1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is about waiting on God 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 2: and his timing when there's something we really want. We'll 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 2: return with the devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. 6 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 2: God Always Knows best written and read by Cindy mcmanumon. 7 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 2: If you, then, though you are evil, know how to 8 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 2: give good gifts to your children, how much more will 9 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: your father in Heaven give good gifts to those who 10 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 2: ask him? Matthew seven eleven, New International version. How many 11 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 2: times do you and I have something on our our 12 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 2: minds or on our wish lists that we failed to 13 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 2: ask God for and we just rush ahead and try 14 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 2: to get it for ourselves. I remember when my daughter 15 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: and I got it in our minds that we wanted 16 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 2: to replace our carpet downstairs with wood laminate flooring. We 17 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 2: believed it would be better for my husband, who suffered 18 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 2: allergies now and then from our beloved cap Mowgli, and 19 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 2: we so wanted the upgrade to get rid of our old, 20 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,559 Speaker 2: smelly carpet. We also wanted to update the overall look 21 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: of our condo, so we went to a home improvement 22 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: store and admired granite and marble countertops that could replace 23 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 2: the old tile and grungy grout in our kitchen. The 24 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 2: cost was so high for the countertops, though, that we 25 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 2: figured we didn't truly need it, so my daughter and 26 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 2: I decided to just push hard for the new flooring. 27 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 2: Yet my husband insisted that we wait. We don't know 28 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: if we might end up paying taxes this year. He said, 29 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 2: so let's wait until after April. But we have the 30 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 2: money in savings. I countered, and you'd love it. My 31 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 2: daughter chimed in, yet my husband was insistent. I'm just 32 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: not feeling at peace about it. He said, please wait 33 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 2: and trust me on this. I was so convinced we 34 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: should have that flooring. I whined about it to God 35 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:14,920 Speaker 2: in prayer the next morning. 36 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: It was very clear what. 37 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 2: God was saying to my heart during my prayer time. 38 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 2: Listen to your husband follow his lead. I didn't bother 39 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 2: arguing with God. He usually won't budge on things, so 40 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 2: I waited it out and forgot about the flooring until 41 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 2: a few months later, when we discovered wet carpet from 42 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: a slab leak underneath our kitchen floor and entryway. The 43 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 2: insurance company was called Dryers were put in our living 44 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 2: room to dry out the floors and help mitigate what 45 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 2: they hoped wouldn't turn into mold. Then contractors came and 46 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 2: re routed our water lines from the ground to within 47 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 2: the walls of our condo. The place was an absolute mess, 48 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: but part of the remodel included not only replacing the 49 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 2: carpet in the living room and entryway and up the stairs, 50 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 2: but the option to include flooring instead at less of 51 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 2: a cost than the carpet, leaving excess funds to replace 52 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 2: our countertops, which had to be redone after a tile 53 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 2: broke when the contractors were repairing the lower cupboards underneath 54 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 2: the countertops. Over the next few months, we ended up 55 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 2: with all new wood flooring downstairs and beautiful new granite countertops, 56 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: plus a kitchen repaint at practically no expense to us. 57 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 2: Had I rushed ahead and not waited on my husband 58 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 2: and God for that wood flooring, we would have paid 59 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 2: a few thousand dollars for it, only to have it 60 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 2: all ripped up a month later and reinstalled again after 61 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 2: the leak. By waiting when my husband said, let's wait, 62 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 2: and listening to God when he said, listen to your husband. 63 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 2: We didn't pay anything except a small deductible for what 64 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: turned out to be a fifteen thousand dollars downstairs remodel 65 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 2: in our home. Intersecting faith and life, how many times 66 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 2: might God have something far better for us than what 67 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 2: was on our own wish list and timeline. Trust Him 68 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 2: for what he wants to do in your life, in 69 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 2: his way and in his time. Trust him in the 70 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 2: messes like slab leaks and reconstruction and water damage repair. 71 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: He has a way of restoring and bringing beauty out 72 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 2: of the chaos, And like Matthew seven eleven says, he 73 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 2: loves to give gifts to his children who not only 74 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 2: ask him but wait upon him. Thank you, Lord, that 75 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 2: you can accomplish far more when I pray about a 76 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 2: situation and wait upon you than I can when I 77 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,239 Speaker 2: argue or try to work things out for myself. Lord, 78 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 2: you always know best, and I truly want your best, 79 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 2: not my idea of what's best. Teach me to wait 80 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 2: upon your plan and your timing. In Jesus' name, I 81 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 2: pray Amen. For further reading, see Psalm eighty four eleven 82 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: for daily help and inspiration to wait upon God. See 83 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 2: my newest book, The New Loneliness Devotional, Fifty Days to 84 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 2: a Closer Connection with God. 85 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 86 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 87 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow 88 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get 89 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 1: a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your 90 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 1: days begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to 91 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: grow in prayer or start your day with your heart 92 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 1: focused on the right things, search for your daily prayer 93 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: in your favorite podcast app and be sure to follow 94 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: the show so you get a new prayer delivered straight 95 00:05:55,360 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: to you each morning.