1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're so glad 2 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: to have you listening. I'm Michelle Zurich. Today's topic is 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: let the Spirit Guide Your Steps. We'll be back after 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: a word war sponsor. Let the Spirit Guide Your Steps 5 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: Written and read by Michelle S. Lazurik. In Their Hearts 6 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: humans play in their course, but the Lord establishes their steps, 7 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: probably sixteen verse nine. Many years ago, I began a 8 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: sense to my heart that God wanted me to become 9 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: a literary agent. This was an addition to my career 10 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: as an author, and I wanted to help fellow authors 11 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: get their work into the hands of audiences. However, I 12 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: had no clue how to get started. One day, I 13 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: was talking with my husband on a long drive. He 14 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: asked me what I would do with my life if 15 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: I weren't an author. Immediately I blurted out, I want 16 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: to be a literary agent. After I realized the weight 17 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: of what I had said, we talked it through. He 18 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:21,919 Speaker 1: asked me to speak with my agent regarding his steps 19 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: in that regard. I had a conversation with my agent, 20 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: and in a few short months, he had signed me 21 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: to his agency. Although I was excited about this new venture, 22 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: I was still insure whether I was qualified or even 23 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: had the business sense to do the task. Although there 24 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: were no books or manuals on how to become a 25 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: literary agent, I knew that if I listened to the 26 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, he would guide me step by step. I've 27 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: now been with the agency for eight years. Of the 28 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty books sold, almost a quarter are 29 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: my deals. They shocking to think that I've made that 30 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: many deals in the eight short years that I've worked 31 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: for him. Yet when God has nudged me and I 32 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: abuse my gift of discernment and wisdom to assign a 33 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: client or shop around their deals, God has placed their 34 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: work in the right hands at the right time. The 35 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: prideful side of me can boast that I did all 36 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: of that on my own, but the humble or rational 37 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: side of me understands that unless the Holy Spirit was 38 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: guiding my steps, I never could have done any of 39 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: that on my own. God was good and allowed me 40 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: to use my gifts in my heart to help others 41 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: receive the Gospel message through different genres of books and 42 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: get them into the hands of readers. People are being 43 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: blessed because of my diligence in working with publishers and 44 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: getting authors the right deals at the right time. As humans, 45 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: we have many plans and desires. While there's nothing wrong 46 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: with having goals and visions for our lives, we need 47 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: to make sure those desires and dreams align with God's will. 48 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 1: Although it is not entirely possible to know whether our 49 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: desires are our own or from the Lord, it is 50 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: essential to follow god guidance step by step. Is it 51 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: an area of life that you feel you want to 52 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: take the next step but don't know how do you 53 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: question whether this desire has placed in your heart is 54 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: from God or from yourself? The best way to know 55 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: whether this is from God is to pray about it. Additionally, 56 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: we need to surround ourselves with godly people who have 57 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: been through life and are willing not only to pray 58 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: for us and our triumphs, but also to challenge us 59 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: when we're down. If we're making a bad decision, we 60 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: need to surround ourselves with people we can test these 61 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: words on and know whether they're from God or from us. 62 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: A person who goes about making decisions without carefully weighing 63 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: them with those they trust, or who would have a 64 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: warning from a loved one will only make matters worse. 65 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: With God, the decision they make is not irreversible. Still, 66 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: it could pose a significant danger to their future if 67 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: they make haphazard decisions without first allowing the Holy Spirit 68 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: to guide their steps. Father, let us be people will 69 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: listen to you. Let us allow you to orient our steps. 70 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: Let us take each day as an opportunity to take 71 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: a baby step in faith toward what you are calling 72 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: us to. Let us be people who listen to others 73 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: and keep our word so we can make all the 74 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: decisions for you. Amen, Hiter's secting faith in life. What 75 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 1: decision do you need to make today that you need 76 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: the guidance of the Spirit? What will you do to 77 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: enlist his help today? Further reading Philippians one, verse six. 78 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 79 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 80 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 81 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 82 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 83 00:04:53,000 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.