1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is Clothed in Christ. 3 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: our sponsors. Clothed in Christ written and read by Megan J. Connor. 5 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not 6 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh 7 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: Romans thirteen fourteen NIV. My heart says of you seek 8 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: His face, your face, Lord, I will seek, Psalm twenty 9 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: seven eight NIV. Every day, all day long, we are 10 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: faced with one decision after another. Sometimes these choices are practical, 11 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: what do I need from the grocery store or how 12 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: much money should I pay off on the credit card? 13 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: But other times the dilemma is a matter of the heart, 14 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: a tag of war between what I should do versus 15 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: what I want to do. Even more seriously, a decision 16 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: between what we know to be right and what our 17 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: conscience tells us is wrong. When choosing between what we 18 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: think we want and what the Lord desires as his 19 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: best for us, a struggle can be real. The allure 20 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: of the world is powerful, especially in this modern technology 21 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: driven era, where even our devices are labeled with the 22 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: pronoun eye. The pool of selfishness and self focus is strong, 23 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: To say the least. The phones in our hands provide 24 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: us with constant access to commercialism and propaganda that suggests 25 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: it's all about me, and I should have or do 26 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: anything I want simply because it's available or sounds appealing. 27 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: And though we may logically be able to identify the 28 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: potential pitfalls in these scenarios, what our emotions or simple 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: desires kick in the waters of clarity can be muddied 30 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: very quickly. The Bible says the heart is deceitful above 31 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: all things, and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 32 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 1: seventeen nine n IV. Do you agree? I certainly do. 33 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: There have been many times in my life when I 34 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: have rationalized or justified decisions without even recognizing what I 35 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: was doing, only to come out on the other side 36 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: shocked I had made such a choice. Why because my 37 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 1: own heart deceived me. Paul in his Letter to the Romans, 38 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: shares a similar sentiment when he states there is no 39 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, 40 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: There is no one who seeks God Romans three ten 41 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: through twelve n IV. Even when we are trying to 42 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,239 Speaker 1: walk with the Lord, it is so easy to choose 43 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: what we want, rather than intentionally seeking God's will first 44 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: and then waiting upon him for direction. We are terrible 45 00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: at waiting, aren't we. We want our entertainment instantaneously, our 46 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: food fast, and our products delivered to our doorstep the 47 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: same day we order them. Though the world around us 48 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: can move at breakneck speeds, the Lord often calls us 49 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: to be still and know that he is God Psalm 50 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: forty six y ten, to trust in him for direction 51 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: and discernment. He calls us to look to him rather 52 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: than our own flawed perceptions. If we are willing to 53 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: run to him before grasping for self satisfaction, we clothe 54 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, which will then produce 55 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,519 Speaker 1: his godly fruits such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 56 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: goodness and faithfulness, gentleness, and self control Galatians five twenty 57 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: two through twenty three. Left your own devices and relying 58 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: on our own strength can often lead us down paths 59 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: we would ultimately prefer not to take. But if we 60 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: choose to seek Him before everything else, he promises that 61 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: he will respond and provide us with all that we need. 62 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and 63 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: you will find. Knock and the door will be open 64 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: to you. For everyone who asks perceives, the one who 65 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door 66 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: will be opened Matthew seven seven through eight n IV. 67 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: If you, like me, struggle to choose God's best over 68 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: your own selfish desires, I pray today is a new 69 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: day for both of us, a day where we cry 70 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: out as the Psalmist of old did so many years ago, 71 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: and declare my heart says of you seek his face, 72 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: your faith Lord, I will seek Psalm twenty seven eight 73 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: and IV. Let's believe together that He is faithful to 74 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: fulfill all of his promises, and when we call upon him, 75 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: he will answer. And no matter how loudly the clamor 76 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: of this world tries to overshadow our minds and hearts, 77 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: May we surrender our wills to the only one who 78 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: can offer us true peace and satisfaction. May we clothe 79 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: ourselves in Christ, intersecting faith and life. Have you ever 80 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: found yourself in a situation where your own heart deceived you? 81 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: If so are you able to look back and recognize 82 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,799 Speaker 1: where you struggle to allow God to influence your decision making. 83 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: How might you better approach these types of crossroads in 84 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: the future. I encourage you to take some time today 85 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: to write out the steps you will take the next 86 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,600 Speaker 1: time you are faced with similar circumstances. Perhaps your action 87 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: items might include reciting scripture, calling a friend for prayer, 88 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: or simply waiting a day or two before making a 89 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: final decision, whatever that looks like for you individually. I 90 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: pray you find peace and guidance as you seek God's 91 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: best for you. For further reading, take a look at 92 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: Some twenty seven and Galatians chapter five, verses thirteen through 93 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 1: twenty six. Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you 94 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: liked what you heard today, we want to make sure 95 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: you know about our sister podcast, your Daily Prayer. When 96 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: you follow your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, 97 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,799 Speaker 1: you'll get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, 98 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: so your days begin in conversation with God. If you're 99 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: looking to grow in prayer or start your day with 100 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: your heart focused on the right things, search for your 101 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 1: daily prayer in your favorite podcast app and be sure 102 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: to follow the show so you get a new prayer 103 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: delivered straight to you each morning.