwood &amp; Vision. I encourage you to listen to it too. Here’s the link: (<a href="https://youtu.be/jm

God used Joseph to execute integral parts of his much greater plan for humanity. And it was during the times of waiting and holding and longing for a change that he prepared Joseph to do the important work he had ahead. Joseph chose to do what he could, where he could, while he waited to see what God had for him next. He made good use of the time in between.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Working While We Wait  by Deidre Braley  Genesis 39:22-23: And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him.  I have been attached to my phone for the last ten days, refreshing my email at consistent intervals between all my daily tasks. Unload the dishwasher—check my email. Walk the dog—check my email. Kiss the kids goodnight—check my email. I’m in the querying process, which for a writer means the period of time when you send your heart and soul and life’s work into the world and then wait to see whether anyone cares or if you should go back to your day job.  When I left my career two years ago, I had my eyes set on one goal: to publish a book. I thought by now I’d be well on my way, would have something to show. But it turns out there have been a lot of slow-moving parts, like the gears on a clock moving at half-speed. How infuriating! I’ve been waiting for this email to let me know whether it’s time, finally time, to do the work I’ve been wanting to do for so long now.  This holding pattern is nothing compared to what Joseph experienced, though. The son of Israel (Jacob), Joseph was his father’s favorite. As if it wasn’t already enough that his dad had given him a beautifully colored cloak, Joseph also started having dreams that his brothers and family would one day bow down before him. Ouch. His brothers decided to kill him.  At the last minute, his brother Reuben stepped in with an alternate plan to try to spare his life—they’d just throw him in a pit and leave him. While Reuben was away, however, the brothers decided they might as well make some money from the whole ordeal, and sold Joseph to some Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt, instead.  This could read as an incredibly cruel and frustrating tale—one in which a promising young man’s life is needlessly upended. Being sold into slavery in a foreign land sounds like the kind of holding pattern you don’t escape from. But Scripture tells us otherwise. “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master,” Genesis 39:2 says. In fact, Joseph was so respected and things went so well under his care that his master, Potiphar, put him in charge of everything he had.  Later, when Potiphar’s wife wrongfully accuses Joseph of indecency, he is thrown into another holding pattern: this time, a jail cell. But just as he did after being sold to Potiphar, Joseph (with God’s help) finds favor with the keeper of the prison, who puts him in charge over everything there. And Genesis 39:23 tells us, “...whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.”  Joseph is the embodiment of the old adage, “Bloom where you are planted.” It’s probably safe to assume that Joseph didn’t want to be sold to an Egyptian master, and would have preferred to spend that time otherwise. And it’s probably even safer to suggest he didn’t want to spend years of his life in a jail cell for a crime he didn’t commit. But what stands out about Joseph’s story is the way he used the time that others may consider ‘wasted.’ Rather than mope and wallow or wait for it to be over so he could just get on with his life, Joseph walked closely with God and worked at whatever was put before him with integrity and wisdom. It was his time served in Potiphar’s house and the jail cell that prepared him (though somewhat unconventionally) to eventually serve Pharoah as governor of all the land of Egypt.  God used Joseph to execute integral parts of his much greater plan for humanity. And it was during the times of waiting and holding and longing for a change that he prepared Joseph to do the important work he had ahead. Joseph chose to do what he could, where he could, while he waited to see what God had for him next. He made good use of the time in between.  When we find ourselves in our own holding patterns, we can look at how God was with Joseph i

The Lord recognizes how much we long to please Him and how grieved we feel when we mess up. He sees our ongoing struggle against sin and the wounded places in our souls that cause us to react in fear and self-protection. And while He’s given us everything, in Christ and Scripture, to stand firm, whatever we face, He also understands how easily we become deceived.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God’s Unchanging Heart for His Profoundly Imperfect People By Jennifer Slattery The Lord is compassionate and gracious,   slow to anger, abounding in love (Psalm 103:8, NIV). Many of us have heard people talk about the Lord’s complete forgiveness and unconditional love but can expect Him to withhold both when we mess up. Most often, this stems from times in which others responded to our mistakes with some degree of emotional distance. I can relate. I struggled, for decades, to fully receive God’s grace, and sometimes still do. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I find today’s verse so beautiful.  Written by David, ancient Israel’s second king, Psalm 103:8 reiterates the way God revealed Himself to a man named Moses around four hundred years prior. This occurred shortly after the Lord’s newly liberated people rebelled against Him to worship idols. Following, God told Moses that He wouldn’t accompany him and the Hebrews into the new land He’d promised them. But then He appeared to relent and in Exodus 33:15 stated, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Perhaps confused, or simply wanting to experience more of the God with whom he’d already come to converse with as a friend (Ex. 33:11), Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” One could phrase this as, “Reveal the essence of who You are.” God did, declaring Himself compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness.  David likely knew how the Lord described Himself to Moses and how consistently He lived out those traits with the often faithless and rebellious Hebrew people. In today’s verse, He praised God for those same qualities. While Scripture doesn’t reveal David’s circumstances when he wrote Psalm 103, we do know from other passages that He landed in numerous situations that plunged him into despair and overwhelming fear. We also know that God faithfully cared for, protected, and defended David throughout His life. And, the Lord showed David grace when he failed as a father, a king, and chief commander over the Israelite army.     In other words, David hadn’t simply learned of the Lord’s love, mercy and compassion from Scripture. He’d experienced those same traits when he’d desperately needed them. Likely reflecting on who God was and all He’d done, David began his prose with a praise that arose from his inmost being, the deepest and truest part of him. He then recounted numerous blessings God provided—forgiveness for even the worst of sins, emotional and physical healing, restoration of seemingly hopeless lives, provision, vitality, justice for the oppressed, and guidance for those who find themselves wandering about in desert places. In verse 4, we read that the God who “redeems [our] life from the pit” also “crowns [us] with love and compassion.” One might phrase this as, “He rescued us in our weakest and most helpless state and enveloped us in grace.” When the devil tries to bury me in toxic shame, I’m reminded that God’s favor toward us stems from His goodness alone, and not from anything we have or haven’t done.  Because while He is the Almighty Creator of all that exists and the One who holds all authority in His powerful hands, that wasn’t how He most defined Himself to Moses, and therefore, to us. When we reflect upon who He is at His core, He doesn’t want us to think of His anger. Instead, He wants us to recognize, intellectually and from personal experience, that He is first and foremost a God of unfathomable love and grace. Expanding on this, David then drew an analogy between the Lord and caring parents (Psalm 103:13). Our heavenly Father views us with more tenderness than an attentive mother with an over-tired two-year-old and a patient dad with an emotionally dysregulated middle schooler. Because, as verse 14 states, “he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (NIV). In other words, He remains cognizant of our humanity.  The Lord recognizes how much we long to please Him

When we are under attack, stuck in one of Satan’s strongholds, we can break free with the help of Jesus Christ! But, as we see in the following verses, it is vital that we continually guard our minds, bathing ourselves in truth to prevent and shut down spiritual strongholds before they overtake us.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Fighting Spiritual Strongholds By: Laura Bailey  “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV “I think I am stuck,” wincing as the words came out of my mouth, I waited to hear my husband’s response. “I’ll be up there in a minute,” he quickly replied.  As my husband pulled up in his truck, assessing the situation, I could tell by the expression on his face that it wasn’t good. After a few minutes of trying to get the car out of the mud, he said, " You are going to need a tow truck.” I knew he was trying to control his irritation, but the truth was, I deserved it. I knew I shouldn’t have gone down that road. For the last few months, my road has been under construction. The road was blocked off just a few hundred feet from my driveway, causing us to take a 10-minute detour whenever we wanted to leave the house. Countless times in the past few weeks, I have seen cars drive around the “ road closed” barriers, so I thought I could, too. Except on this particular day, I didn’t consider that it had been raining all morning, making the clay dirt turn into a thick, gooey paste. To prevent washout, the construction team placed a large pile of gravel at the end of the path, making it impossible to get through. And the thing is, as I slowly inched my way around the barriers, I knew this wasn’t a good idea. Still, ignoring the quiet voice in my thoughts that encouraged me to turn back, I trudged ahead.  At first, it wasn’t that bad, my tires quickly making their way through the mud, but when I saw the gravel barrier, I knew I was in trouble. That wasn’t the first time I’d taken that path; I’d cut through the closed-off road numerous times. Time after time, I sailed smoothly through the construction zone, avoiding the long detour; I knew it wasn’t the best decision, yet I still did it.  Sitting there waiting for my husband, berating myself for my poor choices, I thought about a sermon I’d once heard about sin. The preacher said, “We dabble in sin; satan dominates.” We often convince ourselves that our sin isn’t that bad, especially compared to others.  If they can do it, why can’t we?  We didn’t get caught last time, so it must be okay.  We try to rationalize our rebellion against God, knowing in our hearts that what we are doing is wrong. And that’s the thing about sin; typically, our little rebellion becomes more significant. The white lie morphs into a whopper. The occasional overspending leads to a snowball of debt. The innocent flirtation leads to an emotional affair. We have an enemy whose sole mission is to” kill, steal and destroy” ( John 10:10). He wants nothing more than to believe that we can control our sin, but instead, it often controls us. In our key verse, Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are fighting a spiritual battle. But they don’t fight with the flesh; they have divine power to demolish strongholds. A stronghold is a barrier; our enemy erects numerous strongholds to destroy biblical truth. As believers, we put on the armor of God, knowing that we don’t fight alone; we have the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are under attack, stuck in one of Satan’s strongholds, we can break free with the help of Jesus Christ! But, as we see in the following verses, it is vital that we continually guard our minds, bathing ourselves in truth to prevent and shut down spiritual strongholds before they overtake us.  Graciously, a sister in Christ and her husband came to my aid that day. They worked for almost an hour and nearly got stuck themselves to free my car. The Lord taught me numerous lessons that day. Sin can quickly overtake us, but when we call on the name of Jesus Christ, we have the power to fight the devil’s schemes. Our Heavenly Father also gives us the gift of the body of believers. We are meant to support, lift, and pull our brothers and sisters out of sin if needed.  The Lord granted me mercy that day; the situation could have been much worse. After a few days, I saw a car go around the barriers; as I quickly drove past, I prayed to the Lord for the lessons learned.  Intersecting Faith and Life:

When the songwriter Asaph was going through a lonely time of feeling abandoned by God, he wrote this in Psalm 77:6 as the beginning of his mental process to convince himself God was still with him: “I remembered my songs in the night” (NIV).  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: God’s Comfort in His Songs  By Cindi McMenamin, Crosswalk Contributing Writer  The Lord your God is in your midst—a warrior bringing victory.  He will create calm with his love; he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 CEB My daughter, Dana, was in college when she experienced her first real heartache from a relationship breakup. I had just finished speaking for a retreat out of state when I received her phone call from my hotel room. How it hurt my heart to hear her cry and to be so far away from her and unable to hug her or wipe away her tears. Dana knew God was good and that He was close, but still her heart was broken. I prayed with her on the phone and then continued to pray for her throughout the night, waking every few hours and calling on the Lord to comfort her with His presence.  A couple nights later, after I was back home, she texted me from her college dorm room. She couldn’t sleep. Her heart was still hurting. In that moment, I remembered how music resonated with her like nothing else. Music had always been a huge part of her life and, at the time, she was studying to be a vocal performer. Music was often how she processed her thoughts. We all sense God’s presence in different ways. Perhaps she needed His songs. I texted her a few verses and told her to listen for her Heavenly Father singing over her.  Zephaniah 3:17 gives us a beautiful description in the Old Testament of how our warrior God, who fights for our hearts, will also tenderly comfort us in our time of need. The New English Translation reads: “The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.” The New King James version translates those “shouts for joy” (which sound like a battle triumph) as a sweet love song of God’s for His beloved: “He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” “God sings over you, Dana,” I texted. “Listen for His songs.” God not only sings over us, He puts songs in our hearts to deliver us. In Psalm 32:7 (NKJV) David sang, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”  In the Contemporary English Version, that verse reads: “You are my hiding place! You protect me from trouble, and you put songs in my heart because you have saved me.”  In Job 35:10, we read God is the one who “provides us with songs in the night” (HCSB). Finally, I texted to my daughter Psalm 119:54: “No matter where I am, your teachings fill me with songs” (CEV) and Psalm 42:8: “The Lord will send His goodness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night.”  Dana texted back: “I like the verses about Him giving us songs.” And with His music close to her heart, she was able to sleep. Intersecting Faith and Life:  God sings over you too. He knows your broken heart, your disappointments, your feelings of loneliness when they strike. He is closer than a whisper on the nights you can’t sleep, on those days that drag on forever, and in the quiet when you feel forgotten and alone.  When the songwriter Asaph was going through a lonely time of feeling abandoned by God, he wrote this in Psalm 77:6 as the beginning of his mental process to convince himself God was still with him: “I remembered my songs in the night” (NIV).  Get quiet, my friend. Hush the questions going through your mind and listen. Listen for His song in the night, and His whisper of love through the breeze in the day. My prayer is that you will soon be declaring as the psalmist did: “You have helped me, and I sing happy songs in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 63:7 CEV). Lord, thank You for the gift of music that can comfort our souls. And thank You, too, for putting songs in our hearts—songs of comfort and songs of joy. On those days and nights when we need Your comforting presence, help us to sense You singing over us. And when those we love need Your songs, may You sing them clearly in their ears as well.   For Further Reading: Psalm 77 For more on God’s com

Are there moments when your life feels small? Take note of any patterns. Do you feel less than great whenever you get together with that one friend who seems to have a glamorous, exciting life? Or do you feel discontentment bubbling whenever you spend time on social media? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: What to Remember When Your Life Feels Small by Deidre Braley  Matthew 18:1-4: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying,“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  Does your life ever feel small?  Mine sometimes does. Just last weekend, in fact, I had the unsettling experience of smallness at a country concert that was featuring a major artist. As the sun sank below the edge of the stadium, the crowd’s anticipation mounted. When the singer finally ran onto the stage, donning his guitar and saluting the audience, the stadium erupted. Girls clutched each other and screamed. Phone flashlights turned into constellations amongst the pulsing galaxy of people. Tens of thousands of lips moved in unison to sing the opening song together.  Submerged in this world of smoke and lights and adrenaline, I had the unsettling feeling of being small. A longing began to stir deep in my belly—something like an exhilarating hunger. I suddenly wondered what it would feel like to live in this alternate reality called fame.  Back at home, I knew that laundry was piled on our bedroom floor, that our toddlers would be wanting pancakes in the morning, and that the dishes would be nearly toppling in the kitchen sink. My line of work, in comparison to rocking and selling out this stadium, seemed so humdrum and un-noteworthy that I could hardly stand it.  As it turns out, this hunger I was feeling—this longing to know what greatness feels like—came about long before electric guitars and jumbotrons. The disciples felt it too. One day, they even asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1)  Jesus didn’t name a rockstar. He didn’t list off kings, or bible heroes, or professionals revered in their fields. Instead, he beckoned for a child to come and stand among them. “‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me…’” (Matthew 18:2-5).  Earthside, we perceive greatness as notoriety and wealth, power and fanfare. It involves being or having more than someone else. But in the kingdom of heaven? Greatness looks like humility, trust, and inclusion. Greatness looks like a child, turning to the Father for everything. If we align our life’s work to what the world deems ‘great,’ then our days will be filled with striving and discontentment. We’ll be ever subjected to the fickleness of humanity. But when we align ourselves with what Jesus values—when we humble our souls and trust in the only one that is truly great—we are able to bask in an eternal greatness that gives our souls rest and contentment.  So when we find ourselves caught in a pattern of discontentment, wondering when our time will come, or if anyone will ever notice us, or if our lives will ever possess that magnetic essence of greatness, let’s come back to that image of Jesus, pulling the child near and saying,“This. This is what greatness looks like in my kingdom.”  Intersecting Faith &amp; Life  Are there moments when your life feels small? Take note of any patterns. Do you feel less than great whenever you get together with that one friend who seems to have a glamorous, exciting life? Or do you feel discontentment bubbling whenever you spend time on social media?  Once you are able to identify when, where, or what makes you feel “small,” you can develop strategies to help you fight the lie that greatness comes from what the world hails, like fame and wealth or power and position. These strategies could include:  Limiting how often you expose yourself to these people or situations.● Memorizing Scripture to pray over yourself when you’re feeling overcome withdiscontentment or inferiority.</li