1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is on trusting 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: God when it feels like ungodly behavior brings success. We'll 4 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: return with a devotional after a brief message from our 5 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: sponsors the poor. We'll see and be glad. You who 6 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: seek God, may your hearts live. PS. I'm sixty nine 7 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: thirty two. Lately I've felt bruised and discouraged. I'm trying 8 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: to honor God, but sometimes find the how confusing, particularly 9 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: in some complicated and highly consequential situations. Unlike David, the 10 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 1: ancient israel king who wrote today's verse in the surrounding chapter, 11 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: I'm not facing anything life threatening. No one is hunting 12 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: me down to kill me. No one is trying to 13 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: destroy my dreams or my career. But I've been feeling 14 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: under attacked just the same by my thoughts, my pain, 15 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: and numerous confusing complications that can make life feel so challenging. 16 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: When I land in this place, I'm tempted to respond 17 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: in various unhealthy ways. Often my first reaction is self reliance. 18 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: This typically makes my circumstances worse, while also increasing any 19 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:47,119 Speaker 1: sense of inadequacy or hopelessness I feel. Eventually, however, I 20 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: respond to the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit and 21 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,919 Speaker 1: seek God in my pain and overwhelm. It is then 22 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: in His presence that my heart starts to revive, as 23 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: His life and life fill my soul. Perhaps this is 24 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: what Scripture references in Psalm sixteen. In this passage, also 25 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: written by David, we read, I keep my eyes always 26 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I 27 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and 28 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: my tongue rejoices. My body also will rest secure. You 29 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: make known to me the path of life. You will 30 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures 31 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: at your right hand Verses eight through nine and eleven. 32 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: Joy and peace come through proximity to Christ and aligning 33 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: ourselves with His truth, and that joy gives us strength. 34 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: David seemed to understand this. Although a victorious warrior many 35 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: times over who demonstrated great wisdom and restraint, Scripture rarely, 36 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: if ever, paints him as self reliant, and while he 37 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: often openly expressed his pain and his fear unfiltered, he 38 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,679 Speaker 1: never remains stuck in despair, not because he didn't struggle 39 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: or quickly overcame his struggles. Rather, he found the strength 40 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: to rise above the chaos raging around and within him 41 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: by deliberately and consistently turning to God and resting in 42 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: the Lord's loving embrace. Intersecting life and faith, does your 43 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 1: life feel heavy? Is your mind presently bombarded with one 44 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: anxious or painful thought after another? If so, I get it. 45 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: I've been there, and I'm certain I will land in 46 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: that place yet again. Those seasons can wear us down 47 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: emotionally and physically, stealing our sleep, clarity, and peace. But 48 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: we don't have to remain stuck in our pain or 49 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: navigated alone. God bids us to come to Him as 50 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: David did, and find in him the strength to remain 51 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: standing when our knees feel ready to give way. As 52 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: Neamiah eight ten and so clearly proclaims, the joy of 53 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: the Lord is our strength. That doesn't mean we must 54 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: deny our pain or suppress it behind a force praise 55 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: the Lord, hallelujah. It doesn't mean laughter will always overpower 56 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: our tears. Biblical joy isn't the surface level, circumstantial emotion 57 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: with which we often equate it. True joy. Biblical joy 58 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: is the deep, abiding assurance that God is with us, 59 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: working in us, and orchestrating everything we encounter for our 60 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: good and His glory. Phrist another way, biblical joy is 61 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: an enduring awareness of Christ's grace. Knowing that we are 62 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: lovingly held, faithfully led, and eternally blessed with every spiritual 63 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: blessing in the heavenly realms. Displaces our despair with hope 64 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: and revives our souls. Candy and caffeine might give us 65 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: a mid afternoon pickup, but only Christ can sustain us 66 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: when we've lost the strength to stand on our Perhaps 67 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: this is in part what God means when he promises 68 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: to replace our weakness with his supernatural strength. What might 69 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: that look like for you in this present season? How 70 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: am my turning your heart toward the Lord in your 71 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: fear and pain help alleviate the burden weighing on your soul, 72 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: allowing you to walk just a little lighter, allowing you 73 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,559 Speaker 1: to maintain confident hope that a better day will indeed come. 74 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: If you're in a dark and challenging season, perhaps find 75 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: a quiet place to connect with the Lord, Turn on 76 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: some praise music, light a nice smelling candle, and simply 77 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: sit with your father, ask him to help you sense 78 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:45,679 Speaker 1: his presence and rest in his embrace for as long 79 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: as necessary, trusting him to infuse your innerrost being with 80 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: his joy, peace and strength. Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 81 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: If you liked what you hear today, we want to 82 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: make sure you know about our sister podcast, your Daily Prayer. 83 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,799 Speaker 1: When you follow your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, 84 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: you'll get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, 85 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: so your days begin in conversation with God. 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