1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is on trusting God when 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 2: it feels like ungodly behavior brings success. We'll return with 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. Trusting 6 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 2: God when others treat us unjustly written and read by 7 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 2: Jennifer Slattery. Isaac's servant dug in the valley and discovered 8 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: a well of fresh water there. But the herders of 9 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 2: Jurrar quarreled with those of Isaac and said the water 10 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 2: is ours. So he named the well Essek because they 11 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: disputed with him. Then they dug another well, but they 12 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: quarreled over that one also, so he named it Zitna. 13 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: He moved on from there and dug another well, and 14 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,199 Speaker 2: no one quarreled over it. He named it Robot, saying, 15 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 2: now the Lord has given us room, and we will 16 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 2: flourish in the land. Genesis twenty sixth nineteen through twenty two. 17 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 2: Have you ever had someone use your kindness and integrity 18 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 2: against you or betray you in some way and you 19 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 2: wanted to fight back, But since God telling you to 20 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 2: trust him to rectify the situation, for years I watched 21 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 2: my husband endure the painful effects of slander and parental alienation. 22 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 2: He was married before me to a woman who was 23 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: verbally and psychologically abusive. When they divorced, his ex told 24 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: his children that he'd abandoned them and didn't love them. Then, 25 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 2: once he married me and he and I gave birth 26 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 2: to our daughter, his ex told his kids that we 27 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,279 Speaker 2: were his quote unquote replacement family. While he diligently showed 28 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 2: up for them and financially provided for them, that negative 29 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 2: narrative became their reality. To say this devastated him would 30 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 2: be a huge understatement, and the cruel injustice of it 31 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 2: all angered me. I vacillated between feeling frustrated with God 32 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 2: for not intervening on my timeline and trusting that one 33 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 2: day he would make things right. That was decades ago, 34 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 2: and while my husband sadly remains estranged with some of 35 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 2: his children, he's been able to rebuild and is rebuilding 36 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 2: his relationship with one of his daughters. He's also been 37 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 2: able to connect with three grandchildren, something we'd previously feared 38 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: might never occur. I reflected upon my husband's experience in 39 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 2: God's faithfulness this morning as I read Genesis twenty sixth. 40 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 2: This occurred after Abraham's death and well into Isaac's adult years. 41 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 2: Like his father before him, he endured what Scripture terms 42 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 2: a severe famine and moved to an area of Jurar, 43 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 2: presumably in search of food and access to water. The Lord, 44 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 2: likely alert the anxiety this would have caused, told Isaac 45 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 2: not to go to Egypt, with its constant access to 46 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 2: the Nile. He also promised to provide for and bless him. 47 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 2: This reminds us that God knows precisely how to comfort 48 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,119 Speaker 2: and strengthen our fearful souls. In the middle of Isaac's 49 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: life or death crisis, he spoke powerful assurances to his soul. 50 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 2: These divine commitments probably allowed him to remain calm and 51 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 2: faith filled later, when the people of the land continually 52 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 2: sabotaged or laid claim to the wells his servants dug 53 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 2: or reopened. This occurred three times, during which Isaac could 54 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 2: have fought back. He might have even been successful. Genesis 55 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 2: twenty six tells us that he became quite rich and powerful. Instead, 56 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: he simply moved on, and once he reached the place 57 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 2: he later called Robath, he dug another well and said 58 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: this time, there was no dispute over it. Recognizing God's provision, 59 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: he proclaimed, at last, the Lord has created enough space 60 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 2: for us to prosper in the land intersecting life and faith. 61 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 2: Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying Christ followers should 62 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: never advocate for themselves. Throughout scripture, we see numerous instances 63 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: when God directs his people to stand firm against evil, 64 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 2: advocate for and defend others, or take hold of a 65 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 2: blessing he provided. Ancient Israel taking possession of the Promised 66 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 2: Land is perfect example, but there are also times when 67 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 2: he invites us to quote be still and know that 68 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 2: he is God. This seems to be how he directed 69 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 2: Joseph introduced in Genesis thirty seven. It also appears to 70 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 2: be how he led Isaac in the chapter surrounding today's passage. 71 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 2: Did you catch how God's spoke truth and assurance to 72 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 2: Isaac before the well events? This reads like he was saying, 73 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 2: in essence, you don't have to fight and strive for 74 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: your survival because I Almighty God will bless you. He 75 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 2: says the same to us, He is bigger than any 76 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 2: injustice will face or betrayal will endure. He is faithful 77 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 2: to protect, defend, and provide for his children. Sometimes he 78 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: invites us to play an active role in that protection 79 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 2: or provision. Other times he asks us to trust while 80 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 2: he works the situation for our good and his glory, 81 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 2: just as he promised in Romans eight twenty eight. Regardless 82 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 2: of how he leads, we can trust his attentive care. 83 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 2: He is the god of abundance, who owns all, sees all, 84 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 2: and remains sovereign over all. But more than that, he 85 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 2: is a god of tender, merciful love, who sees our pain, 86 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 2: heals our hurts, quiets our fears, and tends to all 87 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 2: of our needs, physical, spiritual, and emotional. If you are 88 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 2: struggling with a present or past betrayal, or injustice, perhaps 89 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 2: reflect on and rehearse this passage. Do not fret because 90 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 2: of those who are evil, or be envious of those 91 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: who do wrong, For like grass, they will soon wither. 92 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 2: Like green plants, they will soon die away. Trust in 93 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 2: the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and 94 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 2: enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he 95 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 2: will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm thirty 96 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 2: seven Versus one through four. 97 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 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