1 00:00:02,650 --> 00:00:04,189 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,789 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,980 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is how to respond when 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,540 Speaker 2: fear knocks on the door of your life and distracts 5 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,460 Speaker 2: you from God. We'll return with the devotional after a 6 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:42,409 Speaker 2: brief message from our sponsors. What to do when fear 7 00:00:42,490 --> 00:00:46,010 Speaker 2: knocks on your door. Written and read by Whitney Hopler. 8 00:00:47,210 --> 00:00:48,390 Speaker 2: Do not be afraid. 9 00:00:48,409 --> 00:00:49,569 Speaker 1: I am with you. 10 00:00:49,590 --> 00:00:53,830 Speaker 2: I am your God. Let nothing terrify you. I will 11 00:00:53,850 --> 00:00:56,770 Speaker 2: make you strong and help you. I will protect you 12 00:00:56,870 --> 00:01:03,220 Speaker 2: and save you. Isaiah 41 10 GNT When my husband 13 00:01:03,270 --> 00:01:06,660 Speaker 2: Russ called me from his hotel room in China, fear 14 00:01:06,700 --> 00:01:10,830 Speaker 2: started to creep up in my mind. Russ was traveling 15 00:01:10,910 --> 00:01:13,690 Speaker 2: alone on a business trip, waiting for a Monday meeting, 16 00:01:14,069 --> 00:01:16,330 Speaker 2: when he told me he was feeling sick and wasn't 17 00:01:16,430 --> 00:01:18,910 Speaker 2: sure where to find medical care in a country where 18 00:01:18,950 --> 00:01:22,730 Speaker 2: he didn't speak the language. I urged him to ask 19 00:01:22,810 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 2: someone at his hotel's front desk for help, but before 20 00:01:26,580 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 2: I could even finish my sentence, he said he had 21 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 2: to lie down, and then our phone call got cut off. 22 00:01:34,540 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: Try as I might, I couldn't get back in touch 23 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:42,540 Speaker 2: with him. Immediately, Fear knocked on my door, filling my 24 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,020 Speaker 2: mind with terrifying thoughts that Russ could die all alone 25 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 2: halfway across the world. As I felt overwhelming fear, I 26 00:01:50,980 --> 00:01:54,820 Speaker 2: had a choice. Either give in to panic or turn 27 00:01:54,860 --> 00:01:58,540 Speaker 2: to God. I chose to respond with prayer and trust 28 00:01:59,020 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 2: by letting go of my worries and placing my husband 29 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 2: into the hands of God, who was right there with 30 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,620 Speaker 2: him in that hotel room. Fear has a way of 31 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:14,020 Speaker 2: showing up unexpected and uninvited. It demands your complete attention, 32 00:02:14,380 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 2: trying to distract you from God's love and replace your 33 00:02:17,419 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 2: peace with panic. When fear knocks on your door, it 34 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,930 Speaker 2: wants to control your thoughts and feelings so much that 35 00:02:24,990 --> 00:02:29,090 Speaker 2: you may be convinced you're helpless against fear. But you 36 00:02:29,150 --> 00:02:31,530 Speaker 2: don't have to open the door to fear and let 37 00:02:31,570 --> 00:02:35,490 Speaker 2: it take over your life. You have a powerful, loving 38 00:02:35,570 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: Heavenly Father who who promises to stand with you through 39 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:44,260 Speaker 2: every scary situation, no matter how intimidating the situation appears 40 00:02:44,300 --> 00:02:48,340 Speaker 2: to be. Where does fear knock on the door of 41 00:02:48,410 --> 00:02:52,850 Speaker 2: your life and try to creep in? Maybe it happens 42 00:02:52,930 --> 00:02:56,310 Speaker 2: at work, when you face the threat of layoffs, a 43 00:02:56,350 --> 00:03:00,169 Speaker 2: stressful workload, or a high-stakes project that you don't know 44 00:03:00,210 --> 00:03:03,669 Speaker 2: how to handle well. Fear might tell you that your 45 00:03:03,710 --> 00:03:07,870 Speaker 2: future at your job is ruined. You can overcome that 46 00:03:07,970 --> 00:03:11,929 Speaker 2: fear with faith by remembering that God is your ultimate provider. 47 00:03:12,970 --> 00:03:16,350 Speaker 2: Instead of letting panic control your workday, you can take 48 00:03:16,430 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: well-being breaks throughout the day to pray, asking God to 49 00:03:20,380 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 2: give you what you need and guide you to the 50 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:27,580 Speaker 2: best opportunities. Or maybe fear knocks when it comes to 51 00:03:27,620 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: your health or the health of someone you love. With 52 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:36,550 Speaker 2: troubling symptom or an agonizing wait for test results, can 53 00:03:36,590 --> 00:03:39,530 Speaker 2: make your world feel like it's spinning out of control. 54 00:03:40,570 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: When anxious thoughts of fear creep into your mind, you 55 00:03:44,060 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 2: can fight back with faith by fighting anxiety with God's help. 56 00:03:49,020 --> 00:03:51,580 Speaker 2: You can choose to place your body and your loved 57 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,260 Speaker 2: ones into God's compassionate hands since God is the ultimate 58 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 2: healer and he cares. Your relationships can also bring overwhelming 59 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 2: fear into your life. You might be terrified of losing 60 00:04:05,660 --> 00:04:10,590 Speaker 2: a marriage. dealing with a broken friendship, or worrying constantly 61 00:04:10,630 --> 00:04:14,660 Speaker 2: about your children. When you feel powerless to fix a 62 00:04:14,700 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 2: person or a situation, fear tries to convince you to 63 00:04:19,020 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 2: hold on tighter out of desperation. But if you have 64 00:04:23,300 --> 00:04:27,339 Speaker 2: faith that God will help you in scary relationship situations, 65 00:04:28,060 --> 00:04:31,140 Speaker 2: you can overcome that fear and let go for your 66 00:04:31,190 --> 00:04:36,810 Speaker 2: well-being and the well-being of everyone involved. God doesn't expect 67 00:04:36,830 --> 00:04:40,529 Speaker 2: you to face these scary situations in your own human strength. 68 00:04:41,630 --> 00:04:45,300 Speaker 2: In Isaiah 41.10, God reminds you that you never have 69 00:04:45,339 --> 00:04:49,140 Speaker 2: to be afraid because He's always right beside you. He 70 00:04:49,220 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 2: promises to make you strong, help you, protect you, and 71 00:04:53,860 --> 00:04:58,900 Speaker 2: save you. So, when fear tries to distract you, redirect 72 00:04:58,940 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 2: your focus back to God's promises. Talk to God in 73 00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 2: prayer and trust God to do everything He promises to 74 00:05:05,940 --> 00:05:10,630 Speaker 2: do in this powerful verse. No matter how scary it 75 00:05:10,750 --> 00:05:13,670 Speaker 2: is when fear knocks on your door, you never have 76 00:05:13,710 --> 00:05:19,550 Speaker 2: to fight the battle alone. Intersecting Faith and Life As 77 00:05:19,589 --> 00:05:22,619 Speaker 2: you consider how to respond when fear knocks on your door, 78 00:05:23,060 --> 00:05:27,820 Speaker 2: reflect on these questions. What's the biggest fear knocking on 79 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,370 Speaker 2: the door of your life right now? In what ways 80 00:05:31,430 --> 00:05:34,429 Speaker 2: does fear usually try to pull your attention away from God? 81 00:05:35,710 --> 00:05:37,830 Speaker 2: How can you let go of your current worries and 82 00:05:37,870 --> 00:05:41,500 Speaker 2: place them into God's hand to help you with those situations? 83 00:05:42,779 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 2: What's one past experience where God proved he keeps his 84 00:05:46,020 --> 00:05:51,180 Speaker 2: promises by helping you through a scary situation? How can 85 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,989 Speaker 2: you remind yourself of God's powerful presence with you whenever 86 00:05:55,050 --> 00:06:01,500 Speaker 2: you start to feel overwhelmed by fear? Further readings. Psalm 56-3, 87 00:06:01,470 --> 00:06:11,390 Speaker 2: 2 Timothy 1-7, Psalm 23-4, Philippians 4, 6-7, Joshua 1-9. 88 00:06:15,790 --> 00:06:18,750 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 89 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 90 00:06:20,940 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow 91 00:06:24,940 --> 00:06:28,220 Speaker 1: Your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, You'll get 92 00:06:28,260 --> 00:06:31,380 Speaker 1: a brand new prayer and devotional each day so your 93 00:06:31,420 --> 00:06:35,060 Speaker 1: days begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to 94 00:06:35,110 --> 00:06:37,870 Speaker 1: grow in prayer or start your day with your heart 95 00:06:37,950 --> 00:06:42,029 Speaker 1: focused on the right things, search for Your Daily Prayer 96 00:06:42,370 --> 00:06:45,210 Speaker 1: in your favorite podcast app and be sure to follow 97 00:06:45,250 --> 00:06:48,170 Speaker 1: the show so you get a new prayer delivered straight 98 00:06:48,250 --> 00:06:49,650 Speaker 1: to you each morning.