1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is about learning how to 4 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 2: not fear the trouble we will face. We'll return with 5 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 2: the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors, Learning 6 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 2: to glory in our sufferings when we'd rather run from them, 7 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 2: Written and read by Dedre Brayley. I have told you 8 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 2: these things so that in me you may have peace. 9 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 2: In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, 10 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 2: I have overcome the world John sixteen thirty three. Poet 11 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: Rayner Maria Rilke wrote to his young proto j. People 12 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 2: have oriented all their solutions toward the easy, and toward 13 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 2: the easiest side of the easy. But it is clear 14 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 2: that we must hold to what is difficult. Everything that 15 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: is alive holds to it. And earlier this week, over 16 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 2: morning coffee and as simple as could be, my husband said, 17 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 2: good things happen every day, and bad things happen every day. 18 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: That's just the way it goes. So I took a 19 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: long walk mulling those thoughts over Rilks and my husband's 20 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: I have spent most of my life crouching on its 21 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 2: rim and hoping nothing bad will happen, that I will 22 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 2: be able to get through each day and sigh and 23 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 2: say another day has passed. All is well, thank God. 24 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 2: But of course all is not well. All is never well. 25 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 2: My soul knows it, we all know it, but we 26 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 2: pretend and I cannot help. But wonder why. Because Jesus 27 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: told us very plainly, in this world you will have trouble, 28 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: we still seem to want to believe that if we 29 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 2: can produce the right prayers and structure our lives just so, 30 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 2: we can be the ones to escape trouble. We hope 31 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 2: that Jesus's words are for everyone except us. We try 32 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 2: to safeguard our lives from pain. We want to be 33 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: exempt from suffering. I, for one, take no pleasure in hardship, 34 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 2: just like everyone else, I still have an ember of 35 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 2: burning in my spirit. I long for a place that, 36 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 2: though I've never been, have somehow always known, a place 37 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 2: where there is nothing to fear in the first place. 38 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: But at the same time, I'm starting to consider a 39 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: strange and liberating thought. What if I can accept that 40 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 2: trouble will happen and frequently, if I let go of 41 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: my great efforts to circumnavigate hard things will that actually 42 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: free me up for more life. Intersecting faith and life, 43 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 2: the Apostle Paul writes a challenging word to the Romans, 44 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: but it is one that confirms my suspicion. There is 45 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 2: a way to embrace all that comes along in life, 46 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 2: whether it is the joy we hope for or the 47 00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: suffering that we have formerly feared. He says, we also 48 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 2: glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, 49 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 2: character and character hope, and hope does not put us 50 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: to shame, because God's love has been poured out into 51 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,359 Speaker 2: our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given 52 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: to us Romans five three through five. When we are 53 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 2: afraid to suffer, we expend all of our energies trying 54 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 2: to avoid the inevitable. It makes us small, hardened, and 55 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 2: anxious people. But fascinatingly, it seems that difficulty can expand 56 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 2: and strengthen us in ways that nothing else can. God, 57 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 2: in his infinite goodness, takes the trouble of this world, 58 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 2: and if we are willing and open to it, weaves 59 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 2: the colors of perseverance, character, and hope into our spirits. 60 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 2: We grow, We transform we are filled with His spirit, 61 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 2: which has overcome the world. In this way we come 62 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 2: to accept all things and fear no things. In this 63 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 2: way we become truly free to live. Of course, we 64 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 2: cannot simply will our own fearlessness into being, but we 65 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 2: can surrender our need for control and fear of hardship 66 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 2: over to God, and we can ask him in prayer 67 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:42,239 Speaker 2: to make us more alive no matter what comes our way. Today. 68 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 2: Here is a prayer to carry with you whenever you 69 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: begin to feel that old aversion to suffering rising in 70 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 2: your chest. Oh Lord, we were not made for suffering, 71 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 2: and this world can be so very hard. But you 72 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 2: have told us to take heart. You have told us 73 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 2: that you have overcome the world. And it seems that 74 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 2: this is the key to facing all sorts of trouble. God, 75 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 2: when trouble comes my way today or in the future, 76 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 2: teach me how to move through it rather than run 77 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 2: away from it. Use it to strengthen my character, Use 78 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 2: it to make me more alive. Let me see your 79 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 2: glory all throughout it, so that I will not be afraid. Amen. 80 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 2: For further reading, explore James chapter one, verses two through sixteen. 81 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 2: Romans Chapter five, Versus one through five, and Romans Chapter eight. 82 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 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