1 00:00:10,850 --> 00:00:14,110 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you 2 00:00:14,130 --> 00:00:18,090 Speaker 1: listening with us. Today's topic is about life and godliness. 3 00:00:18,790 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from 4 00:00:21,460 --> 00:00:40,030 Speaker 1: our sponsors. Equipped for Today, What Life and Godliness Really Means. 5 00:00:40,850 --> 00:00:45,620 Speaker 1: Written and read by Hannah Benson. His divine power has 6 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,059 Speaker 1: granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, 7 00:00:49,659 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: through the knowledge of him who called us to his 8 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:57,370 Speaker 1: own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1.3 ESV. It's so 9 00:00:57,550 --> 00:00:59,550 Speaker 1: easy to fall into the trap of fear, isn't it? 10 00:01:00,530 --> 00:01:03,490 Speaker 1: To focus on the limited knowledge we can see, rather 11 00:01:03,550 --> 00:01:07,220 Speaker 1: than the truth of what God says. I often find 12 00:01:07,270 --> 00:01:10,250 Speaker 1: myself guilty of this. There are times when faith is 13 00:01:10,350 --> 00:01:12,710 Speaker 1: louder than the fear, yes, but there are other times 14 00:01:12,750 --> 00:01:16,890 Speaker 1: when the fear gets louder than my faith. What are 15 00:01:16,910 --> 00:01:21,890 Speaker 1: you afraid of? Finances or a lack thereof? Or the future? 16 00:01:21,910 --> 00:01:26,530 Speaker 1: The list could go on and on. I've been thinking 17 00:01:26,590 --> 00:01:30,170 Speaker 1: a lot about God's provision recently, inspired by a much-needed 18 00:01:30,230 --> 00:01:33,410 Speaker 1: conversation with a good friend. As someone who works in 19 00:01:33,430 --> 00:01:37,069 Speaker 1: the creative industry, income can ebb and flow and sometimes 20 00:01:37,150 --> 00:01:40,170 Speaker 1: be inconsistent, and it's easy to let the fear of 21 00:01:40,209 --> 00:01:43,770 Speaker 1: the financial future get louder than my faith. And that 22 00:01:43,910 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: fear hits even closer to home right now as I 23 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,700 Speaker 1: watch my family navigate a similar season. You see, my 24 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:52,860 Speaker 1: dad was laid off from his job late last year, 25 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,300 Speaker 1: and no matter how many doors he's knocked on, as 26 00:01:56,380 --> 00:02:00,170 Speaker 1: I write this, nothing yet has come through. We know 27 00:02:00,230 --> 00:02:02,990 Speaker 1: God will provide and that he's never failed us. But 28 00:02:03,030 --> 00:02:06,140 Speaker 1: as the days continue with seemingly no answers in sight, 29 00:02:06,940 --> 00:02:11,700 Speaker 1: sometimes we wrestle with fear. Dwelling on fear, as easy 30 00:02:11,740 --> 00:02:13,980 Speaker 1: as it can be to fall into that trap sometimes, 31 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,820 Speaker 1: is quite unhealthy. Whatever we dwell on and choose to 32 00:02:17,870 --> 00:02:20,390 Speaker 1: think about will naturally affect what we believe and how 33 00:02:20,430 --> 00:02:23,370 Speaker 1: we live. This means if we choose to fix our 34 00:02:23,450 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: eyes on things above, then that will naturally affect what 35 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,610 Speaker 1: we believe about God, ourselves, and the circumstances we find 36 00:02:29,650 --> 00:02:34,170 Speaker 1: ourselves in. I had a moment recently where fear threatened 37 00:02:34,210 --> 00:02:38,310 Speaker 1: to consume me. I'm talking anxiety physically gripping my heart, 38 00:02:38,450 --> 00:02:40,830 Speaker 1: even though at church the previous day we'd talked about 39 00:02:40,870 --> 00:02:43,620 Speaker 1: the importance of believing God's truth over the lies in 40 00:02:43,660 --> 00:02:48,540 Speaker 1: our head. Yes, the timing was quite convenient. There's a 41 00:02:48,620 --> 00:02:51,579 Speaker 1: reason scripture reminds us to focus on whatever is true, 42 00:02:51,780 --> 00:02:55,790 Speaker 1: whatever is honorable. Whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever 43 00:02:55,870 --> 00:02:59,670 Speaker 1: is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, 44 00:02:59,710 --> 00:03:03,430 Speaker 1: if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 45 00:03:03,750 --> 00:03:09,820 Speaker 1: Philippians 4.8 ESV Instead of worrying God won't provide, why 46 00:03:09,860 --> 00:03:12,180 Speaker 1: not reflect on what He has done in our lives already? 47 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,620 Speaker 1: It's good to remember and recount what the Lord has done. 48 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,620 Speaker 1: When I chose gratitude and to remember His goodness instead 49 00:03:19,660 --> 00:03:24,119 Speaker 1: of fear, my anxiety began to ease. The truth is, 50 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,780 Speaker 1: God always provides for everything we need. Often, it comes 51 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,540 Speaker 1: at what we call last minute, but it is certainly 52 00:03:30,580 --> 00:03:33,540 Speaker 1: never late. I love what Peter reminds us in this 53 00:03:33,590 --> 00:03:37,010 Speaker 1: passage here. God has granted us everything we need for 54 00:03:37,150 --> 00:03:41,070 Speaker 1: life and godliness. In addition to caring for our spiritual needs, 55 00:03:41,170 --> 00:03:44,590 Speaker 1: God cares about our material needs as well. When it 56 00:03:44,630 --> 00:03:46,850 Speaker 1: comes to the practical side, what do we need for life? 57 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,370 Speaker 1: In Matthew 6, 25-34, Jesus tells the disciples not to 58 00:03:52,450 --> 00:03:55,270 Speaker 1: worry about what they will eat, wear, or drink. And 59 00:03:55,310 --> 00:03:58,710 Speaker 1: in verse 26, ESV, he says, Look at the birds 60 00:03:58,750 --> 00:04:01,930 Speaker 1: of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather 61 00:04:01,950 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are 62 00:04:06,660 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: you not of more values than they? Let that soak in. 63 00:04:12,260 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: If God cares for the birds of the air and 64 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:18,750 Speaker 1: provides everything they need, How much more will he provide 65 00:04:18,810 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: for his children? Intersecting faith and life. Look around you. 66 00:04:24,380 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: Do you have food to eat? Clothes on your back? 67 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: Maybe you don't know how you'll pay the bills this month, 68 00:04:31,140 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: but maybe you're not supposed to know right now. I 69 00:04:34,900 --> 00:04:37,310 Speaker 1: heard a story once about a man who needed money 70 00:04:37,370 --> 00:04:40,150 Speaker 1: for his little son's birthday party, but he and his 71 00:04:40,250 --> 00:04:43,270 Speaker 1: wife didn't even have that. They didn't know what to do, 72 00:04:43,670 --> 00:04:46,740 Speaker 1: but they wanted to bless him. While out on a walk, 73 00:04:47,140 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: the Lord led him to the exact amount of money 74 00:04:49,460 --> 00:04:52,909 Speaker 1: he needed to bless his little boy. When you need it, 75 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: God will provide it. Sometimes he'll provide through a family 76 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,619 Speaker 1: who gives eggs from their farm to yours all summer, 77 00:05:01,460 --> 00:05:03,810 Speaker 1: or who invite you over and offer to pray over you. 78 00:05:04,790 --> 00:05:07,010 Speaker 1: Or maybe God will use the kindness of a friend 79 00:05:07,050 --> 00:05:09,349 Speaker 1: who introduced my dad to leadership at the company he 80 00:05:09,390 --> 00:05:11,770 Speaker 1: works for in hopes it may open a door for 81 00:05:11,810 --> 00:05:15,220 Speaker 1: a job. Or what about my friend who took two 82 00:05:15,300 --> 00:05:16,940 Speaker 1: hours out of his day to point me to the 83 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: Lord and be a listening ear when I didn't even 84 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,130 Speaker 1: realize how much I needed it? Sometimes it's in the 85 00:05:23,170 --> 00:05:26,310 Speaker 1: simple things. Sometimes we get to be that person for 86 00:05:26,350 --> 00:05:30,170 Speaker 1: someone else, not realizing how a simple act of obedience 87 00:05:30,210 --> 00:05:33,050 Speaker 1: can truly bless someone's day and be what we didn't 88 00:05:33,070 --> 00:05:36,770 Speaker 1: even realize they needed. Other times, the Lord allows us 89 00:05:36,810 --> 00:05:38,790 Speaker 1: to be on the receiving end of His goodness through 90 00:05:38,810 --> 00:05:44,530 Speaker 1: His children. Pray with me. Dear Father God, Please help 91 00:05:44,550 --> 00:05:46,430 Speaker 1: me to trust that you will give me everything I 92 00:05:46,470 --> 00:05:50,370 Speaker 1: need for life and godliness. You care about the sparrows 93 00:05:50,410 --> 00:05:53,230 Speaker 1: and the lilies of the field, so how much more 94 00:05:53,270 --> 00:05:56,590 Speaker 1: do you care for me and provide for me? Thank 95 00:05:56,610 --> 00:06:02,060 Speaker 1: you for your provision in my life. In Jesus' name, amen. 96 00:06:06,420 --> 00:06:09,380 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 97 00:06:09,420 --> 00:06:11,500 Speaker 2: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 98 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 2: about our sister podcast, Your daily prayer. When you follow 99 00:06:15,540 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 2: your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get 100 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,010 Speaker 2: a brand new prayer and devotional each day so your 101 00:06:22,050 --> 00:06:25,690 Speaker 2: days begin in conversation with God. 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