1 00:00:02,660 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,940 --> 00:00:14,170 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:14,210 --> 00:00:17,750 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is how God gives us 4 00:00:17,790 --> 00:00:22,329 Speaker 2: stability in these changing times. We'll return with the devotional 5 00:00:22,750 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 2: after a brief message from our sponsors. Find Stability in 6 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:44,589 Speaker 2: Changing Times, written and read by Whitney Hopler. And he 7 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:49,550 Speaker 2: will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, 8 00:00:49,690 --> 00:00:52,950 Speaker 2: and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure. 9 00:00:53,610 --> 00:00:59,730 Speaker 2: Isaiah 33 6 ESV Right now, I'm leading a project 10 00:00:59,810 --> 00:01:03,110 Speaker 2: at work to increase the visibility of the content from 11 00:01:03,190 --> 00:01:09,190 Speaker 2: our University Center's website and artificial intelligence searches. For years, 12 00:01:09,410 --> 00:01:13,790 Speaker 2: my focus was on traditional SEO, optimizing our pages for 13 00:01:13,850 --> 00:01:19,009 Speaker 2: classic search engines. While those traditional methods are still important, 14 00:01:19,610 --> 00:01:24,819 Speaker 2: we're currently living through a massive communications revolution. People are 15 00:01:24,860 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: moving away from searching online in traditional ways. They're increasingly 16 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 2: using AI tools to find online content. Being on the 17 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:38,070 Speaker 2: cutting edge of change is exciting, but it's also stressful. 18 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 2: The best practices for AI visibility are changing as AI evolves, 19 00:01:44,220 --> 00:01:46,890 Speaker 2: so my team and I must deal with constant change. 20 00:01:47,910 --> 00:01:50,850 Speaker 2: While I lead this effort, I'm grateful to God for 21 00:01:50,890 --> 00:01:55,050 Speaker 2: being my stability. I know I can always rely on 22 00:01:55,110 --> 00:01:59,290 Speaker 2: God's unchanging strength to help me with whatever I need 23 00:01:59,670 --> 00:02:01,590 Speaker 2: in these rapidly changing times. 24 00:02:02,970 --> 00:02:03,590 Speaker 1: What kind of. 25 00:02:03,630 --> 00:02:06,430 Speaker 2: Changes are you dealing with in your own life right now? 26 00:02:07,550 --> 00:02:10,910 Speaker 2: Maybe you're going through change at work, in your relationships, 27 00:02:11,130 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 2: or with something else that's important to you. Even dealing 28 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,299 Speaker 2: with all the uncertainty of events in the news can 29 00:02:18,340 --> 00:02:22,540 Speaker 2: be stressful. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you're dealing 30 00:02:22,580 --> 00:02:25,660 Speaker 2: with lots of change happening around you. But you don't 31 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,450 Speaker 2: need to worry about whether or not you'll be able 32 00:02:28,490 --> 00:02:31,730 Speaker 2: to manage change well if you rely on God as 33 00:02:31,770 --> 00:02:37,310 Speaker 2: your source of stability. Isaiah 33 6 promises that God 34 00:02:37,370 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: himself will be your stability in your changing times. When 35 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:47,740 Speaker 2: everything around you seems uncertain, God remains completely reliable. This 36 00:02:47,820 --> 00:02:51,519 Speaker 2: verse also describes how God will give you stability by 37 00:02:51,580 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 2: providing an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. If you 38 00:02:56,900 --> 00:02:59,780 Speaker 2: look to the world for answers in changing times, you'll 39 00:02:59,870 --> 00:03:04,310 Speaker 2: often find conflicting opinions and panic. But if you look 40 00:03:04,350 --> 00:03:07,690 Speaker 2: to the Lord, He will generously pour out the wisdom 41 00:03:07,750 --> 00:03:11,650 Speaker 2: and knowledge you need to manage change well. If you 42 00:03:11,690 --> 00:03:14,930 Speaker 2: face a problem at work that you've never encountered before, 43 00:03:15,150 --> 00:03:17,610 Speaker 2: God will help you solve it. If you're trying to 44 00:03:17,650 --> 00:03:20,950 Speaker 2: parent a child through a challenging season, God will teach 45 00:03:20,990 --> 00:03:24,170 Speaker 2: you how to do so well. You don't have to 46 00:03:24,290 --> 00:03:27,370 Speaker 2: try to predict where all the change around you will 47 00:03:27,430 --> 00:03:31,180 Speaker 2: lead because you're connected to God who leads you well 48 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,990 Speaker 2: because he loves you. Finally, Isaiah points out that the 49 00:03:36,050 --> 00:03:39,770 Speaker 2: fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure. In the Bible, 50 00:03:39,890 --> 00:03:44,030 Speaker 2: the fear of the Lord doesn't mean being afraid of God. Instead, 51 00:03:44,370 --> 00:03:46,550 Speaker 2: the fear of the Lord means being in awe of 52 00:03:46,650 --> 00:03:49,740 Speaker 2: who God is, so you're inspired to relate to God 53 00:03:49,790 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: with reverence. When you make the Lord your ultimate treasure, 54 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,180 Speaker 2: you realize that while your circumstances in this world can 55 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:02,500 Speaker 2: change quickly, God's character never changes. You don't have to 56 00:04:02,540 --> 00:04:05,260 Speaker 2: be stressed by all the change around you when you 57 00:04:05,300 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 2: remember that the Holy Spirit lives inside you, offering a 58 00:04:09,420 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 2: strong and peaceful stability in the middle of change. Intersecting 59 00:04:14,820 --> 00:04:18,230 Speaker 2: Faith and Life As you consider how God gives us 60 00:04:18,260 --> 00:04:23,430 Speaker 2: stability in these changing times, reflect on these questions. In 61 00:04:23,470 --> 00:04:26,450 Speaker 2: what area of your life right now, such as at 62 00:04:26,529 --> 00:04:29,510 Speaker 2: work or in your family, are you feeling the most 63 00:04:29,529 --> 00:04:33,730 Speaker 2: stress because of change that's happening? How does the truth 64 00:04:33,750 --> 00:04:36,950 Speaker 2: that God promises to be your stability give you the 65 00:04:36,990 --> 00:04:40,060 Speaker 2: confidence to trust God and to help you with the 66 00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:44,820 Speaker 2: challenges you're currently facing? Think back to a past season 67 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,580 Speaker 2: of your life when you went through a major change. 68 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 2: How did God's Holy Spirit guide you through it? And 69 00:04:51,580 --> 00:04:55,720 Speaker 2: how can remembering that give you confidence today? How can 70 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 2: you slow down this week to take the time you 71 00:04:58,220 --> 00:05:01,170 Speaker 2: need to connect with the Holy Spirit and receive an 72 00:05:01,230 --> 00:05:06,419 Speaker 2: abundance of wisdom and knowledge for managing change well. Isaiah 73 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,020 Speaker 2: mentions that the fear of the Lord is a treasure. 74 00:05:09,820 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 2: How can you look for God's wonder in your daily 75 00:05:12,260 --> 00:05:15,219 Speaker 2: life so you'll be inspired with a sense of awe 76 00:05:15,620 --> 00:05:19,470 Speaker 2: that will help you relate to God with reverence? Further 77 00:05:19,510 --> 00:05:23,590 Speaker 2: reading Hebrews 13, 8 Malachi 3, 6 Psalm 46, 1-3 78 00:05:23,610 --> 00:05:34,570 Speaker 2: James 1, 17 Matthew 7, 24-25. 79 00:05:37,970 --> 00:05:40,950 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 80 00:05:40,970 --> 00:05:43,050 Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 81 00:05:43,110 --> 00:05:47,060 Speaker 1: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow 82 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,420 Speaker 1: Your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get 83 00:05:50,460 --> 00:05:53,580 Speaker 1: a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your 84 00:05:53,620 --> 00:05:57,260 Speaker 1: days begin in conversation with God. 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