The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

Have you ever felt anxious without knowing why? In today's Crosswalk Devotional, we explore Psalm 139:23-24 and discover that God knows our hearts more deeply than we know ourselves. When hidden fears, unprocessed pain, or subconscious burdens fuel our anxiety, the Lord gently invites us to bring everything into His healing presence.
God never searches our hearts to condemn us but to restore us. Through His grace, He reveals the places where fear, lies, or unresolved wounds keep us from experiencing His peace. As we invite Him to search our hearts, He faithfully leads us toward greater freedom, deeper trust, and the abundant life He desires for His children.
Highlights:
Discover how Psalm 139 reminds us that God knows every thought, fear, and hidden burden we carry.
Learn why inviting God to search your heart is a powerful step toward healing and lasting peace.
Be encouraged that God reveals our struggles to restore us—not to shame or condemn us.
Understand how unresolved pain and hidden beliefs can contribute to anxiety beneath the surface.
Find hope in God's promise to lead you away from fear and into His everlasting peace.
Rest in the assurance that God's grace is greater than every anxious thought you face.
Join the Conversation
Have you ever experienced anxiety that seemed difficult to explain? How has inviting God to search your heart helped you find peace or healing? We'd love to hear your story in the comments.
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
When You Don’t Know Why You’re Anxious
By Jennifer Slattery
Bible Reading:
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV).
I’ve experienced chronic anxiety for as long as I can remember. Until about five years ago, I assumed this was mostly biological, with a few uncomfortable scenarios sprinkled in. And while there may have been some truth to that, I’ve since learned a lot more occurred beneath the surface than I realized.
That was a problem, because it’s hard to manage something with roots below conscious awareness. But one day, as I read Psalm 139, a thought hit. The lord knows me better than I know myself. He sees things in my soul that I don’t, and He lovingly shines His healing light into all those spaces where lies and unprocessed hurts reside.
From that day on, I began praying today’s passage, asking God to reveal everything within me that weakened my relationship with Him and hindered my peace.
David, ancient Israel’s second king who penned Psalm 139, began with a declaration of a truth I find comforting. “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me” (v.1). Not because God needed increased information. The Lord knew everything about him, since before he took his first breath.
He then expanded on this in verses 2-4, saying,
“You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.”
David was saying, “You know every thought, concern and motive.”
The same is true for us. The Lord knows every task weighing heavily on our hearts, every frustration we’ll encounter, and each moment that might challenge our peace and self-control. He sees the pits ahead of us and the detours we’ll feel tempted to take.
Some find this depth of knowledge intimidating, maybe because they don’t understand God’s heart. The One who probes the deepest places within us is the same God who gave us His Son, that we might live.
David understood this grace. In 1 Samuel 25, he became enraged and nearly annihilated an entire household because of one man’s offense. But the Lord used a wise woman named Abigail to stop him. Later, when David should have been out commanding his army (2 Samuel 11:1), he instead remained home, casually ambling upon the palace rooftop, which was designed to allow kings a bird’s eye view of their land, including the people they ruled.
While there, he happened to see a married woman in the land below performing her post-menstrual ritual, per Jewish law. David lusted after and used his authority and royal officials to take her.
In modern days, this would’ve fallen well within the #me too movement, because I highly doubt, in this patriarchal society where men often treated women as property, that Bathsheba had the ability, not to mention courage, to refuse the “request” of royal officials or the advances of a king.
Then, as if that wasn’t atrocious enough, upon learning his victim was pregnant, he had her husband killed—to hide his sin.
Yet, although he did experience consequences, he also received grace (Ps. 51), considering the extent of his sin, extreme grace.
Because that’s the promise God made. When we confess our sins, every and any sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
He never searches our souls to condemn us. Rather, He probes and illuminates to cover our biggest faults with mercy and undeserved favor.
Everything He does and allows flows from these two motives: One is to bring us flourishing life characterized by love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23). His second is to reveal His glory, which is another way of saying who He is in all His attributes. His goal? To awaken our awareness of His greatness so that we would turn to and depend more fully on Him, which is the only way to experience the thriving life Jesus promised in John 10:10.
Intersecting Life & Faith:
The more we grasp Christ’s heart and ways, the more we want him to reveal those things that are keeping us stuck—in anxiety, fear, anger, bitterness, rage. Whatever distorts our perspective and causes us to behave in ways contrary to who we truly are.
Let me read today’s passage again, and perhaps make this your prayer:
Search me, God, and know my heart.
To the ancient Hebrews, the heart was the source of our motivations, thoughts, and will, including our subconscious.
“Test me, Lord.” Look beyond our external behavior to examine those thoughts, motives, and patterns, conscious or not, triggering our anxiety.
But here’s the beautiful part. God reveals what’s harmful within us in order to lead us one step further on His path to thriving, everlasting life.
The fact that the Lord preserved this prayer in Scripture indicates He intends for us to actively pursue this level of transformation. To invite Him to reveal whatever is keeping us from full, thriving life. That’s a powerful step toward living free.
Further Reading:
Jeremiah 17:9-10
Hebrews 4:12-13
Isaiah 26:3
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When was the last time you slowed down long enough to enjoy God's creation? In today's Crosswalk Devotional, we reflect on Psalm 104:14-15 and discover how simple moments in nature can deepen our relationship with God. From the food we enjoy to the beauty that surrounds us, every good gift points back to our loving Creator.
In a world filled with busyness and distractions, God invites us to pause, breathe, and recognize His presence through the ordinary. Whether it's sharing a meal outdoors, listening to birds sing, or simply sitting beneath the trees, slowing down allows us to experience God's generosity, peace, and care in fresh ways.
Highlights:
Discover how Psalm 104 reminds us that God's creation is meant to be enjoyed, not just observed.
Learn why slowing down in nature can help you reconnect with God's presence.
Be encouraged to practice gratitude by savoring both God's provision and His creation.
See how everyday moments—like sharing a simple meal outdoors—can become acts of worship.
Find renewed perspective as creation reminds you of God's care for every detail of your life.
Be inspired to intentionally create space for rest, reflection, and fellowship with God.
Join the Conversation
Where do you feel closest to God in nature? Is there a favorite outdoor place where you experience His peace or presence? We'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
Enjoy a Picnic with God
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.” – Psalm 104:14-15, NIV
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of simple picnics with my mom in our backyard or at local parks. Mom could turn an ordinary afternoon into an extraordinary experience just by packing sandwiches, grapes, chips, and lemonade for us to eat and drink outside. I remember how I always got a fresh perspective while picnicking in the fresh air. My world seemed to open up in nature, and my senses seemed stronger, too. I noticed the way the sunlight filtered through the trees and how every different type of bird sang a different kind of song. The sandwiches somehow tasted better outside than indoors, as well. Most importantly, on those picnics, I felt connected to something bigger than myself. Later, I learned that something was a Someone – God – who always joined us on our picnics.
In our fast-paced world, we often rush through eating and don’t spend enough time outside in nature. But God actually designed them to help us connect to him. Psalm 104:14-15 points out that God provides a creative variety of plants that people and animals alike enjoy. God could have made all food and drinks taste the same and provided them to us just to survive. But instead, God created a wonderful variety for us to truly enjoy. This passage says that God created “wine that gladdens,” “oil to make faces shine,” and “bread that sustains.” In other words, God cares about us actually enjoying our experiences.
God wants us to do more than just eat a granola bar in a hurry while driving to work, rush through lunch at our desks, and pick up dinner in a fast-food drive-thru line. God wants us to eat mindfully, so we can really enjoy the experience of eating and reflect on God’s generosity and love for us. God also designed us to enjoy spending time in nature. We can learn a lot about God in nature, because creation reflects the Creator’s qualities. A picnic can help us connect with God by doing both of those activities that God intends for us.
Experience that for yourself! Schedule a picnic into your schedule sometime soon. Sit on a blanket on the “grass for the cattle” mentioned in Psalm 104, or at a picnic table on top of the grass. Say a prayer of thanks to God for the food, the “bread that sustains,” and all the other food you brought with you, which God ultimately made possible for you to enjoy. Eat slowly, savoring every bite of your food so you can taste God’s goodness to you.
During a picnic, you can let the fresh air inspire you to find a fresh perspective on your life. Let yourself pay full attention to all the wonder around you, and let that remind you of how God cares for you in every detail of your life. Look up at the vast sky and down at tiny wildflowers to see how God designed every part of creation – everything, of all sizes – with loving care.
Enjoy a picnic with God whenever you can. Don’t wait for a special occasion. Pack a sandwich, find some grass nearby, and let the simple pleasures of God’s creation lead you back to him.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider enjoying a picnic can help you move closer to God, reflect on these questions:
What’s one of your favorite memories of being outdoors as a child? Did you notice God’s presence with you then?
How does spending time in nature now help you look beyond your stressful circumstances to God?
What’s one simple pleasure in the food you enjoy on picnics (like a certain flavor or texture) that you’re grateful to God for?
Psalm 104 mentions blessings that make our hearts glad. What’s one part of God’s creation that always lifts your mood?
How can you change your schedule to include picnics with God during good weather on a regular basis?
Further Reading:
Psalm 34:8
Matthew 6:26
Acts 14:17
Genesis 1:31
Romans 1:20
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Have you ever struggled to open your Bible or felt disconnected from God? In today's Crosswalk Devotional, we reflect on Galatians 6:9 and discover that spiritual weariness doesn't mean your faith has failed. Even the most faithful believers experience seasons of exhaustion, discouragement, and spiritual dryness—but God invites us to keep taking small, faithful steps instead of giving up.
Rather than striving for the perfect quiet time, God calls us to remain faithful in the little things. One verse, one prayer, or one quiet moment in His presence can become the beginning of renewed strength. Even when you can't see it, God is working beneath the surface, producing spiritual growth that will bear fruit in His perfect timing.
Highlights:
Discover why spiritual weariness is a normal part of the Christian journey—not a sign of failed faith.
Learn what Galatians 6:9 teaches about perseverance when you feel spiritually exhausted.
Be encouraged that faithfulness matters more than feelings or motivation.
Find practical ways to reconnect with God through small, consistent daily habits.
Understand how seasons of dryness often become places where God develops deeper spiritual maturity.
Rest in the promise that God is producing a harvest, even when you can't yet see the fruit.
Join the Conversation
Have you ever gone through a spiritually dry season? What simple habit or Scripture has helped you reconnect with God when your motivation was low? We'd love to hear your story in the comments.
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
What to Do When You Feel Spiritually Unmotivated
By Sarah Frazer
Bible Reading:
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” - Galatians 6:9 (ESV)
I didn’t want to read my Bible. That is something that is hard to admit, especially since I’ve been a Christian for over twenty-five years. Of course, it hasn’t always been this way. Many mornings, I wake up ready to open up God’s Word and dive in. On other days, I’ve woken up late, or weary, or both. The Bible sits on the table next to my favorite chair unopened for the day. The guilt washes over me, and I wonder if tomorrow will be better.
Only tomorrow isn’t better, and my life spirals into a pattern of being spiritually unmotivated. How do we keep going, keep having faith, and keep trusting God when our spiritual life feels empty? After a while, I’ve missed more than just a day, but a routine. After neglecting my time with God, I’ve seen a shift in my heart. Something is just… off.
Many spiritual leaders, teachers, and authors talk about these seasons. They often call this time in our lives the “wilderness” season. This metaphor comes from the stories in the Bible when God would lead people into a physical wilderness, with little water, food, or shelter. It is a spot where maybe God’s blessings seem nonexistent.
Our wilderness season isn’t something we rush through, muster through, or a time to abandon our faith. The hardest thing for me in a season of deep hardship, whether that is physically, spiritually, or emotionally, is that my motivation for the spiritual disciplines comes and goes. Our faith doesn’t feel vibrant, but dry.
Let me offer some encouragement right here: a lack of enthusiasm doesn’t mean a lack of faith; it just means you are human. Paul writes in Galatians 6:9 to the believers: “Let us not grow weary in doing good…” Paul acknowledged the possibility and likelihood of being weary. In fact, Paul also included himself in that category. He said, “Let us…” It was even possible and probably that Paul would grow tired.
Even faithful believers get exhausted! The answer Paul offers is not, “try harder…” but “don’t give up.” I’ll admit that in the middle of feeling fatigued, I always imagined God telling me to try harder, do better, and just move forward. In the middle of my messes and mistakes, God instead invites me to explore maybe why I’m so tired.
Some simple self-reflection with the help of God's Spirit can help us pinpoint a reason for our wilderness season. Maybe it is because of physical exhaustion. Life is full, and many times we enter a period of time where we can get very little sleep, and our bodies are just tired. Emotional heaviness can also cause stress and discouragement. Carrying the weight of emotional hurt and heartache, whether that is our own or others’, leaves us fatigued.
The dry seasons of life, especially our spiritual life, can sometimes be because of the repetitive nature of our lives. Getting up, doing the same thing, and repeating our days week after week, month after month, can wear us out. When we find ourselves in this type of routine, we might also place unrealistic expectations on what a quiet time with God “should” look like.
What do we do when we wake up each morning unable to motivate ourselves spiritually? First, we keep it simple and small. Read one verse. Write a verse on a card and keep it by your bed or in your bathroom. Take one moment of your morning and turn towards God. As you do this, remove the pressure to have the “perfect” quiet time. Or, better yet, don’t try to copy or emulate what your time with God used to be like.
Our faith is a growing faith, which means it changes. Paul’s answer to weariness was not to work harder, but not to give up. Showing up imperfectly is better than not showing up at all. Faithfulness goes much deeper than simple motivation. Paul says we will feel weary, but the harvest is coming. He says we will “reap,” which means there will be growth and fruit!
If you feel unmotivated today, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to have it all together to keep going. God simply invites you not to give up. To take one small step. To trust that even in this season, He is growing something you cannot yet see.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
When you feel spiritually unmotivated, what is one small, simple way you can turn your attention back to God today? Try simply to read a verse, or say one prayer on your way to work this morning. Put your Bible in a place where you drink your coffee or get ready. The audio version of the Bible is also a great way to connect with God on the go.
Further Reading:
2 Thessalonians 3:13
Psalm 73:26
Philippians 1:6
Psalm 126:5
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Have life's disappointments made it harder to trust God? In today's Crosswalk Devotional, we explore Matthew 13:20-21 and Jesus' parable of the rocky soil, revealing how hardship can quietly harden our hearts if we're not careful. Even when suffering, betrayal, or unanswered prayers shake our faith, God invites us to return to Him and rediscover the trust that trials may have stolen.
Difficult seasons can leave us questioning God's goodness, but Scripture reminds us that He is never the author of evil. He is the Redeemer who works through every circumstance for our good and His glory. No matter how rocky your heart may feel today, God's grace can soften it again, allowing hope, faith, and new spiritual growth to take root.
Highlights:
Discover what Jesus teaches about rocky soil and a heart that struggles to trust during hardship.
Learn how disappointment can quietly harden our hearts if we don't bring our pain to God.
Be reminded that God is never the source of evil but the Redeemer who brings good from brokenness.
Find encouragement that trust is restored by remembering God's unchanging character and faithfulness.
Understand why bringing your doubts honestly before God is the first step toward renewed faith.
Rest in the hope that your story isn't finished—God is still writing it.
Join the Conversation
Has a difficult season ever challenged your trust in God? What has helped you rediscover His goodness and faithfulness when life didn't go as planned? We'd love to hear your story in the comments.
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
How to Restore Trust When You've Lost It
By Kelly Balarie
Bible Reading:
“As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy; Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away.” – Matt. 13:20-21 AMPC
Have you ever tried to dig a shovel into rocky soil? It’s torture.
Bam! Bam! It’s nearly impossible. To hit rock is to be blocked.
One can’t easily plant beautiful flowers when rocky soil blocks the ability to plant new life. The same goes for us when we are on rocky soil.
Jesus said, “As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy; Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away.” (Matt. 13:20-21 AMPC)
We become rocky soil when what is hard and tough in life turns us hard and tough in heart. To be hardened to God because of trials and troubles means the soil of our hearts is rocky. Beautiful things can’t be as easily planted within us.
This is a problem – for me, I considered, as I read this verse. You see, after reading these words of Jesus, I could now see that the trials and tribulations in my life were causing me to stumble. Because I was beginning to “distrust and desert Him Whom (I) ought to trust and obey.”
Wow.
God surely knows, I don’t want to fall away. But, after all that I had gone through… all I endured… all I had to endure in relationships… quietly, distrust was stealing my trust – and I knew it.

Maybe I’m not alone in this. Maybe you, too, have had shockers in life… shock and awe when you got a medical diagnosis you didn’t expect. Shock when a friend turned to a foe. Shock when a dream suddenly ended. Shock when a child turns away from you.
It is easy to lose trust after experiencing the shock of a carpet pulled out from under us. However, we are wise to remember: God is not the orchestrator of evil; He is the one who is for us. God is the one working all things together for good. Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede for us.
I once heard a pastor say, “Devil, bad. God, good.”
He’s right. God is good. God is just. God works all things together for good as we love Him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). God is Redeemer. God is hope. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
God uses even what is hard and bad for good.
I can’t give up on God. And, neither can you. I can’t afford to spend even a day away from Him.
Trust returns when we remember that God is good. When we believe there is hope. When we repent of unbelief and decide to break up with it. When we remember, He can do the miraculous. When we ponder how God used Jesus and where Jesus sits now, after hardship.
God is not what happened to us; God is good.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
What, in life, has happened to you that has made you lose trust? How have you subtly moved away from God? Can you let your pain go into His hands? Your need – to know? Your desire to have everything perfect today? God is the Author and the Perfector; your story is not done yet.
This devotional is an invitation for you – to come back to Him.

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What if your greatest spiritual growth isn't found on the mountaintops, but in the valleys? In today's Crosswalk Devotional, we explore Matthew 5:3 and discover why Jesus calls the poor in spirit blessed. Seasons of loss, uncertainty, and weakness often create the very space where God's presence, grace, and strength become most real.
While it's natural to long for life's mountaintop moments, our deepest dependence on God is often formed during difficult seasons. When our hearts are emptied of self-reliance and worldly security, they become open to being filled with Christ. The valleys may not be easy, but they often become the places where our faith grows stronger and our relationship with Jesus grows deeper.
Highlights:
Discover why Jesus calls the poor in spirit blessed in Matthew 5:3.
Learn how seasons of difficulty can deepen your faith more than seasons of comfort.
See how Peter's failures revealed his need for God's grace rather than his own strength.
Understand why childlike dependence on Christ is central to the Christian life.
Be encouraged that God often uses life's valleys to draw us closer to Him.
Find hope knowing that when we feel empty, God is ready to fill us with His presence and strength.
Join the Conversation
Have you experienced a season where God met you most powerfully in the middle of hardship? How has a difficult valley strengthened your faith and dependence on Him? We'd love to hear your story in the comments.
Join the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
The Blessing of Being Empty
By Hannah Benson
Bible Reading:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3 ESV).
Have you ever considered that perhaps the blessing isn’t in the mountaintops but found in the valley?
So many of us live our lives longing for the proverbial “mountaintops,” for the moments when everything is perfect. Or, at least, seems to be.
It’s not wrong to pray and hope for good things. For good jobs, loving families, great friends. Besides, we know God loves to give good gifts to His children.
But what if instead of living our lives longing for the mountaintops and enduring the valleys because we think we have to, what if we saw the valleys as a gift?
Now, don’t get me wrong.
The valley isn’t a gift because it feels good. If anything, it probably doesn’t feel very good at all. Instead, it’s a gift because the hard times are usually when we grow in our faith the most.
Think about it.
The disciples walked with Jesus for 3 years. Surely, their time walking physically with Jesus was the “mountaintops” of their faith. Everything was going swimmingly. They saw miracles, witnessed healings, and watched Jesus raise people from the dead. In their minds, Jesus had no doubt come to conquer the Roman Empire (Acts 1:6).
But then Jesus died.
Those 3 days before He rose again were the darkest days in history, and no doubt, the hardest times in the lives of His disciples at that point (Luke 23:44-45, John 20:19, Mark 16:10).
But you know what?
They grew more during those 3 days than they had in 3 years. Peter is just one example of this. Before Jesus’s crucifixion, he wrestled with pride and reliance upon his own strength, telling Jesus that “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away” (Matthew 26:33 ESV). But in fear, he denied Jesus 3 times (Matthew 26:75).
We’ve all made promises on the mountaintops that we realize in the valleys we aren’t strong enough on our own to keep. Peter’s story is a reminder to us that our faith is sustained by God’s strength and grace alone, not anything we could do on our own.
For the 3 years of Jesus’s ministry, they walked by sight. They had Jesus physically with them. But after His crucifixion in those 3 days where they didn’t understand what was happening and then later when He ascended to heaven, they had to believe what they couldn’t see.
Consider this.
When we’re walking with the Lord, and everything seems to be going great, perhaps we landed our dream job, or we were given a relationship that we’ve been praying for, in those moments, we are on the “mountaintops.”
While I’m grateful for the “mountaintops” in life, I’ve realized that it’s in the “valleys” where I truly grow. Often on the mountaintops, we find ourselves filled with good things that we struggle to find room in our hearts for God. But in the valleys, when everything might be taken away from us, or we’re struggling, and our hearts are being emptied of the things of the world, that’s when our hearts may be more receptive to the Lord’s presence filling the empty spaces in our lives.
It’s like the rich man and the poor man. In Luke 18, a rich man comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life (v. 18). When Jesus tells him to keep His commandments, the rich man responds that “all these I have kept from my youth” (v. 21 ESV).
Jesus then tells him that there is one thing he lacks: “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).
The Bible tells us that when the rich man heard this, he became sad because he was extremely wealthy. On the outside, he appeared to have everything he could ever want. He was “full.” Full of worldly possessions, perhaps power, of following his own path.
Luke 18:24-25 continues: “Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ‘How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’”
What is Jesus saying here? That if you happen to be wealthy, you won’t go to heaven? No, of course not. When we’re standing on the mountaintops and our lives are filled with such good things, sometimes, we may find it difficult to open our hearts to Jesus when our hearts are filled with things of the world.
Earlier in Luke 18:16, 17, it says: “But Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’”
Jesus commends childlike faith. In most cases, children are simple, carefree, and completely dependent on their parents to provide and care for them. When we have faith like a child, we recognize the true essence of our faith, which is full dependence on Jesus to accomplish what we cannot. Sometimes, we have an innate tendency to feel independent and empowered, but that way of thinking can be false when it leads us to place an emphasis on our strength above Jesus in us.
Yes, God loves to give us good things. To bless us with moments on the mountaintops.
But I’ve found that the greatest blessing is found in the valleys, when we realize God’s grace is the only thing sustaining us and we find ourselves empty enough to be filled by Him.
If you are in the valley today, instead of viewing it as something you must endure, why not view it as a blessing? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the tragedy we may be walking through may be easy or a gift in and of itself, but the result (which can often be a deeper closeness with God) is the true gift. Why not view our empty places as a gift and an opportunity to be filled with the presence of God?
Pray with me:
Father, thank You for the valleys that make me like a child again. Thank You for the seasons that strip away my false independence and remind me that I am sustained by Your grace alone. Help me to stop longing for the next mountain and instead look for Your presence right here, even in the empty spaces. Fill me with Yourself today. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
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