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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswak devotional. We're glad to have you

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Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is how being humble is

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Speaker 2: an important part of being available for God to work

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Speaker 2: through your life. We'll return with the devotional after a

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Speaker 2: brief message from our sponsors. God looks for Humility, written

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Speaker 2: and read by Whitney Hoppler, and Mary said, my soul

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Speaker 2: glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior,

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Speaker 2: for he has been mindful of the humble state of

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Speaker 2: his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed,

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Speaker 2: for the Mighty One has done great things for me.

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Speaker 2: Holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who

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Speaker 2: fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty

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Speaker 2: deeds with his arm. He has scattered those who are

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Speaker 2: proud in their inmost thoughts, he has brought down rulers

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Speaker 2: from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble. Luke

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Speaker 2: one forty six through fifty two and IV Mary had

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Speaker 2: just received news that would completely turn her life upside down.

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Speaker 2: An angel announced she would give birth to the son

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Speaker 2: of God. The news was wonderful but also terrified. Mary

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Speaker 2: was a young unmarried woman in a society where a

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Speaker 2: pregnancy outside of marriage led to shame and even danger.

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Speaker 2: The angel's message was the best possible news for the world,

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Speaker 2: but from Mary herself it must have brought up feelings

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Speaker 2: of fear about what her future would be like. Still,

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Speaker 2: Mary responds with despite her fear, she focuses on God's greatness,

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Speaker 2: and she celebrates that God has blessed her because God

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Speaker 2: has been mindful of her humility. Mary overcomes her very

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Speaker 2: real fears by changing her perspective. She moves her focus

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Speaker 2: off her humble state and on too, God, the mighty One,

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Speaker 2: who is greater than her problems and who can work

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Speaker 2: through her in powerful ways. Mary's song of praise is

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Speaker 2: about God rather than herself. She realizes that if God

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Speaker 2: is powerful enough to save the world through the Messiah,

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Speaker 2: he is certainly powerful enough to take care of her

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Speaker 2: reputation and her safety. God sees humble people like Mary

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Speaker 2: and acts through their lives with great power. When have

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Speaker 2: you heard some good news from God that's a blessing

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Speaker 2: but also scary. Maybe God is calling you to start

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Speaker 2: working toward making a dream a reality, but you're afraid

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Speaker 2: that you won't be able to accomplish that goal, so

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Speaker 2: you're considering letting that dream go to stay in your

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Speaker 2: comfort zone. Or maybe God is encouraging you to forgive

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Speaker 2: someone and restore a relationship, but you fear getting hurt again,

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Speaker 2: so you're neglecting God's guidance because you want to protect yourself.

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Speaker 2: Fear can cause you to miss out on making the

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Speaker 2: decisions God wants you to make because it directs your

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Speaker 2: attention to only your own circumstances and limitations. When fear

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Speaker 2: is in control, you only perceive the threat and miss

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Speaker 2: the miracle. God's good news is right there, but you

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Speaker 2: can't fully receive it because you're so busy listening to

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Speaker 2: worries in your mind. In order to fully hear and

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Speaker 2: embrace the good news God sends you, you must make

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Speaker 2: the same choice Mary did, choose worship over worry. You

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Speaker 2: can do that when you're humble, because humility helps you

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Speaker 2: see beyond yourself to God, which inspires you with reverence

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Speaker 2: and all for God. When you can see how big

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Speaker 2: God really is, your fear shrinks and you can step

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Speaker 2: into the great plans God has for you because you

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Speaker 2: can trust that God will empower you. God looks for

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Speaker 2: humility when He looks for people to serve in great ways.

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Speaker 2: Don't let the fear of what might happen in the

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Speaker 2: future stop you from embracing the blessings God wants to

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Speaker 2: send you. Like Mary, be in a humble state that's

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Speaker 2: ready to serve God. Then look forward to what God

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Speaker 2: will do through your life. Intersecting faith in life, as

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Speaker 2: you consider why it's important to be humble for God

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Speaker 2: to work and great ways through your life, reflect on

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Speaker 2: these questions. What good news has God given you recently

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Speaker 2: that's both exciting and scary for you? Well? Worries you

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Speaker 2: about moving forward with how God is leading you? And

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Speaker 2: what specific truth about God's character, like his power or

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Speaker 2: his love can you remind yourself of to move past

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Speaker 2: your fear? Like Mary, how can you focus on God's

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Speaker 2: unlimited strength rather than on your own limitations? In what

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Speaker 2: areas of your life do you struggle to be humble?

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Speaker 2: And how can you choose humility more so you can

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Speaker 2: better hear and obey God's messages. How does Mary's celebration

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Speaker 2: of God's strengths inspire you to choose worship over worry?

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Speaker 2: Further reading Isaiah forty one ten two, Timothy one seven,

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Speaker 2: First John four eighteen, Psalm fifty six' Three philippians four

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Speaker 2: six through.

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Speaker 1: Seven The Crosswalk devotional is a production Of Life audio

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