1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is even when 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: the Heart Fails. We'll return with the devotional after a 4 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: brief message from our sponsors. Even when the Heart Fails 5 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: Written and read by Megan J. Connor. I am always 6 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: with you. You hold me by my right hand, You 7 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will take 8 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? 9 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh 10 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: and my heart may fail, but God is the strength 11 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: of my heart and my portion. Forever. It is good 12 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: to be near God. I have made the sovereign Lord 13 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: my refuge. I will tell of all of your deeds. 14 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: Psalm seventy three twenty two through twenty eight NIV. Have 15 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 1: you ever been through an unexpected trial and it felt 16 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: as if your heart and your flesh are failing? Where 17 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: do you turn when the circumstances are so overwhelming, so oppressive, 18 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: that it feels as if any and all physical strength 19 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: has been drained out. Normal stamina and rigors seem to 20 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: be completely absent, leaving you utterly exhausted from the simplest 21 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: daily tasks, and if that isn't challenging enough, your heart 22 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: follows suit and struggles to carry the weight of your 23 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: unwelcome burdens. Unfortunately, we all face hardships, disappointments, and at 24 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: times even devastation. While the Bible is full of God's promises, 25 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: unending love and hope for the future, it is also 26 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: clear that sin and suffering are ever present realities in 27 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: this world. The consequences of these can wreak havoc on 28 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: our hearts and minds. Our heavenly Father understood this from 29 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: the moment sin entered the world and forever changed the 30 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: landscape of all of our lives. He made provision through 31 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: his only son, to pay the penalty for sin, but 32 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: that payment does not shield us from encountering heartbreak. While 33 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: we cannot evade challenging and hurtful circumstances, God promises to 34 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: walk side by side with us as we take every 35 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: step through the valley. I don't know where you find 36 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: yourself today. Perhaps you're in a sweet season of joy 37 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: and abundance. If so, I celebrate with you treasure the 38 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: good gifts God has bestowed upon you during this time. 39 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: But if you are facing a season of struggle, then 40 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: I empathize and offer my deepest condolences. Today I find 41 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: myself wandering through yet another desert, confused and conflicted and 42 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: in desperate need of Holy consolation. Yet even in this 43 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: I know God is still granting me good gifts, even 44 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: if nothing about it feels good. There really are times 45 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: when there is nothing here on earth that can satisfy 46 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: or bring true comfort. Loved ones can be present, be 47 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: a listening ear, and provide some measure of relief. But 48 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: only the Lord can reach those dark caverns of our souls. 49 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: When the heart fails. He assures us that he is 50 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: always with us, no matter how crushed and lost we feel. 51 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: When we feel like we cannot possibly take one more step, 52 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: he guides us with his counsel. He provides supernatural wisdom 53 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: for the hard decisions we may have to make, and 54 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: a peace that surpasses all understanding. Though the wind and 55 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: the waves may buffet our sails, the Lord declares peace 56 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: be still. As the Lord fulfills every one of these promises, 57 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: he is granting us good gifts. He is demonstrating his 58 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: unfailing love as he draws us closer to him, God 59 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: reveals himself to us. As we seek refuge in Him 60 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: and him alone, we can trust him. On the other 61 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: side of the cross is resurrection. On the other side 62 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: of whatever hardships and hurts you are facing today, there 63 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: is glory. Will you join me today as we remind 64 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: ourselves of God's goodness and promises shared in Psalms seventy three, 65 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: verses twenty two through twenty eight. I am always with you. 66 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: You hold me by my right hand, You guide me 67 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: with your counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory. 68 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: Whom have I in heaven but you and earth has 69 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart 70 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: may fail, but God is the strength of my heart 71 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: and my portion. Forever it is good to be near God. 72 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 1: I have made the sovereign Lord my refuge. I will 73 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: tell of all of your deeds intersecting faith and life. 74 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: Are there circumstances in your life right now that have 75 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: threatened to overtake your faith and peace? Do you feel 76 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: as if your heart is failed? If so, how does 77 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: today's scripture offer you hope? Even if the pain and 78 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: disappointment feel unbearable. Can you sense God's presence in the 79 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: midst of all you are going through, regardless of where 80 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: you find yourself. Today, I pray that God's faithfulness is 81 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: evident in your life and you can declare with me 82 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: it is good to be near God. For further reading, 83 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: take a look at Hebrews Chapter thirteen, verse five and 84 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: John sixteen thirty three. Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 85 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: If you liked what you heard today, we want to 86 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: make sure you know about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. 87 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: When you follow your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, 88 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,919 Speaker 1: you'll get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, 89 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: so your days begin in conversation with God. If you're 90 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: looking to grow in prayer or start your day with 91 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 1: your heart focused on the right things, search for your 92 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app and be sure 93 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: to follow the show so you get a new prayer 94 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: delivered straight to you each morning.