1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswat devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is about how 3 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: God is always with us. Will return with the devotional 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: after our message to our sponsors. Am Manuel, God is 5 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: with you even now, written in red by alexis a 6 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: goring look. The Virgin will conceive a child. She will 7 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 1: give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, 8 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: which means God is with us. Matthew, Chapter one, verse 9 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: twenty three, NLT. I sat at a crossroads in my mind. Physically, 10 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: I was in the driver's seat of my car and 11 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: the parking lot between Panera Bread and my favorite local bookstore. 12 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: But mentally, my mind was weighing the pros and collars 13 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: of a new job offer. Minutes earlier, Aaron, who was 14 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: the managing editor for the newspaper where I worked as 15 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,199 Speaker 1: a freelance reporter, had called me to say a publisher 16 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: of a newspaper in Montana called her asking for a 17 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: recommendation about me. She said he sounded very interested in 18 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: hiring me. In fat she thought I was getting the job. 19 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: I was excited, but also apprehensive. If they offered me 20 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: this job, then was I ready to leave? The only 21 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: home I'd known, pack my bags and relocate from Maryland 22 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: to Montana. After all, I was a East Coast girl. 23 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: Was I ready to take this leap of faith and 24 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: move out to the west of the USA without knowing 25 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: anyone there nor what to expect. Within a matter of days, 26 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: a publisher interview me by zoom and offered me the job. 27 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: I froze, was this really happening? After a moment of silence, 28 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: I asked for time to think it over. He agreed 29 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: Later that day. My mom, convinced that this was the 30 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: right opportunity for me at that time, said I should 31 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: accepted the job offer and prepared to move. After prayer 32 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: and considering the facts that I needed a job but 33 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: no local jobs had been offered to me for several 34 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: months prior, I agreed and told the publisher I would 35 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: move to Montana. My mom took off a week from 36 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: work to helped me me locate. We took a flight 37 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: from Bwi Airport and a connecting flight before landing in 38 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 1: a small airport in Montana. I still remember the statue 39 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: of a big cow standing tall and strong, and the 40 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: center of baggage claim we had arrived in what they 41 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: called Big Sky Country. Over the course of that week, 42 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: my mom and I explored my new neighborhood, a small 43 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: town that was equally charming as if people were nice. 44 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: We drove an hour away into Billings and near a 45 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: city where we shopped for home living essentials at Target 46 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: and Walmart, visited asking furniture store to furnish my new apartment, 47 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: and enjoyed mills at the local village cafe near my 48 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: new home. We both enjoyed the fresh mountain air, the 49 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: wide open spaces of land, and being able to see 50 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: the seer shine bright in the sky at night. When 51 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: it came time for my mom to leave before sunrise 52 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: to catch an early flight at the airport so she 53 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: could return home to Maryland, she told me to pray 54 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: this prayer every day, God be with me. After she 55 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: left and the sun rose in the sky, I put 56 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: on a brave face and staid that prayer, then moved 57 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: forward fearless. Playing looking back, I see how God protected 58 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: me and kept me safe during that time when I 59 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: lived alone. He kept broiled animals away. Cougars were known 60 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: to prowl near where I lived. He kept me safe 61 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: when I drove alone through the roadways bordered by majestic mountains. 62 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: God also said his blessings my way. He surrounded me 63 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: with people in the community who seemed to care about me. 64 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: He blessed me with friends of her Christians and married 65 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: to each other. They drove me to church and billings 66 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: every weekend until my car was shipped to my new location. 67 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: He blessed me with a good neighbor who lived across 68 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: the hall from me. Her name was Lindsay. She and 69 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: her school aged children baked peanut butter blossom cookies for me, 70 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: with Hershey Kisses milk chocolate candy in the center of 71 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: each cookie. They gave a sweet street to me as 72 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: a Christmas gift and showed me that i God cares 73 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: about the little details of life because I was craved 74 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: in chocolate that night but couldn't drive anywhere at that time. 75 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: When my time in Montana was over, God sent Lindsay 76 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: to my door the night before I had to catch 77 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,679 Speaker 1: my flight home to Maryland. When I opened the door, 78 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: she aggreet hit me with a Christmas card and a 79 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: sincere expression on her face. When I opened the card, 80 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: money fell out. She told me she had been praying 81 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: for me and God told her this is what I needed. 82 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: I thanked Lindsay for the generous gift. All the time 83 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: I journeyed in Montana, God was with me. I felt 84 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: his presence as clear as they He said the people 85 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: I needed at the right time. Every time, He blessed 86 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: my time there and brought me home safely. I am 87 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 1: so grateful to have witnessed first hand how God moves 88 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: while in Montana. That December Christmas song by Casting Crowns 89 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: t I told God is with Us became the soundtrap 90 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: for my real life story. I encourage you to listen 91 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: to this song. The same God who was with me 92 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,599 Speaker 1: while I lived alone in Montana is with us today. 93 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: The Bible says he will never leave us, nor forsake us, 94 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: dud round me Chapter thirty one, verse eight. He does 95 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: before us. I can testify to that back because I 96 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: saw how God aligned me with every person who he 97 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: knew I would need. Well away from home, May you 98 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: take heart and knowing that wherever you are in this world, 99 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: at home or abroad, the Creator of the universe knows 100 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 1: where you are and He is with you even now. 101 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 1: Intersecting faith in life, how does it feel to know 102 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: that the Creator of the universe is always with you 103 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 1: wherever you go. Further reading Joshuard Chapter one, verse nine, 104 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: Psalm Chapter forty six, verse one, Psalm Chatter one hundred 105 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: and forty five, Verse eighteen, Isaiah Chapter forty one, verse ten, 106 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: Romans Chapter eight, verses thirty one through thirty nine. The 107 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. 108 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: If you liked what you heard today, please take a 109 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: second to rate and review this podcast in your favorite 110 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,679 Speaker 1: podcast app so that more listeners like you can find 111 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcast visit us 112 00:06:53,200 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: at lifeaudio dot com.