1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is the Goodness of God. 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 2: We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 2: our sponsors. The Goodness of God written and read by 6 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: Megan J. Connor. 7 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: I remain confident of this. 8 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 2: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the 9 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 2: Land of the Living Psalm twenty seven thirteen and IV. 10 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 2: Do you have an anchor scripture or favorite passage of 11 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 2: the Bible that you regularly return to for comfort or encouragement. 12 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: I have a few, but one of my favorites is 13 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 2: Psalm twenty seven. I have read and re read this 14 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,199 Speaker 2: Psalm more times than I can count. I even hand 15 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 2: wrote the full Psalm in my journal because I am 16 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 2: a writer, and writers best retain information through the physical 17 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: act of writing or typing and reading. Regardless of how 18 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 2: I have interacted with the text, I just can't seem 19 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 2: to get away from this particular passage. It's like I 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 2: somehow knew these words would need to be forever etched 21 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 2: into my heart. Psalm twenty seven was written by David 22 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 2: during one of his many flights from those who sought 23 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: to take his life. Though it looked as if the 24 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 2: deck was completely stacked against him, David determined to put 25 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 2: his faith in the Lord for refuge and rescue. Many 26 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 2: of the declarations he made during this narrative are bold 27 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 2: refutes against the temptation to despair. In verse three, he states, 28 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 2: though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear 29 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: the war break out against me. Even then I will 30 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: be confident. He continues on in verse eight to say, 31 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 2: my heart says of you seek his face, your face, Lord, 32 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: I will seek ultimately. What David desired most was intimacy 33 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 2: and companionship with the Lord, for that really is the 34 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 2: only place where we can obtain true and lasting comfort. 35 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 2: David understood that his outward circumstances did not have to 36 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 2: dictate the inward position of his heart. The goodness of 37 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 2: God remained even if it looked like everything around him 38 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 2: was falling apart. No matter your age, occupation, or geographic location, 39 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:38,399 Speaker 2: like David, life has likely thrown you some hard knocks. Unfortunately, 40 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: disappointments and hardships are guaranteed during our time in this 41 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: fallen world. No one is immune. In fact, the Bible 42 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: actually promises that we will encounter struggle. Jesus said, I 43 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 2: have told you these things so that in me you 44 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 2: may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble, 45 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 2: But take heart, I have overcome the world. John sixteen 46 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 2: thirty three NIV. The good news is that we are 47 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 2: not alone in our trials. The Bible affirms God is 48 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 2: present in helping us through our circumstances. Our heavenly Father 49 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: promises he will never leave or forsake us Deuteronomy thirty 50 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 2: one six. He is close to those who call upon 51 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 2: him Saw it was one forty five eighteen. He will 52 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 2: draw near to us when we draw near to him 53 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 2: James four eight. And he will help us and uphold 54 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 2: us with his righteous right hand Isaiah forty one ten. 55 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 2: You can be confident that God has not left you 56 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 2: alone in the difficulties or challenges you are facing. Sometimes 57 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 2: our souls just need to be reminded of the unmovable, 58 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 2: unfailing love of God. In Psalm twenty seven, David refuted 59 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 2: the lie of defeat by declaring who God is, all 60 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 2: he had already done and the biblical promises he has 61 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 2: made to those who love him. Reciting these truth and 62 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 2: recall in times when you personally have witnessed God's care 63 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 2: and provision in your life. Help shift your perspective from 64 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: all that seems to be lacking to all that has 65 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 2: been provided. In light of this fresh perspective, hope can 66 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 2: be renewed. And it is here in this place of 67 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 2: confident assurance in Him that you can look out beyond 68 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 2: the momentary affliction you are facing and say, no matter 69 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 2: what is going on, I remain confident of this, I 70 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 2: will see the goodness of the Lord in the land 71 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 2: of the Living Psalm twenty seven thirteen and IV, Intersecting 72 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 2: faith and life. Do you have an anchor scripture that 73 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 2: you tend to turn to again and again in times 74 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 2: of trouble? If so, when was the last time you 75 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 2: recited it? One of the best ways to stir up 76 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 2: our souls is your song. Ultimately, the psalms penned by 77 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 2: David were meant to be sung. Music has such an 78 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 2: incredible ability to soothe and encourage our blistered or discouraged 79 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 2: hers one song that it inniss to me what I 80 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: need to be reminded of the abundance in my life 81 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 2: rather than the lack. Is the goodness of God by 82 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 2: Bethel Music and Jen Johnson. Take some time to look 83 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 2: at the lyrics or listen to this song today. May 84 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 2: it remind you of God's love, faithfulness, and goodness present 85 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 2: in your life. For further reading, take a look at 86 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 2: Isaiah chapter forty one, Verses one through twenty, and Psalm 87 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 2: twenty seven. 88 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 89 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 90 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 91 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 92 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 93 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.