1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,159 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is about being faithful with 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 2: the little things. We'll return with a devotional after a 5 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 2: brief message from our sponsors. To be Faithful with the 6 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: little Things written and read by Teter Brayley Luke, sixteen ten. 7 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 2: Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be 8 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 2: trusted with much, And whoever is dishonest with very little 9 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: will also be dishonest with much. Something you should know 10 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 2: is that we have a dog and three young children. 11 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 2: That means that nothing in our house is ever entirely clean, 12 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 2: and also that there's so much hullabaloo on any given 13 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 2: morning in our home that when the dog starts to 14 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 2: chew a kid's toy, it is the least of my worries. 15 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 2: But it was not the least of our two year 16 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 2: old's worries. The other morning, we were trying to get 17 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 2: everyone on the school bus and out the door when 18 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 2: our dog found one of the wooden bolts from his 19 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 2: play toolbox and started to roll it around in his mouth. 20 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 2: Oh stop that, I said, prying it from his mouth, 21 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 2: I tossed it back on the floor. And wouldn't have 22 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 2: given it another thought, except that our horrified toddler cried, Mommy, 23 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 2: will you clean it? I assured him I would, of course, 24 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 2: and then I gave him a hug and a kiss 25 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 2: and sent him out the door with my husband so 26 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 2: everyone could make it to their morning destination on time. 27 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: As soon as the house was silent, I went about 28 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: my morning rounds of tidying just enough clutter so I 29 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: could work at home without being utterly distracted by the mess. 30 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 2: When I went back into his bedroom to gather up 31 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 2: the dirty clothes and clear a path for walking on 32 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 2: his floor, I saw the dog slabbered toy, and I 33 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 2: have to be honest here, I thought to myself, he'll 34 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: never know, and almost just tossed it back in his 35 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 2: toolbox without washing it. But then a small voice whispered 36 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 2: into my spirit. Whoever can be trusted with very little 37 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: can also be trusted with much. And whoever is honest 38 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: with very little will also be dishonest with much. I 39 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 2: was convicted. I took out a baby wipe and gently 40 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 2: rubbed it down, and then went on with my day. 41 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 2: When he got home that night, can you guess what 42 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: he asked me? 43 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: Right? 44 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 2: Away, Mommy, you clean my toy. It's hard to describe 45 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 2: the relief I felt knowing I could honestly say, yes, 46 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 2: I did, just like I said I would. To me, 47 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 2: that little wooden bolt had felt inconsequential. My mind had 48 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 2: been running through all the deadlines I needed to meet 49 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: that day, and all the more important things I needed 50 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 2: to accomplish. But to my son, that was the important thing. 51 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 2: If I hadn't been faithful with that, how could he 52 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 2: trust me to be faithful at all? Intersecting faith in life, 53 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 2: Since that day, I've been surprised by how many opportunities 54 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 2: I've had to be faithful in the little things, and 55 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 2: how often I've been tempted to cut corners, thinking that 56 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 2: no one will notice or care anyway. But after telling 57 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 2: the parable of the shrewd manager, Jesus asks, so, if 58 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 2: you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who 59 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 2: will trust you with true riches? And if you have 60 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 2: not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give 61 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 2: you property of your own? In other words, the way 62 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 2: we steward what we have today matters, and God sees 63 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 2: the way we handle what He's given us to care 64 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 2: for the people around us. 65 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:12,839 Speaker 1: Do too. 66 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 2: Our obedience intending to the little things indicates the integrity 67 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: of our character and whether we can also be trusted 68 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 2: with the big things. As you go about your day today, 69 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,119 Speaker 2: I encourage you to keep Jesus's words in your head. 70 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 2: Whoever can be trusted with very little. When you're tempted 71 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 2: to cut a corner, like tossing that dog slubbered toy 72 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 2: back into the bin without washing it first, remember that 73 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,119 Speaker 2: this is an opportunity to be faithful, to show God 74 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 2: and others that you are a person of integrity whom 75 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 2: they can trust. For further reading, look at the parable 76 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: of the faithful Steward in Luke twelve thirty five through 77 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 2: forty eight, Terrible of the Talents in Matthew twenty five, 78 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 2: fourteen through twenty eight, and one Peter for through ten. 79 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 80 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: Salem Media. 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