1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is about whose image we 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,240 Speaker 2: were made in and who it is we were designed 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 2: to be consumed with. We'll return with the devotional after 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 2: a brief message from our sponsors. In God's Image written 7 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 2: and read by Cindy mcmanumon God created man in his 8 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 2: own image, in the image of God. He created him 9 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 2: male and female He created them Genesis one, twenty seven. 10 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 2: Have you noticed the trend we often refer to ourselves 11 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: and our daily activities in elect tronic terms as if 12 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 2: we were devices. In our culture as well as across 13 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 2: the world, many people use Google as a verb and 14 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 2: often feel more comfortable with their electronic devices than with 15 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 2: one another. I can't help but think it makes us 16 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: feel more alone than ever, like objects rather than people, 17 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 2: and digital code rather than designed creation. 18 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 3: Think about it. How often have you been encouraged to 19 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 3: plug into a church and to unplug from your busyness 20 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 3: after a conference or webinar? Do you find yourself saying 21 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 3: you need to defrag from information overload? And when you're 22 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 3: high on adrenaline, you might consider yourself wired. When you're 23 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 3: burnt out, You might say you've run down the battery. 24 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 3: When you and I need to rest, we say we 25 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 3: must recharge, and our interpersonal relationships are often mostly Internet relationships. 26 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 3: FaceTime used to mean what it sounds like, and it 27 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 3: didn't involve a phone, tablet, or laptop screen. Social used 28 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 3: to mean talking or being with one another, not scrolling 29 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 3: on a device. You and I were made in the 30 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 3: image of God, not in the likeness of a smartphone. 31 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 3: Our sustainer is God Almighty, not Apple, Microsoft, Google, or 32 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 3: even Amazon. So how do we reclaim or just remind 33 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 3: ourselves of our human status as God's creation? How do 34 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 3: we remember we were made in his image and for 35 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 3: his glory. We can start by reassessing where our dependence lies. 36 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 3: The next time you are drained of power and need 37 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 3: to recharge your body or your phone, let your device 38 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 3: run dry and keep it off for an hour or two. 39 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 3: If you fall behind on what happened on social media, 40 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 3: or you miss a call, someone can leave a message, 41 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 3: like back in the days when instant communication didn't dictate 42 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 3: our lives. With your phone off or in the other room, 43 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 3: you'll be surprised how much more time and space is 44 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 3: in your days for creativity, meaningful conversations, and thoughtful execution 45 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: of what you deem your top priority. God never told 46 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 3: us in this word to hurry up, produce more, or 47 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 3: run down the battery. His words resonate at a different pace. 48 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,839 Speaker 3: Be still and know that I am God, Psalm forty six. Ten. 49 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 3: And come to me all who are weary and burdened, 50 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 3: and I will give you rest Matthew eleven twenty eight. 51 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 3: Yet our next day or even same day delivery with 52 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 3: prime has made us even more incapable of waiting on God, 53 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 3: who is not bound by time or delivery sketcheles. The 54 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 3: words of the Psalmists were not hurry up, God, I 55 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 3: need an answer within the hour, But rather I wait 56 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 3: for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning 57 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 3: Psalm one thirty verse six. Good things, rich things, priceless 58 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 3: things come to those who wait on God. And is 59 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 3: perfect timing intersecting faith in life? Do you need to 60 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 3: revisit some of the things humans rather than devices do 61 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 3: so you can become a vintage believer who experiences the 62 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 3: beauty of waiting on God. One of my favorite humanizing 63 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 3: activities is my daily walk around a small lake near 64 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 3: my home. I can't help but recognize an adore God 65 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 3: when I'm outside among the beauty of his creation, away 66 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 3: from technology, mobile devices, and anything with the screen or signal. 67 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 3: It is then that I can tune into his signals, 68 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 3: a gentle breeze, the way he parts the clouds that 69 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 3: sends the sun's rays to shine, through the song of 70 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 3: a bird, the rustle of leaves, and the reminder that 71 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 3: the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof Psalm 72 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 3: twenty four, verse one. As you slow down and get 73 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 3: outside and off your phone, you may rediscover the beauty 74 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 3: of your creator, not your programmer who calls you his masterpiece. 75 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 3: Ephesians two ten, New Living Translation. According to the Westminster Catechism, 76 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 3: man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy 77 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 3: Him forever. That means we were created or dare I 78 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 3: say wired for worship. Being out in the beauty of 79 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 3: his creation and worshiping him reminds me of the Luke 80 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 3: nineteen account when Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem on a 81 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 3: young colt and the Pharisees demanded he rebuke his followers 82 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 3: for waving their palm branches and crying out praise to him, 83 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 3: their king. Jesus told the Pharisees, if the people remained silent, 84 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 3: the very stones would cry out. Our Lord must be praised, 85 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,919 Speaker 3: and we are the ones created in His image to 86 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 3: do it. Don't leave your god given calling in purpose 87 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 3: to the rocks. Get off your device, notice God and 88 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 3: the people all around you, and give him, not your phone, 89 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 3: the attention he deserves. Lord, may zeal for your word, 90 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 3: not the contents of my phone. Consume me. Help my 91 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 3: worship time to exceed my screen time. So I am 92 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 3: reminded of the one for whom I was created For 93 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 3: further reading, see Psalm one nine. For daily perspective on 94 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 3: whose you are and reasons to praise, see my book, 95 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 3: The New Loneliness Devotional, Fifty Days to a Closer Connection 96 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:28,919 Speaker 3: with God. 97 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 98 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,679 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 99 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 100 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 101 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 102 00:06:52,360 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.