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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to

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Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is God's Love

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Speaker 1: in Ordinary Ways and Places. We will return with the

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Speaker 1: devotion after a brief message from our sponsors. God's Love

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Speaker 1: in the Ordinary Places Written and read by Sarah Fraser.

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Speaker 1: No one saw me most days. After my first child

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Speaker 1: was born, I quit my teaching job and decided to

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Speaker 1: stay home. Within four and a half years, I had

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Speaker 1: three little ones. Raising children at home is still a

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Speaker 1: lot of work, but many days I found myself wondering

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Speaker 1: if anyone noticed all of the little ordinary things I did,

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Speaker 1: things like the dishes, planning meals, cleaning up toys, and

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Speaker 1: the endless piles of laundry. As a young college girl,

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Speaker 1: I had dreamed about doing grand things for God, but

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Speaker 1: I also wanted motherhood. Could motherhood be grand and glorious?

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Speaker 1: During that season, I leaned into the idea that the ordinary,

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Speaker 1: everyday moments could be glorious within the regular rhythms of

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Speaker 1: my life. I began to seek God in his word.

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Speaker 1: I took online classes on how to study the Bible,

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Speaker 1: even earning a degree. As I raised my children, loving

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Speaker 1: them in the daily routine of life. I began to

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Speaker 1: also see that God's love for me was the same.

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Speaker 1: In order for God to love me more, I thought

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Speaker 1: maybe I had to do more. Instead, God's love meets

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Speaker 1: us right where we are, in the quiet, ordinary, everyday life.

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Speaker 1: In a way, God has shown his love in the

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Speaker 1: most extraordinary ways. Through the Cross, Jesus's death, resurrection and

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Speaker 1: ascension to heaven has sealed our eternity and given us

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Speaker 1: new lives and purposes here on earth. It is truly

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Speaker 1: a magnificent source of comfort when we think about this

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Speaker 1: powerful example of God's love. But when life feels quiet, repetitive,

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Speaker 1: or unremarkable, we may wonder where is God's love now.

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Speaker 1: In Psalm twenty three to six, David says that God's

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Speaker 1: loving mercy will follow him all the days of my life,

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Speaker 1: not just the grand days, but the daily grind as well.

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Speaker 1: Not just the milestone, but the quiet mornings filled with routine,

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Speaker 1: during our responsibilities and routines. God's love quietly and completely

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Speaker 1: follows us. The word follow gives us the impression that

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Speaker 1: it is active, not passive. God's love is present, and

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Speaker 1: it pursues us. Psalm fifty five reminds us that no

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Speaker 1: one seeks God, but God seeks us. His love also

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Speaker 1: follows close by us. It is not a distant love

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Speaker 1: or occasional love. It walks with us, holds our hand,

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Speaker 1: and never leaves. The idea of God's love walking with

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Speaker 1: us is found in other Bible verses as well. In

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Speaker 1: Micas six eight, we read he has shown you, o mortal,

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Speaker 1: what is good? And what does the Lord require of you?

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Speaker 1: To act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly

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Speaker 1: with your God. God is calling everyone to walk with

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Speaker 1: him in his love. The Bible often describes faith not

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Speaker 1: as a leap, but as a walk. As we walk

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Speaker 1: with God and in his love, we are constantly moving,

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Speaker 1: changing and going. God's love consistently shows up for us

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Speaker 1: no matter the season or life's circumstance. You can't walk

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Speaker 1: through anything in this life without God's love. Step by step,

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Speaker 1: day by day, God's love can be experienced over and

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Speaker 1: over again. Psalm one thirty six one says give thanks

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Speaker 1: to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

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Speaker 1: God's love is enduring forever. As a new mom, I

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Speaker 1: would always have to refill my children's juice cups over time.

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Speaker 1: I realized that my spiritual cup was constantly running dry

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Speaker 1: as well. It was during those moments when I felt weak, tired,

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Speaker 1: and empty that I needed God's love to fill me up.

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Speaker 1: His love has no end. Unlike human love, which can

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Speaker 1: grow tired or fade under pressure, God's love is full

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Speaker 1: and everlasting. Not only is God's love available on days

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Speaker 1: we feel empty and have nothing to give, it is

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Speaker 1: there on the hard and difficult days when sorrow fills

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Speaker 1: our hearts. We can run to the God of our love.

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Speaker 1: You and I can come to God on ordinary days,

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Speaker 1: weary days and dark days. All of God's love is

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Speaker 1: always available. Each day gives us a fresh reminder of

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Speaker 1: his love for us. We are not asked to endure

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Speaker 1: our sorrow with yesterday's strength or tomorrow's hope. God's love

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Speaker 1: supplies what we need for today. Faith in life. Our

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Speaker 1: lives are filled with mundane moments. How can you remember

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Speaker 1: God's love each day? It is often a quiet, soft love.

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Speaker 1: Look for moments like a beautiful sky or the bright sunshine.

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Speaker 1: Maybe you have a pet or a friend who is

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Speaker 1: always checking in on you. Let those reminders be there

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Speaker 1: to help you thank God for his love for you.

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Speaker 1: Scripture is a great place to be reminded of God's love.

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Speaker 1: Take the additional reading section and read a few verses

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Speaker 1: each day this week to help yourself be reminded of

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Speaker 1: God's extraordinary love in the ordinary moments. Additional Reading Deuteronomy

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Speaker 1: thirty three twelve, Psalm ninety fourteen, Isaiah forty six, y four,

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Speaker 1: John one sixteen, Romans eight thirty eight, thirty nine. The

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Speaker 1: Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media.

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Speaker 1: If you liked what you heard today, please take a

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Speaker 1: the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us

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Speaker 1: at lifeaudio dot com.