1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is about trusting God when 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 2: people try to sabotage you or your plans. We'll return 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. 6 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: Trusting God's plans to prevail when others come against us 7 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 2: written and read by Jennifer Slattery. Be still before the 8 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 2: Lord and wait patiently for him. Do not fret when 9 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 2: people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their 10 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: wicked schemes, Psalm thirty seven, verse seven. How do you 11 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 2: typically respond when someone does something to saba vitize your 12 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 2: plans or goals, or in some way makes your life difficult? 13 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: What if they do this intentionally? Do you feel vulnerable 14 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 2: and like they hold power over some aspect of your life? 15 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 2: Do you find your anxiety spiking? And if so, does 16 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 2: your fear ever present as anger and hostility? Sadly, I've 17 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 2: reacted to such situations in each of those ways, especially 18 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: when I felt as if the other person held power 19 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 2: over something I felt important. This never brought the results 20 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 2: for which I'd hope. Most often, in fact, my reactions 21 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: only made things worse In some instances, my disregulated emotions 22 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 2: and the behaviors they triggered hurt me more than the 23 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: quote unquote offense. Although I still have much room for growth, 24 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 2: I'm learning to follow David's example, not just in today's verse, 25 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 2: but throughout his life, his near homicidal rage in for 26 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 2: Samuel twenty four and his treatment of Bashiba, which many 27 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 2: scholars call rape. Notwithstanding, if you're familiar with Old Testament history, 28 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: you may recognizes his long, fearful and discouraging journey to 29 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: the throne. The most prominent prophet of his day anointed 30 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: him as Ancient Israel's future king when David was a teenager, 31 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 2: but he didn't step into his calling for another decade 32 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: and a half. He spent much of the time in between, 33 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 2: living as a fugitive, hiding in caves and enemy territory 34 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 2: in fear for his life. He knew God had glorious 35 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 2: plans for him. Although he wrote psalms in which he 36 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: seemed to express some degree of doubt, he trusted the 37 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 2: Lord to do for him all that he'd promised. This 38 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 2: trust and the relational intimacy that supported it, allowed him 39 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 2: to remain his godly spiritually mature self, even when experiencing 40 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,519 Speaker 2: relentless attack. This amazes me when I considered the emotional 41 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 2: weight he carried when we first meet him. He stepped 42 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 2: into a heroic role that gained him access to Saul, 43 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 2: the then reigning king. Soon after, the young warrior moved 44 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: into the palace, where he faithfully served. He also led 45 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 2: the nation of Israel into numerous victories, including against one 46 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: of their fiercest enemies, the Philistines. One might expect Saul 47 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 2: to respond with gratitude. Instead, he became jealous. Feeling threatened, 48 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 2: he spent the remainder of his life pursuing David in 49 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 2: order to kill him. As a result, David found himself 50 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 2: forced from his home and his wife when saw set 51 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 2: men to stake out his house again to kill him. 52 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 2: In his flight, he got help from a priest who 53 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 2: gave him bread and a highly symbolic sword for protection. 54 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: He soon learned, however, that Saul found out and sent 55 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 2: one of his men to kill all the priests serving 56 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 2: at that particular temple and their families, women and children, 57 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 2: massacred because one man offered David aid. Understandably, he blamed 58 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 2: himself for their death. Can you imagine how that must 59 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 2: have felt. Around age thirty, David became king and brought 60 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: peace to his people. He likely wrote Psalm thirty seven 61 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 2: sometime touring this time, reflecting on his life, his suffering, 62 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 2: and how God remained faithful through it all. David confidently 63 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 2: proclaimed in essence to whoever might listen, don't stress about 64 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 2: the actions of evil men. God's got you. Relax and 65 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 2: wait for him to lead you to your best life. 66 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 2: Intersecting life and faith. When we feel under attack and 67 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 2: tempted to immediately jump into fix it mode, may we 68 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 2: instead intentionally still ourselves before the Lord, which implies being 69 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 2: still in his presence. That's where we're most apt to 70 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: receive his comfort and strength and hear his perfect wisdom 71 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 2: regarding how to respond to our circumstances. In trusting our 72 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 2: situation to God can feel incredibly uncomfortable. It becomes easier, However, 73 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 2: when we remember his heart towards us, his power consistently 74 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 2: employed on our behalf, and his faithfulness, we can choose 75 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: to quietly wait on him to reveal our best path forward, 76 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 2: Knowing he's never wrong or ill informed. He's also never late, 77 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: although in my experience, his interventions rarely arrive early. It 78 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 2: certainly didn't for David. Although the Lord remained with him 79 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 2: each step of the way and often worked behind the 80 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 2: scenes on the warrior's behalf, it took him years to 81 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 2: fulfill the promise he made to youthful David. That long, 82 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 2: painful delay required significant patience and perseverance. Through a rather 83 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 2: exhausting delay, David understood how difficult it can feel to wait, 84 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 2: which is why, years later he could advise his people 85 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 2: us and countless others besides, to patiently wait on God, 86 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,919 Speaker 2: trusting him to make our circumstances right. Friend, wicked people 87 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 2: might make your present situation more painful and difficult than 88 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 2: it needs to be, but they cannot for work God's 89 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 2: very good, hope filled plans for you. Remember that the 90 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 2: next time someone does something that leaves you feeling vulnerable 91 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 2: and threatened, remember that Christ himself guards your path and 92 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: invites you to follow his guidance as he leads you 93 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 2: to the glorious destination he determined just for you. 94 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 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