1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: have you listening. Today's topic is about God's sustaining grace. 3 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from 4 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: one of our sponsors. Diligently asking for God's sustaining grace, 5 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: written and read by Emily Rose Massey. You do not 6 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: have because you do not ask. You ask and do 7 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on 8 00:00:55,200 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: your own passions, James Chapter four, Versus two through three. 9 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: When we are taking strides to walk in obedience to God, 10 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: the resistance to push forward gets stronger, and it feels 11 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: like we are treading through mud just to take a step. 12 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: My husband, Paul, and I have been experiencing this since 13 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: starting to lead a new ministry at our church, in 14 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: addition to juggling all the rest of our responsibilities caring 15 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: for our boys and our own individual lives. Even though 16 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: it's exhausting and sometimes discouraging. When things feel so chaotic 17 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: and stressful, I must remind my heart that our God 18 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: is stronger and will use whatever seems to be standing 19 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: against us, especially our own sinful flesh, to grow and 20 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: deepen our faith. And sanctify us. But this doesn't mean 21 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: it isn't painful, or that I am quick to learn 22 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: how to depend on Him for me personally, I'm working 23 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: on resting in the new mercies of today and being 24 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: quick to repent and ask for forgiveness. I feel like 25 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: I've failed a lot in my behavior towards Paul and 26 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: my boys these last few weeks. I don't want to 27 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: blame it on hormones and lack of sleep, although I 28 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: know this adds fuel to the fire, so to speak. 29 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: Because God's grace is available to me, But am I 30 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: asking for it diligently? Probably not as much as I should. 31 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: If his grace is truly sufficient, and it is, do 32 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 1: I live like I'm dependent upon it daily and praying 33 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: without ceasing throughout my day. The Book of James is 34 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: a wonderful book of instructions for believers. In Chapter four 35 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 1: we discover that we must protect our hearts from worldly thinking. Often, 36 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: when we are trying to take control of our lives 37 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: and not rest in God's grace and provision daily, we 38 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: resort to either neglecting God's ever present help or asking 39 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: God with wrong motives. You do not have because you 40 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: do not ask, you ask and do not receive because 41 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. James 42 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: Chapter four merely tells us that if there is something 43 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: we want, we need to ask God for it instead 44 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: of resorting to sinful means. It stands to reason that 45 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: there are some things that we will not get unless 46 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: we ask for them, but if we ask, we will 47 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: receive them. So if there's something that we want, we 48 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: need to ask. Christian should be praying and asking God, 49 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: especially for his supernatural grace intersecting faith in life. Instead 50 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: of trying to control what feels so uncontrollable in our 51 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: lives and allowing our circle stances to dictate our mood 52 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: or behavior, let us boldly come to the throne of 53 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: Grace and ask our Father for his unwavering and sustaining 54 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: grace he is faithful to provide. We must remember that 55 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: God's grace is sufficient and that he is our ever 56 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,799 Speaker 1: present help in times of need. But sometimes our actions 57 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: do not reflect these truths. It's much easier for us 58 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: to either complain about our stressful and difficult circumstances or 59 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: try to take matters into our own hands to try 60 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: to fix or change what seems to be causing us 61 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: to feel so overwhelmed. We must remember to come to 62 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 1: the Lord and ask for his grace when we have 63 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: reached our limits. The Lord is so faithful to provide 64 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: all things that we need because he is a gracious 65 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: father who cares deeply for his children. Let us approach 66 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: him as his child today, boldly and humbly, asking for 67 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: his sustaining and powerful grace to carry us through each 68 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: challenging moment. He is so faithful in every season, especially 69 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: in the difficult ones. When you feel weak, remember that 70 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 1: it is a good thing that is precisely when you 71 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: will experience His power and strength that will sustain you 72 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: and carry you through it all. Further reading Tewo Corinthians 73 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: chapter twelve, verses nine through ten, Hebrews Chapter four, verses 74 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: fifteen through sixteen. 75 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 76 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 2: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 77 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 2: about our sister podcast your Daily Prayer. When you follow 78 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 2: your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get 79 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 2: a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your 80 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 2: days begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to 81 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 2: grow in prayer or art your day with your heart 82 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 2: focused on the right things. Search for your daily prayer 83 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 2: in your favorite podcast app, and be sure to follow 84 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 2: the show so you get a new prayer delivered straight 85 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 2: to you each morning. 86 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:23,479 Speaker 3: Hey listeners, it's Kelly from the Life Audio team with 87 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 3: a quick favor to ask. We're working on a newsletter 88 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 3: and honestly, we'd rather ask you what you want than guess. 89 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 3: There's a two minute survey linked in the show notes. 90 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 3: Fill it out and shape what we make. Thanks.