1 00:00:02,650 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: Life Audio Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We are so 2 00:00:13,020 --> 00:00:16,660 Speaker 1: glad to have you listening. I'm Michelle LeZuric. Today's topic 3 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,850 Speaker 1: is Abide in Him. We'll be back after a word 4 00:00:19,870 --> 00:00:35,580 Speaker 1: from our sponsor. Abide in Him. Written and read by 5 00:00:35,620 --> 00:00:39,260 Speaker 1: Michelle S. Lazarek. Remain in me as I also remain 6 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,059 Speaker 1: in you. Apart from me, you can do nothing. John 15, 7 00:00:43,060 --> 00:00:46,699 Speaker 1: verses 4-5. This past year I went through a season 8 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,420 Speaker 1: of nothing but trials and difficult circumstances, which left me 9 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: overwhelmed as new situations hit me every week. Although I 10 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: wish I could say that was the only time in 11 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: my life I felt overwhelmed, it was just one of many. 12 00:00:57,220 --> 00:01:00,730 Speaker 1: As someone who struggles to live in the present, it 13 00:01:00,740 --> 00:01:04,190 Speaker 1: is especially difficult not to worry about the future. As 14 00:01:04,230 --> 00:01:06,130 Speaker 1: I thought about all the difficult things I had to face, 15 00:01:06,470 --> 00:01:09,590 Speaker 1: a myriad of thoughts ran through my mind. What if 16 00:01:09,630 --> 00:01:12,610 Speaker 1: I can't cope with life? What if an additional bad 17 00:01:12,650 --> 00:01:16,110 Speaker 1: consequence comes my way? What if there's a situation that 18 00:01:16,130 --> 00:01:19,730 Speaker 1: I can't handle? These roaming thoughts caused a physical reaction 19 00:01:19,750 --> 00:01:22,330 Speaker 1: in my body. My hands shook when I awoke in 20 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: the morning. My heart beat fast and often went through 21 00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:29,420 Speaker 1: the day with nausea and headaches. My physical body manifested 22 00:01:29,459 --> 00:01:32,150 Speaker 1: the inner turmoil I wrestled with in my mind. As 23 00:01:32,209 --> 00:01:34,050 Speaker 1: I brought these circumstances to the Lord and poured out 24 00:01:34,069 --> 00:01:36,949 Speaker 1: my feelings to him, I felt God speak to my soul. 25 00:01:38,130 --> 00:01:39,789 Speaker 1: Then I saw a picture of my mind of Jesus 26 00:01:39,910 --> 00:01:42,530 Speaker 1: walking ahead of me. Jesus spoke two words to me 27 00:01:42,569 --> 00:01:46,990 Speaker 1: and then began walking. Follow me. In that moment, I 28 00:01:47,050 --> 00:01:48,430 Speaker 1: let go of all the things in the future that 29 00:01:48,450 --> 00:01:52,650 Speaker 1: worried me. Instead, I focused on my current circumstances. I 30 00:01:52,670 --> 00:01:54,590 Speaker 1: didn't think about tomorrow and what other things might come 31 00:01:54,610 --> 00:01:58,010 Speaker 1: my way. Instead, I allowed Jesus to order my steps. 32 00:01:59,020 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: I felt that if I followed Jesus and took it 33 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: day by day, I could get through every situation that 34 00:02:02,900 --> 00:02:07,180 Speaker 1: plagued my mind. The same two words he told me 35 00:02:07,700 --> 00:02:10,620 Speaker 1: are the same two words he gave his disciples. In 36 00:02:10,660 --> 00:02:13,810 Speaker 1: that moment, his disciples had a choice, continue living in 37 00:02:13,850 --> 00:02:16,770 Speaker 1: their old life of comfort and predictability, or drop their 38 00:02:16,790 --> 00:02:18,769 Speaker 1: nets and follow him into a life of complete unknown. 39 00:02:20,030 --> 00:02:22,169 Speaker 1: The disciples dropped their nets and at once followed Jesus. 40 00:02:22,190 --> 00:02:25,630 Speaker 1: Because of their faith, God used them to do extraordinary 41 00:02:25,690 --> 00:02:29,020 Speaker 1: things for the kingdom. Additionally, I tried to think about 42 00:02:29,060 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: heavenly things. Rather than earthly things, I thought about what 43 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: heaven would be like and envisioned Jesus on his throne 44 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: alongside his Father. When I dwelled on those thoughts rather 45 00:02:38,870 --> 00:02:42,389 Speaker 1: than my problems, my body stopped shaking, my heart stopped 46 00:02:42,410 --> 00:02:46,570 Speaker 1: beating fast, and the nausea subsided. This is a great 47 00:02:46,590 --> 00:02:48,650 Speaker 1: practice for any of us who struggle with anxiety or 48 00:02:48,669 --> 00:02:51,810 Speaker 1: feeling overwhelmed. Ask Jesus what he wants you to do 49 00:02:51,870 --> 00:02:55,190 Speaker 1: for that day and that day only. Don't worry about tomorrow, 50 00:02:55,370 --> 00:02:57,839 Speaker 1: next week, or next month. Don't worry about the things 51 00:02:57,860 --> 00:03:01,100 Speaker 1: you cannot control today. As I practiced abiding in Christ, 52 00:03:01,460 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: letting Him order my steps, life felt less overwhelming. I 53 00:03:05,300 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: was able to tackle many situations, and my emotional state 54 00:03:08,380 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: of anxiety was quickly replaced with peace. Do you wish 55 00:03:12,020 --> 00:03:14,220 Speaker 1: you could live in a constant state of abiding in Christ? 56 00:03:14,940 --> 00:03:16,399 Speaker 1: Do you wish you could live a life with more 57 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: freedom and less anxiety and fear about the future? Abiding 58 00:03:20,220 --> 00:03:22,660 Speaker 1: in Christ lets us do that. When we choose to 59 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,180 Speaker 1: give our every waking moment to Him, we can achieve 60 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,490 Speaker 1: the freedom from fear we desire because that's what God 61 00:03:27,530 --> 00:03:30,250 Speaker 1: wants for us. Believe it or not, when we live 62 00:03:30,290 --> 00:03:33,690 Speaker 1: in fear, that is not God's will for us. What 63 00:03:33,710 --> 00:03:35,350 Speaker 1: do you need to do to abide in Christ today? 64 00:03:36,470 --> 00:03:38,510 Speaker 1: If Jesus appeared to you today, what would you have 65 00:03:38,550 --> 00:03:41,809 Speaker 1: to let go of to follow him? What stops you 66 00:03:41,890 --> 00:03:44,650 Speaker 1: from doing that right now, even if God did not 67 00:03:44,770 --> 00:03:48,250 Speaker 1: ask you to let it go today? Abide in Jesus. 68 00:03:49,010 --> 00:03:52,290 Speaker 1: Let him order your daily steps. He will never lead 69 00:03:52,310 --> 00:03:55,890 Speaker 1: you astray. Lord, help us to walk and step with you, 70 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,060 Speaker 1: remind us that you already know the end of the story. 71 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: By choosing to live in the present, letting you order 72 00:04:02,090 --> 00:04:04,990 Speaker 1: our steps, we no longer need to worry about the future. 73 00:04:05,670 --> 00:04:08,830 Speaker 1: We accomplish the tasks you have for us, simply because 74 00:04:08,870 --> 00:04:12,930 Speaker 1: we are abiding in you. Amen. Intersecting faith and life, 75 00:04:13,510 --> 00:04:15,050 Speaker 1: do you live in a state of fear of the future? 76 00:04:15,810 --> 00:04:18,070 Speaker 1: How would forgetting your fear and following Christ change that? 77 00:04:19,130 --> 00:04:27,170 Speaker 1: Further reading, Philippians 3, verse 13. If you're looking to 78 00:04:27,190 --> 00:04:29,470 Speaker 1: grow in prayer or start your day with your heart 79 00:04:29,490 --> 00:04:31,450 Speaker 1: focused on the right things, search for Your Daily Prayer 80 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,700 Speaker 1: in your favorite podcast app and be sure to follow 81 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:58,550 Speaker 1: the show so you get a new prayer delivered straight 82 00:04:58,610 --> 00:05:00,010 Speaker 1: to you each morning.