The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

Genesis 16:8 reveals how God uses powerful questions to expose the hidden fears, wounds, and thought patterns shaping our lives. In this devotional, Jennifer Slattery reflects on God’s interaction with Hagar and shows how the Lord still asks believers today: “Where have you come from, and where are you going?” These questions are not rooted in condemnation, but in God’s loving desire to guide His children toward healing, wisdom, and peace.
Highlights
God’s questions often uncover hidden fears, wounds, and insecurities.
Genesis 16 shows God intentionally pursuing Hagar in her place of overwhelm.
Emotional reactions are often connected to unresolved pain from the past.
God invites believers to examine where they’ve come from and where they’re headed.
Obedience to God requires trusting His heart, even when the path feels difficult.
God’s guidance is rooted in love, provision, and long-term healing.
Reflecting honestly with God can lead to greater peace, wisdom, and emotional health.
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Full Transcript Below:
When God Asks Powerful Probing Questions
By: Jennifer Slattery
Bible Reading:
And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. (Genesis 16:8, NIV)
God’s questions have a way of piercing to the deepest places in our souls—where lies and insecurities often reside undetected.
When anxious and overwhelmed, I have a difficult time demonstrating the love and grace of Christ. Add enough challenges and frustrations to my day, and I can become irritable with the people I most love. But I can rarely, if ever, will myself to respond better. Relying on self-control might help momentarily, but eventually, the undealt with gunk in my soul bubbles out and onto those I hold dear.
That was how I behaved the night my husband and I checked into our VRBO to escape Nebraska’s bitterly cold winter. We make this journey each January, beginning with a long road trip during which we see as many grandkids as possible.
This is always a lovely… and exhausting endeavor that involves hours in our vehicle, standstill traffic, and clamoring in and out of numerous hotels (Our mini-golden doodle was not a fan and alerted us to this by barking all night at other guests roaming the halls. We have since learned that under no circumstances will we allow the hotel clerk to give us a room near the elevators!).
By the time we reached our destination, where we planned to remain all month, I felt frazzled, anxious, and struggling to untangle my brain’s swirling mess of have-tos and a series of new problems that felt insurmountable.
In short, I didn’t handle the situation well. More accurately, I behaved more like a temper tantrummy toddler without a nap, than the Spirit-empowered reflection of Christ to which I’m called.
Initially, this evoked latent shame. Had this occurred a few years ago, I might’ve stayed in that place of self-condemnation. That only would’ve added to my stress. But God is teaching me to go deeper—in myself, and with Him. To move past surface-level attempts at holiness to consider the roots of my reactions, He used today’s verse to do so.
The morning after my ungracious response to my very gracious husband, I sensed God’s whisper, “Where have you come from? Where are you going?”
He wasn’t asking about my present location. He wanted me to prayerfully consider how past experiences were impacting my present. What wounds distorted my perception and challenged my trust? What lies lurked in my subconscious and wreaked havoc on my present?
And, where was I going? First, where did I want to go? Did I want to stay stuck in dysregulated responses, or did I want to become healthier and holier? Did I want to follow God’s lead moment by moment and day by day, in my times of overwhelm, included?
These questions evoked others, such as, do I trust the direction in which God is leading me enough to follow?
Finally, I sensed Him inviting me to consider where He’s taking me, and this is something He’s been reiterating to me for some time. Often, when obedience feels difficult, He reminds me of His heart and plans for me and those I love. This helps steady me by assuring me that He remains faithfully in control, regardless of how out of control I might feel in that moment.
The Lord spoke a similar message to an Egyptian slave named Hagar. If you’re familiar with Old Testament history, you might know her story. Scholars suggest she might’ve been part of the “gifts” given to Abram by the Pharaoh in Genesis 12. This alone must have felt traumatic—to be treated as property, torn from her homeland, and forced to live in servitude with a clan she knew little about.
Then, around a decade later, she experienced an abuse that must’ve cut deep into her soul. Sarai gave her to Abram, Sarai’s husband, to impregnate. You can imagine how traumatic this must’ve been, and the bitterness and fear that might’ve invaded her soul.
Once she conceived, the tension between her and Sarai became so intense that Hagar fled. Perhaps she intended to return to Egypt. Maybe she simply reacted out of fear and overwhelm, triggering a flight response. Regardless, she soon found herself pregnant, vulnerable, and defenseless in the wilderness.
There, beneath the intense Middle Eastern sun, she might’ve died, if not for “the Angel of the Lord”, who many scholars believe was pre-incarnate Jesus.
According to Genesis 16:7, He found her—I love that phrasing, as it implies that He intentionally went looking for her. He found her near a spring in the desert beside the road to Shur.
And He asked her the same two questions He asked me: Where have you come from and where are you going.”
I read this as an invitation for a holy pause. An opportunity for her to re-engage rational thinking and consider where her panicked reaction led her. And where are you going, as in, “Is this the direction you really want to head? Further into the wilderness, to raise your baby alone?”
I must acknowledge that this account feels uncomfortable. I don’t like to think that the Lord told her to return to the place in which she’d been abused. But I also see how this was an act of care, love, and provision. By His grace, He brought Hagar back under His covenantal blessing and allowed her to raise her son with direct access to his father, who came to love him deeply. Then, when that child became older, He released him and his mother, again, with His blessing.
Intersecting Life & Faith:
Unprocessed wounds, fear, and catastrophic thinking can lead to self-sabotaging decisions. When experiencing pain and injustice, often, all we want is relief. But what happens when our desire for relief leads us to greater danger?
Thankfully, God meets in our place of overwhelm and invites us to consider where we’ve come from and where we’re going. The more we learn to do so, the greater our peace and the less our shame and regret. And eventually, standing on the other side of obedience, we recognize that God truly knows best. His love was leading the entire time.
Further Reading:
Genesis 3:9-10
1 Kings 19:3-15
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Ephesians 3:12 reminds believers that through Jesus Christ, we have direct and confident access to God’s presence. This devotional by Whitney Hopler highlights the incredible truth that prayer is not reserved for the spiritually elite or those who “have it all together.” Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, every Christian has VIP access to God anytime, anywhere.
Highlights
Ephesians 3:12 teaches that believers can approach God boldly through faith in Christ.
God’s presence is always available because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Prayer is based on God’s grace, not personal performance or perfection.
God invites believers to come honestly with fears, doubts, frustrations, and gratitude.
Christians are not distant from God—they are His beloved children.
Seeing God as a loving Father changes the way we pray and relate to Him.
God listens attentively and desires authentic relationship with His people.
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Full Transcript Below:
You Have VIP Access to God
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” – Ephesians 3:12, NLT
When I was a newspaper reporter, my press credentials usually got me access to people at events that the general public couldn’t access. I often found myself in the “VIP section” of whatever event I was covering, so I could talk to the leaders freely. I felt confident that I didn’t have to worry about how I’d contact the people I needed to talk to for each story I wrote. Many times, people wanted to talk with me so much that they pursued me and made themselves available for conversations whenever it worked best for me during the events, despite all of their other responsibilities there. So, I certainly felt like a “very important person” in the VIP sections there.
It’s even more incredible that my Creator – God – gives me VIP access to talk with him anytime and anywhere. God does the same for you!
God is the ultimate leader. No one has more responsibilities than God, or is busier than God is. But God is willing to pursue us and make himself available for us to talk with whenever and wherever we are. Of course, God isn’t motivated by wanting publicity. God’s motivation is simply that he loves us so much that he wants to communicate with us often.
Ephesians 3:12 tells you that because of Christ and your faith in him, you have VIP access to God. Not limited or occasional access, but full access! You can come boldly and confidently into God’s presence right now. You don’t have to wait until you feel more faithful or until you try to clean up a mess in your life. You don’t need to impress God or beg him to let you come to him. Your invitation to access and enjoy God’s presence is Jesus himself. Because of what Jesus has done to pay for your sins and connect you with a holy God, the door is already open, and you’re always welcome to walk through it.
Still, you might hesitate to pray because you feel unworthy, distracted, or unsure if God will really hear your prayers and answer them. Maybe you think God is disappointed in you, or that God is too busy dealing with bigger problems to be bothered with your concerns. But Ephesians 3:12 makes it clear that confidence in God’s presence is not about you – it’s about Jesus, who has already opened the door for you to fully access God.
VIP access gives you the confidence of knowing you belong in God’s presence. When you trust what God promises you in this verse, you can come to him boldly. God invited you to enjoy VIP access because you’re truly a very important person. You’re one of God’s beloved children, connected to him by Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice as the world’s Savior.
You don’t have to hide from God, and you don’t have to perform for God, either. You can come to God just as you are, communicate with God honestly, and enjoy God’s unconditional love for you. God is there for you in the middle of everything you go through in this fallen world. You can ask God your questions, seek God’s strength as you deal with your weaknesses, and share all your thoughts and emotions – even the most difficult ones – with God. When you come to God honestly, he is pleased because he wants to see you respond to his grace and connect with you authentically.
VIP access to God changes how you pray. You don’t have to try to clean up your life first. You can talk to God about your fears, your frustrations, and your doubts, as well as your hopes and your gratitude. You have the freedom to pray in whatever ways work best for you. God isn’t grading your prayer; he’s welcoming you into a closer relationship every time you communicate with him.
It also changes how you see God. Instead of seeing God as a distant authority figure, you can see that God is your loving Heavenly Father. Instead of wondering if God’s listening to your prayers at all, you can trust that he’s listening carefully.
So today, remind yourself that through Jesus, you have VIP access to God. The door is open for you to walk through. Come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. God is ready to meet you anytime and anywhere, just as you are!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider the blessing of having VIP access to God, reflect on these questions:
Do you currently approach God with the confidence of a VIP, or do you feel like you’re still waiting for permission to enter God’s presence?
What’s one fear or mistake that makes you feel unworthy of God’s attention right now? How can you let that go and come to God anyway?
How does knowing that God is never too distant or busy for you change how you plan to communicate with God from now on?
Further Reading:
Hebrews 4:16
Romans 5:1-2
1 John 5:14
James 4:8
Psalm 145:18
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What does it really mean to crucify the flesh and follow Jesus daily? Romans 8:13 reminds believers that true spiritual life comes through surrendering sinful desires and living by the power of the Holy Spirit. In this devotional, Hannah Benson explores the biblical meaning of “taking up your cross,” showing how God leads us into deeper peace, freedom, and abundant life through daily surrender.
Highlights
Romans 8:13 teaches that living by the Spirit requires putting sinful desires to death.
Jesus modeled surrender in Gethsemane by choosing the Father’s will over His own.
Carrying your cross means daily surrendering control, pride, and self-centered desires.
Honest prayer and dependence on God are essential in seasons of struggle.
Abundant life is found in God’s presence, not in comfortable circumstances.
God often asks us to release things we tightly cling to so He can fill us with peace.
The Holy Spirit gives believers strength to walk in obedience and freedom.
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Full Transcript Below:
What Does Crucifying the Flesh Really Mean?
By Hannah Benson
Bible Reading:
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13 ESV).
What a way to start a devotional. Aren’t devotionals supposed to be uplifting and encouraging?
Yes.
Aren’t they also supposed to be challenging?
Yes.
What does this verse mean?
Jesus tells us in the Gospels to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23), but what does that actually mean? Most of us don’t have a physical cross we’re called to bear.
Jesus’s cross was by no means easy for Him to carry, even though He is the Son of God.
He had to humble Himself, even to the point of death. Death by a cross was not only humiliating but the most excruciating death imaginable in those days. Matthew 26:39 (ESV) says: “And going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’”
Yes, Jesus wanted to save humanity and was willing to endure death on a cross if it was the only way. But Gethsemane shows us that as a man, if there had been any other way to accomplish the mission without the agony of the cross, He would have taken it. He chose the nails because there was no other way to save us.
Matthew writes that His “soul was very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:38b). Luke 22:43, 44 (ESV) includes that as He prayed, “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Have you ever known anyone who has been so stressed or in such great agony that they sweat blood?
We can’t even begin to imagine how much Jesus loves us to not only die for us, but to endure the most unimaginable death possible.
If He bore the cross for us, can we not bear ours if He asks us?
But that doesn’t mean we are called to carry a literal cross.
So, what does it mean to “carry our cross” each day and to “put to death the deeds of the body”?
It starts with honesty, with ourselves and with God. Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, it’s okay to admit we wish there was another way. Like David in many of the Psalms (Psalm 13 is a great example of this), it’s okay to tell God we’re struggling with anger towards Him.
Second, we need to be willing to surrender. As Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39b). Job is another example. He had to surrender everything he didn’t understand, his desire for answers, and recognize that God was in complete control (Job 42:2-3). What about Paul? He begged God to remove the thorn from his flesh, but God responded: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Just as the angel came to strengthen Jesus, we must rely on God’s strength to help us. We cannot rely on our own strength to carry us through.
We may want to be angry, and maybe we even think we have a good reason for it. Our flesh will tell us we have a right to hold grudges, that we deserve what we want, and that we need to be the ones in control. Sound familiar?
News flash.
We were never meant to write the stories of our lives. We may think we want to hold the pen, but that is no way to live.
Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Abundant life comes through death and surrender. He tells us in Matthew 16:25 (ESV): “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Jesus wasn’t just talking about physical death here. As believers, we need to die daily to our wants, desires, and even the things that may be good. Anything we desire more than God needs to be put in its proper place in our lives.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Sometimes, dying to ourselves might mean sacrificing the very thing we hold dear, what we clench in our fists and refuse to yield. You know what I’m talking about?
There have been seasons in my life where the Lord allows something I’d considered good to be removed from my life. Sometimes it’s shocking, and it hurts. Okay, let me rephrase that. Usually, it always hurts.
We were never meant to hold the pen or be the director of our story. Only God can do that.
In Psalm 81:10 (ESV), God tells the Israelites: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
If we want to experience the abundant life Jesus has for us, then we need to “open our mouths.” If we cling to the past and what we think we want, then we don’t have hearts open to what the Lord has planned.
Don’t mistake the word “abundant” for “easy” or a life filled with material goods. The abundance Jesus promises isn’t found in our circumstances. If it were, Paul wouldn’t be able to write about overflowing joy while sitting in prison. While sometimes God does bless us circumstantially, the abundant life He promises us is found in His presence as we draw near to Him.
When God gently pries our fingers open, it’s not to leave us empty-handed. It’s to make room for His peace, which is our portion, and His presence, which fills us to overflowing.
We need to die to ourselves each and every day.
Romans 8:13 tells us that if we put these things to death, we will live. Not merely survive, but truly live.
Today, if you’re clenching your fists around something that God is asking you to yield, be honest. Tell Him you don’t want to let go. Tell Him it hurts. And then, by His strength, let it go. Whatever He asks you to surrender will pale in comparison to the abundant life He desires to give you.
Pray with me: Dear Father, I’ll be honest. I’m tired of trying to hold the pen. I admit that I’ve been clenching my fists around my plans, my timing, and my “good” things, afraid to let go. Thank You for the unimaginable way You love me and for Your death on the cross so I may live. Please give me the strength I don’t have on my own to put my self-will to death today. I open my hands and my heart to You. Fill the empty spaces with Your peace and help me to trust Your presence is my greatest good. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
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Honoring mothers is deeply connected to honoring God’s design, care, and provision for our lives. In 1 Timothy 2:15, Scripture highlights the sacred role of motherhood and reminds us that God values faith, love, holiness, and perseverance within it. In a culture that often minimizes motherhood or focuses only on parental imperfections, this devotional calls believers back to a biblical perspective of gratitude, forgiveness, and honor.
Highlights
God commands us to honor our fathers and mothers as an act of obedience.
Motherhood is a sacred calling established by God.
Many mothers carry hidden struggles while doing their best to raise their children.
Honoring mothers reflects our reverence and obedience toward God.
Forgiveness may be necessary in strained mother-child relationships.
Scripture emphasizes faith, love, holiness, and perseverance in motherhood.
Choosing honor over resentment brings healing and glorifies God.
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Full Transcript Below:
Honoring God by Honoring Our Mothers
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” - 1Timothy 2:15
It seems like these days many women are resisting the call to motherhood and forgoing having children. At the same time, bitterness towards mothers is also on the rise, with too many adult children resenting their mothers’ noble yet imperfect attempts at mothering, looking at their flaws and weaknesses more than their strengths and sacrifices.
But even if the world turns its back on mothers and motherhood, believers in Jesus Christ are called to embrace motherhood and honor their mothers, respecting God’s design and plan for motherhood, and the place of honor He has given them on earth.
God cares about how we treat, speak to, and speak about our mothers and mothers-in-law. It matters to Him because, as His family, it reflects on Him how we treat and speak about them.
As the Apostle Paul explained in Ephesians 6:2-3, “‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
So grave was it under Old Testament law to dishonor one’s mother and father that it brought deathly punishment. “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death” (Exodus 21:17).
Even if our mothers have totally failed us, God calls us to forgive them and to recognize the God-ordained sacredness of them carrying us to life in their own bodies. Author and speaker Joyce Meyers shares how her mother failed to protect her growing up from her father’s sexual abuse.
In many ways, she found it harder to forgive her mother than her father. Still, in her parents’ later years, God called Joyce to care for them, something she initially resisted.
But even for mothers who have totally failed us in life, God calls us to honor Him by honoring them, even if they don’t deserve it.
Most women begin motherhood with little to no experience, learning and growing as they go, starting out as greenhorns and discovering along the way how to handle the endless hours of motherhood’s tremendous responsibilities.
Too many women enter motherhood with unaddressed and often unknown issues in their own lives, revealing underlying weaknesses and issues they may have no real understanding of or skill to handle.
Because it is a trial-and-error sort of relationship, sadly, some mothers feel like failures long before their children grow up and point fingers at their mothering deficiencies.
Still, even in their weaknesses and failures, and regardless of their struggles and faults, mothers are treasured and loved by God. We are commanded to honor the position God has given them on the earth. As ons and daughters, God calls us to honor Him by honoring our mothers.
Doing so is an act of obedience and glorifies God.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Are you honoring your mother this year? What about your mother-in-law? If you’re finding it difficult to do so for various reasons, ask God to help you honor Him by honoring them this Mother’s Day. As well, if you’ve disrespected them in the past, ask for their forgiveness so you can begin anew in your relationship with them.
Further Reading:
29 Beautiful Bible Verses About Mothers that Will Honor Mothers in Your Life
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Serving others in the middle of everyday exhaustion reflects the heart of Christ more than many weary moms realize. In The Gospel of Mark 9:35-37, Jesus redefines greatness by calling His followers to become servants of all and by welcoming children with love and honor. For overwhelmed mothers juggling homeschooling, deadlines, laundry, meals, and nonstop interruptions, this passage offers deep encouragement: caring for children is holy work that matters deeply to God.
Highlights
The Gospel of Mark 9:35-37 reveals that true greatness in God’s Kingdom is found in serving others.
Motherhood is not separate from serving Jesus—it is one of the ways believers worship Him daily.
Welcoming and loving children reflects Christ’s heart and honors God.
God’s grace sustains moms through exhaustion, overwhelm, and constant responsibilities.
Everyday moments with children create opportunities to share the Gospel naturally.
Jesus sees the hidden sacrifices and faithful service of weary mothers.
Choosing gratitude over complaint helps realign focus during difficult seasons.
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Full Transcript Below:
Encouragement for the Weary Mom
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
“And He [Jesus] sat down and called the Twelve [disciples], and He said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all.’ And He took a little child and put him in the center of their group; and taking him in [His] arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever in My name and for My sake accepts and receives and welcomes one such child also accepts and receives and welcomes Me; and whoever so receives Me receives not only Me but Him Who sent Me’” (Mark 9:35-37, AMP).
As a mom of four boys, my “quiet time” is not really quiet: it’s full of tiny distractions and interruptions from these little ones. Nap times are quite short, and to-do lists are quite long. My days seem to go by in the blink of an eye, and I’m often left exhausted, only getting the chance to pray “Help me, Lord” in between homeschooling, my writing deadlines, continuous snack requests, laundry loads, and diaper “loads.” Knowing very well that this season in life won’t last forever, I have learned to cast my cares upon the Lord and soak up the few moments I can in the word of God, because it is what I need to realign my focus when I’m tempted to complain. I know that His grace is sufficient, but it is easy for my heart to become overwhelmed.
The other day, a passage in Mark 9 met this momma right among the blissful chaos with encouragement:
“And He [Jesus] sat down and called the Twelve [disciples], and He said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all.’ And He took a little child and put him in the center of their group; and taking him in [His] arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever in My name and for My sake accepts and receives and welcomes one such child also accepts and receives and welcomes Me; and whoever so receives Me receives not only Me but Him Who sent Me’” (35-37, AMP).
Intersecting Faith & Life:
By putting my sons and my role as a mom and wife above my desires and my life’s goals, I have been serving Jesus this whole time! And if serving Jesus, worshiping Jesus!
And if that wasn’t uplifting enough, Jesus calls out our service to children specifically in verses 36-37. When we welcome our children into our lives and make them feel loved and accepted every day, we are also welcoming them in the name of the Lord Jesus every day. Jesus compares being the servant of all, a high position in the Kingdom of God, to those who welcome children into their lives. What an honor!
So to all my tired and overwhelmed mommas out there, take heart! Every time you embrace your child and serve your family, you are embracing Jesus and, even more so, your Heavenly Father, who is not going to leave you to raise your children alone!
Let us welcome Him into our blissful chaos as we raise up our children to trust in Him and receive His love into their lives so that they may point others to Him and His Kingdom. Instead of becoming overwhelmed and stressed out, let us look for opportunities to praise God and give thanks that He would give us the privilege of embracing little ones every day. May we have eyes to see opportunities to share the Gospel with our children in everyday moments. God’s grace is available to us to give us the strength when we are feeling overwhelmed and weary. Let us be fervent in laying our lives down for the Lord in all that we say and in everything we do… laundry loads and all.
Further Reading:
Matthew 18:1-4
Philippians 2:3-7
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