1 00:00:02,650 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is why it's 3 00:00:16,980 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: important to appreciate everything God gives us rather than taking 4 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,060 Speaker 1: those blessings for granted. We'll return with the devotional after 5 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:40,810 Speaker 1: a brief message from our sponsors. What are you taking 6 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:46,580 Speaker 1: for granted? Written and read by Whitney Hopler. Zechariah asked 7 00:00:46,620 --> 00:00:49,500 Speaker 1: the angel, how can I be sure of this? I 8 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: am an old man and my wife is well along 9 00:00:51,860 --> 00:00:55,490 Speaker 1: in years. The angel said to him, I am Gabriel. 10 00:00:56,050 --> 00:00:59,230 Speaker 1: I stand in the presence of God and I have 11 00:00:59,270 --> 00:01:02,070 Speaker 1: been sent to speak to you and to tell you 12 00:01:02,130 --> 00:01:05,830 Speaker 1: this good news. And now you will be silent and 13 00:01:05,900 --> 00:01:09,559 Speaker 1: not able to speak until the day this happens. because 14 00:01:09,620 --> 00:01:12,830 Speaker 1: you did not believe my words, which will come true 15 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:19,470 Speaker 1: at their appointed time. Luke 1, 18-20, NIV I lost 16 00:01:19,530 --> 00:01:22,190 Speaker 1: my voice for about one week after a severe cold. 17 00:01:22,870 --> 00:01:26,630 Speaker 1: It was awkward and humbling having to communicate only through 18 00:01:26,709 --> 00:01:30,860 Speaker 1: writing during the time. I had to type and chat 19 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: during online meetings when everyone else was talking, and they 20 00:01:34,980 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: had to wait for me since typing is much slower 21 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,060 Speaker 1: than talking. I had to write notes to family members 22 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,580 Speaker 1: and hold them up or try to gesture or pantomime 23 00:01:45,020 --> 00:01:50,220 Speaker 1: what I wanted to say. The experience taught me not 24 00:01:50,260 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: to take my voice for granted. It's amazing how quickly 25 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: we realize the value of something only after it's suddenly 26 00:01:58,660 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: taken away. We go through life using our senses, our health, 27 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,299 Speaker 1: and our daily comforts without a second thought, assuming they 28 00:02:08,340 --> 00:02:12,139 Speaker 1: will always be there. A similar thing happened to a 29 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: priest named Zechariah in the Bible. He and his wife, Elizabeth, 30 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,220 Speaker 1: had prayed for a child for many years, but still 31 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,370 Speaker 1: didn't have one by the time they grew old, much 32 00:02:23,430 --> 00:02:27,769 Speaker 1: too old to have any children naturally. One day, however, 33 00:02:28,230 --> 00:02:32,530 Speaker 1: the angel Gabriel appeared to Zachariah with incredible news. God 34 00:02:32,590 --> 00:02:35,690 Speaker 1: had heard his prayers and Elizabeth would give birth to 35 00:02:35,750 --> 00:02:41,110 Speaker 1: a son. Instead of celebrating God's goodness and thanking God, though, 36 00:02:41,750 --> 00:02:46,290 Speaker 1: Zachariah doubted the wonderful message God had sent him. Zachariah 37 00:02:46,410 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: asked Gabriel, How can I be sure of this? Because 38 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,619 Speaker 1: of his unbelief, God gave Zachariah a sign. He took 39 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,750 Speaker 1: away Zachariah's ability to speak. so Zachariah would have to 40 00:02:59,790 --> 00:03:04,050 Speaker 1: be silent until the baby was born. Imagine the sudden 41 00:03:04,130 --> 00:03:08,250 Speaker 1: shock Zachariah must have felt. For nine long months, he 42 00:03:08,330 --> 00:03:11,590 Speaker 1: couldn't speak to his wife or friends. He couldn't lead 43 00:03:11,630 --> 00:03:15,669 Speaker 1: worship or share his thoughts. He had to use writing 44 00:03:15,710 --> 00:03:21,380 Speaker 1: tablets and hand gestures just to communicate daily needs. Zachariah 45 00:03:21,410 --> 00:03:25,500 Speaker 1: had taken his ability to speak for granted. More importantly, 46 00:03:26,070 --> 00:03:31,770 Speaker 1: He had taken God's ultimate power for granted. Zachariah's forced 47 00:03:31,889 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: silence gave him the time and motivation he needed to reflect, listen, 48 00:03:37,940 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: and learn to appreciate God's blessings. We can all sometimes 49 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:47,460 Speaker 1: act like Zachariah. God is constantly pouring blessings into our lives, 50 00:03:47,980 --> 00:03:50,380 Speaker 1: but too often we focus on what we don't have 51 00:03:50,980 --> 00:03:54,470 Speaker 1: or doubt God's goodness when we're dealing with difficult circumstances. 52 00:03:55,630 --> 00:03:59,710 Speaker 1: We may take our health, our families, our homes, our food, 53 00:04:00,170 --> 00:04:03,330 Speaker 1: and even the breath in our lungs completely for granted. 54 00:04:04,390 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: It usually takes a season when we're missing something, like 55 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,180 Speaker 1: an illness, a financial problem, or a broken relationship, to 56 00:04:12,220 --> 00:04:14,700 Speaker 1: wake us up and make us see how blessed we 57 00:04:14,820 --> 00:04:19,690 Speaker 1: are because of God's great love for us. Fortunately, Zachariah's 58 00:04:19,730 --> 00:04:23,730 Speaker 1: story doesn't end in silence. When the baby was finally born, 59 00:04:24,350 --> 00:04:27,750 Speaker 1: Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, His name 60 00:04:27,850 --> 00:04:33,410 Speaker 1: is John. Then Luke 1.64 records that immediately his mouth 61 00:04:33,450 --> 00:04:37,050 Speaker 1: was opened and his tongue set free, and he began 62 00:04:37,110 --> 00:04:42,430 Speaker 1: to speak, praising God. Zechariah immediately praised God as soon 63 00:04:42,490 --> 00:04:46,310 Speaker 1: as he got his voice back. He had learned not 64 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,099 Speaker 1: to take his voice for granted. God doesn't want us 65 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,340 Speaker 1: to wait until we lose our blessings to start appreciating them. 66 00:04:54,230 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: He wants us to live with gratitude right now. All 67 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: we have to do to stop taking our blessings for 68 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: granted is to stay focused on our generous God from 69 00:05:04,980 --> 00:05:08,980 Speaker 1: day to day and expect the best from God because 70 00:05:09,020 --> 00:05:14,150 Speaker 1: He loves us. Intersecting Faith and Life As you consider 71 00:05:14,190 --> 00:05:17,090 Speaker 1: why it's important to appreciate your blessings rather than taking 72 00:05:17,110 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: them for granted, reflect on these questions. When God answers 73 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: your prayers, do you thank God right away, or do 74 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,820 Speaker 1: you find yourself questioning how God's answers will really happen? 75 00:05:29,100 --> 00:05:32,990 Speaker 1: What's one everyday blessing you currently enjoy that you rarely 76 00:05:33,029 --> 00:05:36,549 Speaker 1: stop to thank God for? How can you give thanks 77 00:05:36,610 --> 00:05:40,330 Speaker 1: to God today for that? Looking back at your past, 78 00:05:40,710 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: what is something you only appreciated after it was temporarily 79 00:05:44,300 --> 00:05:47,790 Speaker 1: taken away? In what areas of your life are you 80 00:05:47,830 --> 00:05:51,370 Speaker 1: letting doubt prevent you from trusting God's power and promises? 81 00:05:52,430 --> 00:06:03,180 Speaker 1: Further reading, Psalm 103.2, 1 Thessalonians 5.18, James 1.17, Ephesians 5.20, 82 00:06:03,180 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: Colossians 3.17. 83 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:12,740 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 84 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:14,820 Speaker 2: you heard today, We want to make sure you know 85 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,830 Speaker 2: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 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