1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We are so 2 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: glad that have you been listening with us here today. 3 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: Today's topic is ruttle God's nearness. We will reach after 4 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: this brief message from our sponsor. His nearness is what 5 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: I needed. Written by Laurence Fletcher red or Rochelle ALBERTI 6 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: Bible reading, for what great nation has a God as 7 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 1: near to them as the Lord? Our God is near 8 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: to us whenever we call on him Deuteronomy or seven. 9 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: I have only been reading a book by Wendy Blight 10 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 1: called Rest for Your Soul. In it, she talks about prayer. 11 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: She describes a time when she was calling out to 12 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: God amidst a struggle and didn't hear from him. I 13 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: had a choice, to me. I could believe what I 14 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: was studying, reading and learning, or I could allow anger, fear, 15 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: and doubt to continue ruling my soul. What I came 16 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 1: to realize during this time, though it was a decade 17 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: long journey, was that God was with me, and over 18 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: those years, though by circumstances didn't always change, my courtage 19 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: to stand firm and them rose because I knew I 20 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: was not alone. Rest for Your Soul a few pages later, 21 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: Wendy writes, Jesus invites us come to me, all you 22 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: who are weary and burdened, and I will give you 23 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: rest Matthew eleven twenty. It may not fix everything at 24 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: that moment. In fact, he won't, but it's an invitation 25 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: to come and sit with the only one who can 26 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: give you rests in the middle of the mess, Rest 27 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: for your soul. What I started to wonder about prayer 28 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: is if maybe it isn't about getting an answer from 29 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: God or a particular need, but about recognizing His presence 30 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: and experiencing him. That prayer is about communication with God. 31 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: I have wat through some mental health testing earlier this year. 32 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: I had been awaiting the results, eager to get the 33 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: treatment I needed. Yesterday morning, I woke up and read 34 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: my Bible as usual. What was different was how present 35 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: God was with me every scripture I read. I felt 36 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: like God was speaking directly to me, to my heart, 37 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: like it was just for me. I could hear him, 38 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: feel his presence. I was touched and grateful. Later that day, 39 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: I got part of the news I had been awaiting 40 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: for weeks. I received my diagnosis. As I processed this, 41 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: I realized that A reason God had been close that 42 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: morning is that he knew what I would hear that day. 43 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: He knew I would hear the results of my testing. 44 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: He wanted me to know he was there. More than 45 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: hearing a specific word. What I needed and what I 46 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: cherished most was God's presence to know hebrews with me. 47 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: His wearness is what I needed. One of my favorite 48 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: scriptures is Psalm thirty four. In it, David says, the 49 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: Lord is close to the broken hearted. He rescues those 50 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: whose spirits are crushed. Psalm thirty four eighteen. God knows 51 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: when we need him, and he shows up. Intersecting faith 52 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: in life, the Bible also shows us that when we 53 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: pray to the Lord, he draws near. In Deuteronomy, it says, 54 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: for what great nation has a God is near to them, 55 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: as the Lord or God is near to us whenever 56 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: we call on him Deuteronomy war seven. The Psalmist also writes, 57 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: I love the Lord because he hears my voice and 58 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: my prayer for mercy, because he bends down to listen. 59 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: I will pray as long as I have breath, Psalm 60 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixteen, unthrough two. He listens to our 61 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: prayers and draws near to us as we pray. He 62 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: is a personal God, just like it could feel his 63 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: nearness as I read the scripture yesterday morning, I could 64 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: also sense his heart. We can learn more about who 65 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: he is in that place of nearness. Psalms one hundred 66 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: and three says the Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow 67 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: to get angry, and fill with unfailing love some t 68 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: one hundred three eight. This description of God is founled 69 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: throughout the Bible. David also describes how God is as 70 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,799 Speaker 1: a father. The Lord is like a father to his children, 71 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: tender and compassionate to those who fear him, for he 72 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: knows how weak we are. He remembers, we are only 73 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: dust Saw one hundred three thirteen through fourteen. Have you 74 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: ever had a time when you felt God's presence so 75 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: close to you? Did you learn anything in that place 76 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: of nearness about it? Something I think about is when 77 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: I got the initial call to detesting God was in this. 78 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: It felt like the answer to our prayer. I hadn't prayed. 79 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 1: I had such peace about it. I also think about 80 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: how the plans fell so perfectly into place for me 81 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: to go out of town and do the testing. God 82 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: has been in the whole process, and he continued to 83 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: be close. Has it U been a time in your 84 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: life when you have walked through a difficult season, but 85 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: since the Lord's presence with you? What did that feel like? 86 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:13,720 Speaker 1: Was he steadying, comforting or encouraging? And Psalm thirty four, 87 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: David writes, the righteous person faisses many troubles, but the 88 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: Lord comes to the rescue each time. I'm thirty four nineteen. 89 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 1: We are righteous to Christ. He will come to us 90 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: every time. Further reading Psalm one hundred and forty five, eighteen, 91 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: James four eighth, Jeremiah twenty nine, thirteen, Isaiah seven fourteen, 92 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: Hebrews thirteen five, Deuteronomy thirty one eight. 93 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 94 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 2: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 95 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 2: about our sister podcast, your Daily Prayer. When you follow 96 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 2: your day in your favorite podcast app, you'll get a 97 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your days 98 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:10,119 Speaker 2: begin in conversation with God. 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