The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

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 & Vision. I encourage you to listen to it too. Here’s the link: (https://youtu.be/jmPhHNQGjK4?si=G6JBwslbssixvGu2) Remember: 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! Intersecting Faith and Life: How does it feel to know that the Creator of the Universe fights for you and with you against attacks from the enemy?  Further Reading:  Proverbs 21:3 Psalm 119:160 1 Thessalonians 5:8 2 Corinthians 10:4 1 John 5:4 Also read:  “The Armor of God—What it Is and How to Use It” by Debbie McDaniel https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/praying-on-the-armor-of-god.html   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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 in the waiting and be encouraged. Yes, it might be taking longer than we’d like and no, we might not understand how it’s going to result in anything of value, but our job isn’t to worry about all that. Our job is to put our hand to what’s before us with integrity and to walk with God while we do it.  Whether we’re longing for career-changing news or freedom from existing commitments or just for something fresh and exciting to happen in our lives, today let’s take a page from Joseph’s book and assess what we can do with where we are right now, at this very point in our lives. We might be surprised to see how God can use that humble obedience.  Intersecting Faith & Life  What areas of your life feel like holding patterns (or jail cells!) right now? Consider bringing them before the Lord and asking him:  How can I use this time in a way that would be fruitful? What would it look like to walk with you and work with integrity in this area?● Will you please give me endurance to stay faithful in this season of waiting?● Would you give me a glimpse of how you might use this work as part of your granderplan for my life and the lives of others? Further Reading  To read through Joseph’s entire story, look into: ● Genesis 37-50 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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 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.  He has compassion for who we truly are, in all our weaknesses and sins, and responds to our greatest failures with mercy and forgiveness, rather than anger and condemnation. Living in that reality helps us rise again when we fall, with our gaze fixed not on our past nor our shame but on the Savior who proved every word of today’s verse true when He died on the cross to quite literally redeem our lives from the pit of hell (verse 4).         Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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: Thinking about this quotation, “We dabble in sin; satan dominates,” is there an area in your life where your sin started small but has begun to take over completely? Ask the Lord for forgiveness and the power to fight this attack. Take it further; reach out to your local church or godly friend to help you overcome this spiritual stronghold.  For Further Reading: Overcoming Strongholds 1 Corinthians 10:13 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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 comfort and care, see Cindi’s devotional book, God’s Whispers to a Woman’s Heart.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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 & 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. Surround yourself with others whose lives model humility and surrender to the Lord.● Finding solitude, then stopping to ask the Holy Spirit to reorient your priorities andremind you who are—and who he is. Further Reading  Mark 10:35-45 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jesus knows that on the inside, at the level of soul and spirit, we often hunger for something much deeper than physical bread. And that part of ourselves, that indescribable but ultimately recognizable part of who we are, can only be filled by a connection with the one who redeems 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: Finding The Bread of Life [Jesus said] “I am the bread of life, those who come to me will never be hungry, those who believe in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35) I once drove past a church with a large sign out front; you know the kind, the kind where you can type witty or inspiring messages for all to read. This church, however, chose a more aggressive tactic. One day the sign read “Jesus said ‘You either eat the bread of life or you’re toast!”  Wait….is that, really what Jesus said?  When Jesus calls himself the bread of life, was he setting up some divine criteria by which we get to judge who is right and wrong, in or out?  There is a big difference between holding out an invitation to all and voicing a criterion of condemnation. When Jesus calls himself the bread of life in John chapter 6, there is no hint of judgement. And even when he says, “unless you eat the flesh of the son of man you have no life in you”, Jesus is only reinforcing his gracious invitation to all.  Jesus invites the crowds around him to receive from him the life and the grace that he so freely offers. Jesus reaches out lovingly, not judgmentally. Of course, the crowds misunderstand what Jesus meant. They had previously been fed miraculously by five loaves and two fish, were hungry for more; they were hungry for miracles, and they were also physically hungry. Jesus knows this. Jesus says, “you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate and had your fill.”  Simply put, Jesus proved he could give the crowd dinner, and now they want breakfast. Give us more bread, they say, and they would be satisfied. See, they thought that Jesus could only provide physical bread, and physical nourishment. They were concerned with their appetite, their bodily satiation, and their earthly life. This happens a lot. In John 4 we read about the woman at the well, who believed that living water just meant and endless flowing stream. Before we move on, let’s stop here and ask a question: is that how we treat the bread of life? Do we reduce the works of Jesus to simple actions designed to prop up our earthly existence. Do we think that the  bread of life is given to us so that we can continue living our lives the way we want, pursuing what we want to pursue?   What Jesus does in this passage, what Jesus always does, is invite us to enter a deeper life. Yes, Jesus can provide for our physical needs, the feeding of the 5000 proved that – but Jesus offers us more than simply propping up our earthly life. In calling himself “the bread from heaven” Jesus was inviting the crowd to enter a deeper relationship with their Lord. Jesus wanted to them, and us, to find in him the life that truly is life. Because the life that Jesus talks about, the life that he holds out for us, isn’t the life of days and weeks, it is the life of spirit and soul. Jesus offers us true life in that part of us that can’t be satiated by physical things. It is life that is in touch with our desire for hope, for love, for joy, for peace, for forgiveness and redemption. If all those things could be filled by earthly nourishment – by the physical breads of existence, then the more you eat the happier we would be. But I think we all know that’s not the case.  Jesus knows that on the inside, at the level of soul and spirit, we often hunger for something much deeper than physical bread. And that part of ourselves, that indescribable but ultimately recognizable part of who we are, can only be filled by a connection with the one who redeems us. And so Jesus invites us to find in him everything our souls’ hunger for. Intersecting Faith and Life. The bread of God who comes down from heaven Jesus himself. The reason why the bread of life is eternal, the reason why we never hunger or thirst in the spiritual sense, isn’t because we have arrived at some heightened spiritual status, but because we are connected to the one who never leaves.  We know that no matter what we face, the life of Jesus surrounds us and carries us. Jesus offers a love-filled invitation to come to him.  Ask yourself: Is Jesus the bread of your life?  As you come to physical bread daily; do you come to Jesus on a regular basis?  Do you receive from him the life he offers? Do you engage with Jesus in a deep way, digesting his presence and his word at the deepest level of spirit?  If we want to receive life he offers, the point is we need to take him deep -to allow Jesus to transform us into his likeness. Because Jesus is the only person who can fill our spiritual hunger. He is real food and real drink. Yes, Jesus is the bread of life, and all who come to him will be satisfied. For further reading John 6:24-34 “Are you feasting on the bread of life?” on crosswalk.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

By actively pursuing God’s wonder and praising God when you find it, you can rise above your immediate concerns and experience God’s awesome presence. So, let praise raise your perspective, and enjoy how that changes your life for the better.  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: Let Praise Raise Your Perspective By: Whitney Hopler “He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” – Deuteronomy 10:21, NIV  Life in this fallen world often feels stressful. As you manage all your different responsibilities, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Your perspective can shrink down to the level of your to-do list. If that happens, though, you can miss the bigger picture of God’s work in your life. Deuteronomy 10:21 reminds you that praising God can help you see a higher perspective. Praise can transform your perspective and bring you closer to experiencing God’s awe-inspiring presence.  Praising God is much more than a religious duty. It's a powerful practice that shifts your focus from your problems to God’s greatness. When you actively praise God, your attention moves from your immediate circumstances to the wonderful ways God is working in your life. Praising God is an act of worship that directs you away from earthly concerns and toward heavenly truths. It reminds you that God is in control, and his plans are far greater than what you can humanly understand. When you praise God, you remind yourself of God’s past faithfulness and present power, which helps you trust God with your future.  Awe is a profound feeling of reverence and wonder inspired by something majestic. It can transform your outlook on life, filling you with a sense of peace and purpose. When you take time to praise God, you open your heart to experience more of God’s majestic love and power.  You can experience awe anytime you’re intentionally looking for God’s wonderful work around you. For example, consider a time when you stood in awe of God’s creation. Maybe you experienced a stunning sunset or enjoyed the intricate beauty of a flower. Those moments of wonder are reflections of God’s glory, because every part of creation teaches you something about your Creator. Another powerful way to feel awe is to reflect on some of the specific ways God has recently answered your prayers. You’ll find that God answered in the best ways and at the best times, doing more than you ever imagined when you first asked him to help you. Meditating on Bible passages that describe God’s wonderful qualities can also help you feel awe. Letting these truths sink into your heart helps you learn more about God and why he is worthy of your worship.  Whenever you feel awe, don’t hesitate to praise God for who he is and what he is doing in your life!  Starting your day with praise is a powerful way to set a positive tone. So, try to start each morning by thanking God for something you appreciate about him, or for something he has done recently. Throughout your day, take brief breaks to pause and praise God. You can do so however you like, such as by saying a silent prayer of thanks or singing a worship song. It’s possible to praise God on the go, as well – so go ahead and take a break for praise anytime and anywhere you feel inspired to do so. Keeping a praise journal can also be helpful. Regularly write down specific ways you see God working in your life. Over time, this journal will become a tangible record of God’s faithfulness. It can encourage you whenever you read it. Listening to worship music is another powerful way to infuse your day with praise. Let the lyrics of worship songs remind you of God’s awe-inspiring greatness. Allow the music to lift your mood and motivate you emotionally to praise God.  By actively pursuing God’s wonder and praising God when you find it, you can rise above your immediate concerns and experience God’s awesome presence. So, let praise raise your perspective, and enjoy how that changes your life for the better.  Intersecting Faith and Life  As you consider how praising God goes raises your perspective, reflect on these questions:  How has praising God in the past helped you gain a new perspective on a challenging situation? What is one situation you’re facing now that you could use a new perspective on? What is one way you’ve witnessed God’s wonderful work in your life recently that you can praise him for today? How can you plan to include more moments of praise in your daily routine?  Further Reading  Isaiah 25:1 Psalm 34:1 Psalm 150:6 Hebrews 13:15 Psalm 145:3 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The richer we are toward God, the more filled we become with all the things, like joy, peace, and soul-deep fulfillment, the foolish man thought he’d gain through storehouses of grain. 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: Flourishing Through Living Richly Toward God By Jennifer Slattery So is the man who stores up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:21, NASB) A few years ago, I endured a season so overwhelming, I temporarily lost hope things would get better. In my emotional gloom, I longed to quit all the activities through which I’d served Christ for nearly three decades. I wanted to find a job where I could show up, clock in and out, and perform tasks that didn’t require mental or emotional energy. But, I also strove to honor God, even in my pain, so I prayed.  He directed me to the passage surrounding today’s verse. Initially, I felt frustrated, assuming He was telling me to put on my “praise face” and return to serving Him. I’ve since discovered, while He does want me to share His love through my gifts, being rich toward God goes deeper than volunteering, giving, and speaking truth. It’s about allowing His Spirit to permeate our depths and letting Him direct our steps and mold our thoughts. In short, God invited me to make much of Him, trusting Him to show me what that looked like in each moment. Trusting that He knew what I needed in each moment. Like the man who stockpiled wealth, I’d fallen into the trap of thinking I’d experience joy, security and fulfillment through our culture’s definition of life.  Jesus told this parable in response to someone’s request for help with an inheritance dispute. We know from God’s interaction with two sisters in the Old Testament that He cares about fairness in these matters. We also know from numerous verses in Proverbs that He encourages us to make wise financial choices. Therefore, we can assume, Jesus was addressing another matter.  Perhaps the man prioritized the family estate over relationships. Regardless, seeing his heart, Jesus told a story about someone with more wealth than he knew what to do with. After some thought, the man said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus of grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry’” (Vs. 18-19, NIV).  Verse 20 states, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” (NIV). Jesus concluded the story with, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (V. 21, NIV). In other words, the man’s wealth wasn’t the problem. His obsession with it, with himself, and his complete disregard for the Lord left him spiritually bankrupt and, apparently, alone. (Otherwise, I assume God would’ve stated, in verse 20, “Then your children will get what you have prepared for yourself.”)  The man stored up wealth, likely thinking this would bring him happiness, peace, security, and fulfillment. Then, he decided to mentally disengage and spend the rest of his days on a permanent vacation. He was deceived into believing he could find life in material things and momentary pleasure.  I’m reminded of the contrast Jesus described in John 10:10, when He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (NIV).  This tells me that whenever I move from Jesus and resist His guidance, I’m simultaneously moving toward increased dysfunction, spiritual depletion, and death. Death of relationships, of true and lasting peace and joy, of every good and perfect gift Christ died to give me, and eventually, an eternity spent separated from Him. The converse occurs as I grow closer to Him. Deepening our relationship through ongoing connection and trusting obedience, I experience “full” or as some translations phrase it, “abundant” life. In the original Greek, the word Jesus used has the connotation of something that has “excess all around,” is more than enough, and exceeds one’s expectations.  This is like when someone fills a glass with refreshing ice water on a hot day and keeps pouring, so the water overflows.  Intersecting Life and Faith The richer we are toward God, the more filled we become with all the things, like joy, peace, and soul-deep fulfillment, the foolish man thought he’d gain through storehouses of grain. When the devil says I’ll find happiness through an exotic vacation or expansive home, I’ll remember Jesus’ promise to give me a life that overflows. When I struggle to prioritize my relationship with God above my career or bank account, that demonstrates I don’t fully believe His promise or ability to fulfill it. I’ll then view this as an invitation to experience the Lord more deeply so I can indeed “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:18, NIV). I’ll recognize my faulty thinking as an opportunity for Him to remove my spiritual blinders so that I can see Him and life as they truly are.  That’s something Jesus loves to do. The One who died that we might live will lead us toward every spiritual blessing available through Him. That is our most precious inheritance.   Additional Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 John 10:1-18 Romans 8:31-39 1 Corinthians 2:9 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you aren’t usually a morning person, consider exploring the act of waking with the Spirit for one week. It might take a few days to get into the habit, so be patient. While Christian culture might portray a certain set of circumstances/materials as “essentials” for time with God (cue the coffee, candles, journal, and fancy pen), the truth is that the only thing that’s essential for time with God is a willingness to listen and be in his presence. 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: Walking (and Waking) in the Spirit  by Deidre Braley  Galatians 5:16-17: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  In the middle of the book of Romans, we find Paul making the world’s most relatable confession: “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (7:18-19).  Poor guy. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was a parent, crying after bedtime and wishing he hadn’t lost his temper again. That’s always my shortcoming, at least. Maybe you have your own—that sin that keeps creeping into your days, hard as you try to kick it. Often referred to as a besetting sin, it’s the specific kind of brokenness that you’re especially prone to falling into—the kind that, as Hebrews 12 puts it, “clings so closely” (v.1).  When the Holy Spirit comes to reside within us, we are thrown into a rather peculiar state: Our spirits desire the Kingdom of God, but our flesh desires the stuff of this world. And it’s as though the Spirit and the flesh are each holding onto one end of the same rope and then walking in opposite directions. The two want different things—and we are caught in the center of that tension.  Is it any wonder that James gives such an ardent warning when he says, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (4:4). We’re in the middle of a fleshly-spiritual battle. On any given day, the desires of the flesh could give a good hard tug on the rope and we’d go tumbling, once again, into the same brokenness Jesus came to free us from.  Intersecting Faith & Life  If there’s one thing I’ve discovered about this battle, it’s that my daily chances of walking with the Spirit are much better when I wake with the Spirit.  On the mornings when I oversleep, our children barge into the bedroom and bombard me with requests, complaints, and noise. When I get out of bed, I am my full-flesh self: under-caffeinated, combative, and short-fused. It’s not pretty. And unless I am able to reset and spend some intentional time with the Lord, my day progresses in that fashion. I give in to the desires of my flesh—and end the day feeling an awful lot like what Paul is talking about. On my better mornings—the ones where I set my alarm and rise before everyone else—I brew a pot of coffee and tiptoe onto the back porch. I wrap up in a king-sized blanket and listen to the birds and to the crickets and to God. I feel a supernatural peace settle below my sternum, as though I have stepped into the Spirit and the Spirit has stepped into me. And when the kids wake, I am able to sing and laugh and smile. As the day goes on, I am drawn back, over and over again, into the conversation with God that began before the day did. The difference is immense.  See, there is power in starting the day with God, inviting the the Spirit into every moment ahead of us. When we do this, we join the side of the Spirit in the tug of war that’s happening over our souls. We set ourselves up to walk by the Spirit for the day, rather than the flesh. James puts it this way: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8).  If you aren’t usually a morning person, consider exploring the act of waking with the Spirit for one week. It might take a few days to get into the habit, so be patient. While Christian culture might portray a certain set of circumstances/materials as “essentials” for time with God (cue the coffee, candles, journal, and fancy pen), the truth is that the only thing that’s essential for time with God is a willingness to listen and be in his presence. So just allow yourself to go into this practice of “waking with the Spirit” with an openness toward experiencing him—perfectly curated environment, optional.  At the end of the week, reflect on any changes you’ve noticed in your:  perspective  intimacy with God  mood  mental health  overall sense of wellbeing  ability to walk by the Spirit when temptations arise (especially in the area of any besetting sins)  If you’ve noticed positive change from the practice of waking in the Spirit, incorporate it into your daily routine for the next week, and then possibly the next. You might find, over time, that you’ve made a lifestyle change that significantly impacts the trajectory of your days.  Further Reading:  Romans 8:1-11 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.