1 00:00:10,890 --> 00:00:13,690 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're so glad to have 2 00:00:13,730 --> 00:00:17,060 Speaker 1: you as a listener. Today's topic is when the days 3 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: grow shorter, but God's goodness does not. We'll be right 4 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:37,490 Speaker 1: back after a word from our sponsor. When the Days 5 00:00:37,530 --> 00:00:41,490 Speaker 1: Grow Shorter But God's Goodness Does Not. Written by Laura Bailey. 6 00:00:41,750 --> 00:00:45,589 Speaker 1: Read by Laura Bailey. When Jesus spoke again to the people, 7 00:00:45,690 --> 00:00:48,770 Speaker 1: he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever 8 00:00:48,830 --> 00:00:51,900 Speaker 1: follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have 9 00:00:51,940 --> 00:00:57,900 Speaker 1: the light of life. John 8, 12 NIV. Every year 10 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,180 Speaker 1: around this time, my husband goes into a funk. He's 11 00:01:01,220 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: an outdoor guy, and since his job has him chained 12 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,910 Speaker 1: to a desk for roughly 10 hours a day, He 13 00:01:06,970 --> 00:01:11,589 Speaker 1: covets the extra sunshine-filled days of summer. And as the 14 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,899 Speaker 1: days grow shorter, he struggles to find joy in the 15 00:01:14,940 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: diminishing hours of light. I get where he's coming from. 16 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: There's a lot of people who feel that way. I 17 00:01:21,540 --> 00:01:24,539 Speaker 1: only made it one winter living in Montreal, where the 18 00:01:24,580 --> 00:01:28,380 Speaker 1: sun didn't show up till mid-morning and started setting early afternoon. 19 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,190 Speaker 1: I struggled with the lack of light in my life, 20 00:01:31,470 --> 00:01:34,250 Speaker 1: so I went to see a counselor who recommended I 21 00:01:34,350 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: invest in a light box. If you're not familiar with 22 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,759 Speaker 1: a light box, it's literally just that, a box with 23 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,369 Speaker 1: a light in it. For those who suffer from the 24 00:01:44,390 --> 00:01:47,870 Speaker 1: seasonal blues, scientists have found that a few minutes in 25 00:01:47,910 --> 00:01:50,990 Speaker 1: a light box can have a major effect on mood. 26 00:01:52,670 --> 00:01:55,110 Speaker 1: It's pretty wild to think about how light, or the 27 00:01:55,310 --> 00:01:59,690 Speaker 1: lack thereof, can affect our moods, mental health, physical drive, 28 00:01:59,830 --> 00:02:04,220 Speaker 1: and various other factors of motivation. Scripture speaks often of 29 00:02:04,300 --> 00:02:08,530 Speaker 1: light and darkness. Jesus tells us in John 8, 12 30 00:02:08,530 --> 00:02:11,030 Speaker 1: that I am the light of the world. Whoever follows 31 00:02:11,070 --> 00:02:13,380 Speaker 1: me will never walk in darkness, but will have the 32 00:02:13,419 --> 00:02:16,740 Speaker 1: light of life. In the book of John, Jesus makes 33 00:02:16,860 --> 00:02:21,100 Speaker 1: seven I am statements, which refer to the conversation Moses 34 00:02:21,139 --> 00:02:25,859 Speaker 1: has with God in Exodus. Moses said to God, Suppose 35 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,740 Speaker 1: I go to the Israelites and say to them, The 36 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,060 Speaker 1: God of your fathers has sent me to you, and 37 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: they ask me, What is his name? Then what shall 38 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,910 Speaker 1: I tell them? God said. God said to Moses, I 39 00:02:39,060 --> 00:02:41,389 Speaker 1: am who I am. This is what you are to 40 00:02:41,430 --> 00:02:45,410 Speaker 1: say to the Israelites. I am has sent me to you. 41 00:02:46,190 --> 00:02:51,369 Speaker 1: Exodus 3, 13 through 14. God doesn't need a further explanation. 42 00:02:51,990 --> 00:02:54,290 Speaker 1: He is the Alpha and the Omega and the beginning 43 00:02:54,340 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: and end. He has always existed. The same is true 44 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,079 Speaker 1: for Jesus. Since he is a part of the Trinity 45 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,820 Speaker 1: and God in human form, he too can say, I 46 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,740 Speaker 1: am who I am. During the time Jesus was teaching, 47 00:03:07,260 --> 00:03:10,180 Speaker 1: light would have been a precious commodity. He didn't flip 48 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,459 Speaker 1: a switch. It took work to keep light going. So 49 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: for the original audience, hearing of a light that never 50 00:03:16,690 --> 00:03:19,270 Speaker 1: dims or goes out would have been a foreign concept. 51 00:03:20,010 --> 00:03:22,389 Speaker 1: Yet Jesus tells us that he is the light that 52 00:03:22,490 --> 00:03:27,150 Speaker 1: never fades and shines into darkness and provides life. Jesus 53 00:03:27,190 --> 00:03:29,889 Speaker 1: Christ's work on the cross delivers us from the darkness. 54 00:03:30,510 --> 00:03:33,470 Speaker 1: It releases us from the chains of sin and sets 55 00:03:33,570 --> 00:03:37,350 Speaker 1: us free. And that's not all. Those of us in 56 00:03:37,370 --> 00:03:40,339 Speaker 1: Christ now have the power of the Holy Spirit, the 57 00:03:40,380 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in us, 58 00:03:43,300 --> 00:03:46,660 Speaker 1: Romans 8, 11. So what should we do with this power? 59 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: We let our light shine before men so that our 60 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,780 Speaker 1: good deeds can glorify our Father in heaven, Matthew 5, 16. 61 00:03:54,780 --> 00:03:57,470 Speaker 1: We boldly share the light in our lives and the 62 00:03:57,530 --> 00:04:02,430 Speaker 1: eternal hope we have in Jesus Christ, Psalm 27, 1. 63 00:04:02,430 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: We walk as children of the light, those who are 64 00:04:04,860 --> 00:04:08,300 Speaker 1: called according to God's purpose to proclaim His wondrous works, 65 00:04:08,700 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: Ephesians 5.8. While we have the light of Christ in 66 00:04:12,420 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: our lives, there will be times when we experience seasons 67 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,380 Speaker 1: that feel very dark. If you are in one of 68 00:04:18,420 --> 00:04:21,700 Speaker 1: those seasons, let me encourage you, as I do my husband, 69 00:04:21,990 --> 00:04:25,089 Speaker 1: that it will not last forever. One day, the sun's 70 00:04:25,130 --> 00:04:28,190 Speaker 1: presence will linger longer, and one day, the light will 71 00:04:28,270 --> 00:04:32,310 Speaker 1: overtake the darkness. Stay encouraged. The days may grow shorter, 72 00:04:32,610 --> 00:04:37,270 Speaker 1: but God goodness does not. Intercepting faith and life. If 73 00:04:37,310 --> 00:04:40,190 Speaker 1: you struggle with the winter blues, take some time today 74 00:04:40,230 --> 00:04:42,729 Speaker 1: to make a plan to incorporate both spiritual and physical 75 00:04:42,790 --> 00:04:47,029 Speaker 1: light into your life. For further reading, what are all 76 00:04:47,089 --> 00:04:51,970 Speaker 1: the I am statements? And Matthew 5. 77 00:04:54,270 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 78 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 2: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 79 00:04:59,420 --> 00:05:03,330 Speaker 2: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow 80 00:05:03,390 --> 00:05:06,700 Speaker 2: Your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get 81 00:05:06,740 --> 00:05:09,860 Speaker 2: a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your 82 00:05:09,900 --> 00:05:13,540 Speaker 2: days begin in conversation with God. 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