1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is on the 3 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: safety of pouring out your heart to God. We'll return 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. 5 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: Pouring out your Heart written and read by Cindy McManamon. 6 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: Trust in Him at all times, you people pour out 7 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us 8 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: Psalm sixty two to eight New American Standard Bible. Do 9 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: you ever long for a safe place to pour out 10 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: your heart? Some people are internal processors. They run thoughts 11 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: through their minds and at times find it difficult to 12 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 1: verbally express what's on their hearts. At times, I wish 13 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: I were that way. To the contrary, I struggle with 14 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: keeping it all inside as a verbal or external processor. 15 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: I repeat instructions allowed to make sure I understand them, 16 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: and I express my thoughts verbally as a way of 17 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 1: sorting through them. To my husband, who's an internal processor, 18 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: that's exhausting. At times. For me, it's essential to hold 19 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: it in as to put a stopper. 20 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 2: On my heart, and I feel I will suffocate until 21 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: pent up feelings eventually blow like an eruption of emotion 22 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 2: that can be overwhelming to those I love the most. 23 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 2: In the aftermath of a gush of words, there can 24 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 2: sometimes be regret. But God is not threatened by my 25 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 2: words or yours, and he's not irritated by our silence either. 26 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 2: He tells us in his word to pour out our 27 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: hearts before him, and then he tells us he is 28 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 2: a refuge, a safe place. We don't need to fear 29 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: what we said or the words we withheld. He knows 30 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 2: and can handle them all or none at all. And 31 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 2: if you're one who struggles with how to verbally express 32 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 2: how you feel, or when you do, you choose the 33 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 2: wrong words, Romans eight twenty six tells us his spirit 34 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 2: will communicate with yours and express your very heart to 35 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 2: your heavenly father. I love how the contemporary English version 36 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 2: renders Psalm sixty two eight. Trust God by friends, and 37 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 2: always tell him each of your concerns. God is our 38 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 2: place of safety. Intersecting faith in life, could you use 39 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: a safe place when it comes to burying your soul? 40 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 2: Do you need a refuge a place to hide when 41 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 2: you're not ready to express how you feel? God is 42 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 2: there for us whenever we need to process our thoughts 43 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 2: and feelings. He is the ultimate listener and the perfect communicator. 44 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 2: He is the quiet encourager and our comforting presence. Psalm 45 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 2: one sixteen to two in the New Living Translation says, 46 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 2: because he bends down to listen, I will pray as 47 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: long as I have breath. I love how that verse 48 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: indicates he will come near us rather than walk away 49 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: when we have something we need to say. He will 50 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: draw closer in order to listen carefully. When he knows 51 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 2: we struggle with how to express what's on our hearts 52 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 2: or how to filter our words. As a father with 53 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 2: an ear bent toward his loving child, our God will listen. 54 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 2: So pour it out or keep it in, and just 55 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: close your eyes and reflect on being in his presence. 56 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: He knows exactly what you need to say. He can 57 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: hear your unspoken words too. I tend to think David 58 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 2: the Psalmis needed to write music and lyrics in order 59 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 2: to express his heart, and I believe he counted on 60 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 2: God to help him find words for what he felt 61 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 2: so he could express those words to God and sing 62 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: them back to him. In doing so, David experienced God's 63 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: strength in the midst of his weakness. What do you 64 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 2: need to express to someone today while you struggle to 65 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 2: find the right words, can you tell it to God instead? 66 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: Or ask him to search your mind and thoughts and 67 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: help you convey what you need to say to someone else. 68 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 2: Many times, when I'm at a loss of how to 69 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 2: say something to someone at just the right time and 70 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 2: in just the right way, I've asked my heavenly Father 71 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 2: to convey to that person what's on my heart without 72 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 2: me having to say anything. God has an amazing way 73 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: of touching someone's heart and making them shear what I 74 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 2: really wanted to say to them, but never found the 75 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: words to do so. Oh, the overwhelming, stounding love of God, 76 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 2: All his ways are perfect, says Psalm eighteen, And through 77 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 2: his help we are strengthened. The next time you need 78 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 2: to speak up or hold it in, praise Him for 79 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 2: being a God who listens, and then pour out your 80 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 2: heart before him. Your words are safe with him. For 81 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 2: further reading, see Psalm one thirty nine, Verses one through eighteen. 82 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 2: For more on connecting more closely with God and with others, 83 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 2: see my books The New Loneliness and The New Loneliness Devotional. 84 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional, is a production of Life Audio and 85 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 86 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 87 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 88 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled, inspirational podcasts, 89 00:05:53,440 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.