The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

In a world that often feels uncertain and overwhelming, it's easy to lose sight of the hope we have in Christ. But no matter the trials or struggles we face, our hope in God is steadfast and unshakable. This hope is not based on circumstances, but on His unchanging love and faithfulness. When we anchor our hearts in His promises, we can take joy, knowing that He is working all things together for our good. Our hope in God is the source of true joy, a joy that transcends our circumstances and strengthens us in every season. Join the Conversation:How has your hope in God brought you joy, even in difficult times? Share your story with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—What Scriptures or moments have reminded you to rejoice in the hope we have in Christ? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/  Full Transcript Below: Take Joy in Your Hope in God  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12 2021 turned out to be a challenging year. My husband and I suffered through many difficulties: financial strain, health issues, and relational conflict. First, a litany of bills and repairs taxed our bank account. Then, I went through a health challenge that impacted my ability to work and forced me to take some time off to rest. Then, conflict with my husband’s job brought a looming black cloud into our home. No matter how hard we tried, the trials kept coming. It was quickly becoming too much to bear.  One day, during my prayer time, I cried out to God: Why are you doing this to me? Don't you care about me? Can't anything be easy? Although the tribulations kept coming, I noticed something: my reaction to them changed. I no longer came home complaining about how terrible my day ended. Instead, I went to the Lord. I journaled my feelings and read the bible more often. Soon, the Lord's love expressed through the Bible changed my heart. I read about the mercy and grace of Jesus. I saw him express His love to others in each book. I was inspired to become more like a disciple than a Pharisee.  As I read, I realized I was more like a Pharisee than I thought. I found that I complained rather than was grateful, and I didn’t believe that Jesus was who He said He was. But as God changed my heart, I began to feel God could turn things around. I started to see trials as a good thing rather than a bad thing. Soon, I looked forward to having my time with God. Eventually, the trials subsided, and my circumstances got a little easier. But the suffering brought me closer to God in prayer than I'd ever been.  Trials that I thought were a punishment were really a blessing in disguise. When we had financial concerns, my friends helped us. When I faced the health challenge, I had my church uphold me in prayer. When conflict arose, we used the best conflict resolution skills possible and resolved it as best we could.  Although I don’t want to go through those trials again, God didn’t waste my pain during those times. God used it to make me more grateful. I turned my tears into gratitude, transforming my thoughts and, ultimately, my heart. He drew me closer to him and improved my prayer life. I heard his voice when I listened as well. My relationship with God deepened like never before. Sometimes, the worst things in life turn out to be the best things after all.  Advent is a season of expectation and anticipation. While the people expected the Savior to be a king who would take away all their suffering, our king emerged in the most unusual circumstances. Jesus was far from what they expected their king to look like. What they thought they wanted turned out to be not what they expected. Life is like that sometimes.  Life may look far from what you expected it to be. You may feel disillusioned or jaded with how life has turned out. You may be complaining or confused as to what God is doing. If this is you, take joy in your hope in God. Come to God faithfully in prayer. Let Him turn your mourning into gratitude. Be grateful for what God has already done. Let God turn even the most challenging situation around for your good.  Count your blessings. Be content in this season of life. Take joy in the life God has given you. Be patient in your trials. Place your hope in God. Praise God for what he already has given. Put your hope into turning around even the most challenging situation. He always changes things around for our good and His glory.  Father, help us to be joyful as we hope in you. Rejoice in knowing that even when life looks far from what we think it should be or if we're dealing with relentless trials, we can still delight in having hope in you. Amen. Intersecting Faith and Life In what ways can you exude patience, unconditional love or joy to others today? Further reading Philippians 4:13 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the midst of life's struggles and uncertain seasons, we often find ourselves feeling lost, weary, and alone. But even in the wilderness, God speaks tenderly to our hearts. His words bring comfort, hope, and reassurance when we need them most. Just as He spoke to His people in the desert, offering encouragement and guidance, God continues to speak words of love and promise to us today. His gentle whispers remind us that we are never truly alone, and His presence is a refuge in every storm.  Join the Conversation:Have you experienced God’s tender words in your own wilderness moments? Share your story with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—What Scriptures or prayers have brought you peace and hope during difficult times? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/  Full Transcript Below: Tender Words in the Wilderness  by Deidre Braley  Hosea 2:14: Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.  In the book of Hosea, the Lord rebukes Israel for her idolatry—namely for chasing after other gods and forgetting her first love, and for forgetting that it was God who gave her every good thing she’d ever had. Her worship had been misplaced: she’d mistaken the worldly things around her as the source of goodness.  God says, “She does not recognize that it is I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil. I lavished gold and silver on her, which they used for Baal” (Hosea 2:8). As a consequence, he proclaims that he will take these gifts away, listing them one by one to show how forsaken Israel will be without her God. “I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the Lord” (Hosea 2:13).  As the shadows grow long on this year, I can’t help but reflect on all the Baals I’ve worshiped these past months, all the worldly things I’ve wandered towards, misunderstanding them to be the source of the riches and joys that I have and that I want. And yet even as I’ve gotten my fingers around them, they’ve turnt and spoiled. Like a carton of milk that is fine one day and sour the next, I am holding something that I once thought was good, but now know will make me sick if I consume it.  What a terrible and frightening thing, to be left bowing and offering sacrifices to the fickle whims of man or chance. Here in the desert place, I repent of the lovers I’ve gone after this year, panting after praise or acclaim or worth or self. I long for my first love, here where I hold what I thought I wanted, only to discover it’s worth nothing at all without my Lord.  I imagine this is how Israel felt, too—and perhaps there was no other way for them or for me to realize that we don’t like to be in the hands of that which never loved us nor provided for us. We have to experience the full and crushing weight of life without God before we can know that this is our worst fear—and our greatest heartache.  But, hallelujah, God doesn’t leave us here. In Hosea, we see God’s mercy toward his people when he says, “Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her” (Hosea 2:14). He allows us to come to a place without him to understand that we were always meant to be with him, but then he doesn’t shake us or yell at us or slap us back into submission—no, it’s quite the opposite. He leads us into solitary places where he can speak softly and tenderly to us, loving us as we’ve always longed to be loved until we remember that he is the Source and the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).  Intersecting Faith & Life  In this season of Advent, as we await the coming Christ, let’s each take an honest look at the Baals which we’ve worshiped and followed after this year—whether that’s the praise of man or financial gain or inflation of ego or the comfort of any substance. Let’s acknowledge the ways we’ve placed them before the Lord and then repent, turning around and allowing ourselves to be led back into the wilderness by our first love, by the One True Living God who is waiting to speak tenderly to us, to wash us in his mercy and grace.  In this season of Advent, let us return to the Source and let him press balm to our tired and wounded spirits. Let’s come to rest in the security of his hand, allowing it to cup us and protect us from this world we thought we wanted.  Further Reading  ● Hosea (the entire book)  ● Isaiah 1  ● Acts 3:19 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It's never easy when others criticize, belittle, or misunderstand us. Yet, as followers of Christ, we are reminded that our worth isn't determined by the opinions of others, but by God's love and purpose for us. In times when people put us down, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus, too, was despised and rejected, yet He overcame it all. Through Him, we find our true identity, our strength, and our value. Remember, God's truth about you is far greater than any negative words spoken by others. Join the Conversation:How have you found strength and healing when others have put you down? Share your story with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—In what ways has God’s love helped you rise above hurtful words or criticism? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/  Full Transcript Below: When People Put You Down By Kelly Balarie ““Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10 NIV Every time I spoke, the woman would in one way or another slight me, saying things like: “I told you this already…” “You should know that…” “No, that’s not what you should do; you should ____.” The frown on her face said it all. Not knowing how to fully connect with her, I decided to engage in small talk. Maybe that would lighten her up.  “It’s such a cool morning.” I pronounced. She snapped back, “I’m not focused on that at all; I am focused on getting to my destination on time.” Okay, I thought, I’d better just keep my mouth shut.  So, I did. All the same, while we quietly walked together, I wondered, is it me? Am I the problem? Does she not like me? Possibly. Not everyone will like me. She very well may not like my talkative personality. Or, my loud laugh. Or, my chipper attitude as it pertains to life. Yet, I am not responsible to make her like me, I am responsible to serve Jesus.  ““Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10 NIV) If I let what she thinks about me, define me, suddenly I serve the purpose of convincing her that I am likeable, wonderful, and worthy. In a sense, serving her only serves me and my ego. Getting my value from man can easily get me off-track with the Lord. I cannot afford to serve man more than my Master. Upon coming to this realization, I see this woman’s issue with me is her issue; it does not belong to me. My concern is to walk in love and not judgement, forgiveness and not bitterness. I haven’t walked a day in her shoes. What do I know about all her problems? What do I know about how to fix her? What can I do to ever please her?With all this settled in my heart, I realize that I must exert one of the most incredible superpowers I have in Christ Jesus, forgiveness. I choose to forgive her time and time again. She gives me a face – forgive. She responds irritably – forgive. She tells me that I should have known something – forgive. She responds with a contrarian opinion – forgive. I am not powerless; I am powerful when I, by the grace of God, forgive much like Jesus forgave me. Forgiveness is a superpower for those willing to get over themselves in order to love like Jesus. I can’t say I always do it right, either. Sometimes, I lash out or criticize people in my mind. After, I feel upset with myself about how I acted. Have you ever noticed the hardest one to forgive – can often be ourselves?  Forgiveness is not solely given; it is often received. After we tell Jesus we are sorry, we can receive His love and grace and let go of all we hold against ourselves. For instance, I had to ask Jesus to forgive me for judging this woman. But, after that, by His grace, I received the free gift of a slate wiped-clean.  I am wholly loved and clean in Jesus’ eyes thanks to what He did on the cross. So are you, too, when you come to Jesus this way. Intersecting Faith & Life: Who is annoying you? What would it look like for you to walk in constant forgiveness? How might you be holding anger towards yourself? Take a second to write down on a piece of paper everyone you are angry at, annoyed with or accusing in your mind. After writing that list, take a second to forgive each person. Perhaps, after completing that list, ask God to forgive you for whatever you have done, such as judging or gossiping.  Then, receive His grace and forgiveness that makes you white as snow. Kelly uplifts believers with boosts of faith; find encouragement by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, creator of the “Hear God’s Voice” podcast, is also a blogger, national speaker, and author of Take Every Thought Captive, Rest Now, Battle Ready, and Fear Fighting. Kelly, a real cheerleader of faith, loves seeing the power of prayer in live action. She loves seeing the look on people’s faces when they realize –God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and Today’s Christian Woman.  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God never intended for us to walk through life alone. In times of joy and in moments of struggle, having friends by our side brings strength, encouragement, and a glimpse of God's love. Through friendship, we experience the warmth of companionship, the wisdom of shared faith, and the reminder that God’s presence shines brighter when we come together. Life truly is richer, fuller, and more meaningful when we walk it with friends who point us to Christ. Join the Conversation:We’d love to hear how the friendships in your life have made a difference. Share your stories with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—What role do your friends play in helping you grow in faith and walk in God’s light? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

it’s crucial to remember the powerful truth: Light is greater than darkness. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12), and through His light, we are given hope, guidance, and victory over the darkness we face. This Advent season, no matter how dark your circumstances may seem, God’s light shines brighter. Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear how praising God has helped you in your own challenges. Share your experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—What areas of your life or the world around you feel dark right now? How can you invite God’s light to shine into those areas? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This episode encourages us to embrace the uncertainty, knowing that God is always with us, guiding us, and working all things for our good. No matter what the future holds, we can trust that He is in control and that we are never alone in the unknown.  Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear how praising God has helped you in your own challenges. Share your experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—Share a verse or story that has helped you find peace in the midst of uncertainty. SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In today’s fast-paced, always-connected world, it’s easy to become distracted, overwhelmed, and disconnected from what truly matters. In this episode, we’ll reflect on how we can keep our eyes on God in a world that demands our attention at every turn. Through Scripture, we’ll explore the importance of setting aside time for quiet reflection, prayer, and meditation on God’s Word. Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear how praising God has helped you in your own challenges. Share your experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—Share a practice or habit that helps you keep your focus on God in a fast-paced world.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Hospitality is more than just opening our homes to others; it’s about opening our hearts with unconditional love, kindness, and grace. In this episode, we explore the biblical call to show hospitality, not just to those who can repay us or those we are comfortable with, but to everyone, as Jesus did. From welcoming strangers to serving the least of these, the Bible teaches that hospitality is a powerful way to reflect God's love to the world. Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear how praising God has helped you in your own challenges. Share your experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—How has someone shown you the gift of unconditional hospitality, and what impact did it have on you? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

explore the importance of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the ultimate example of faithfulness and perseverance. Just as an athlete trains for the race ahead, we too are called to prepare ourselves spiritually—through prayer, the Word, and relying on God's strength. Though the race can be difficult, Paul reminds us that we are not running alone; God equips us to finish well and receive the prize He has promised (2 Timothy 4:7-8) Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear how praising God has helped you in your own challenges. Share your experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—What “race” are you currently running in your life, and what keeps you motivated to press forward? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God is always with us. In this episode, we reflect on the powerful promise that God’s presence is not bound by time, space, or circumstance. Whether you're on a mountaintop or walking through a valley, God is right there with you. We’ll explore stories from Scripture, like the journey of Jacob, who encountered God in the wilderness (Genesis 28:15), and how God reassured His people in Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you.” Join the Conversation: We’d love to hear how praising God has helped you in your own challenges. Share your experiences with us on social media @LifeaudioPodcasting or via email—Can you think of a time when you felt God's presence in a place or situation where you least expected it? SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.