The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

ike a loving shepherd who keeps His sheep close, God gently redirects us when we begin drifting toward temptation, unhealthy desires, or paths that lead to disappointment. While His boundaries can sometimes feel frustrating, they are expressions of His love. He sees dangers we cannot see and lovingly guides us back to the path that leads to life and lasting joy.
When we experience delays, closed doors, or the gentle conviction of the Holy Spirit, we can trust that God is not withholding good from us. Instead, He is protecting us and inviting us to remain close to Him, where we discover security, purpose, and the fullness of His presence.
Highlights:
God's guidance is an expression of His love and protection, not punishment.
Psalm 16 reminds us that true joy and fulfillment are found in God's presence.
God often redirects us when we begin wandering toward temptation or unhealthy desires.
Delays, closed doors, and conviction can be evidence of God's loving care.
Staying close to God allows us to experience His peace, wisdom, and lasting joy.
We can trust that God's boundaries are always for our eternal good, even when we don't understand them.
Join the Conversation
Have you ever looked back and realized God was protecting you through a closed door, delay, or unexpected change in direction? How has staying close to Him brought greater peace and joy in your life?
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Full Transcript Below:
When You’re Prone to Wander
By Cindi McMenamin
Bible Reading:
“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 ESV).

I recently learned something about myself—and my Savior—from watching my black cat, Mowgli.
Each morning, I take Mowgli out on the patio with me so we can enjoy the cool of the morning. Mowgli has to be on a leash every time he’s outside, even if I’m right next to him, because he is afraid of other people and sounds he can’t identify. When he becomes frightened or when he starts to wander and his leash wraps around something and he suddenly feels restrained, he will panic, struggle out of his harness, and try to run away.
For the most part, Mowgli and I enjoy peaceful mornings outside together as I work on my laptop and he sits contentedly on the patio, leash securely attached. When he tries to get a little further away from me to explore, I will say, “Not too far, Mowgli” and tug on his leash.
But now and then, when a hummingbird swoops in low to tease him, or when a critter is rustling in the leaves nearby, he will lunge forward, panic at his sense of restraint, and wiggle quickly out of his harness and make a run for his potential kill.
After I catch him, he’s very angry to be restrained. I bring him back inside and tell him firmly, “No going outside again if you can’t stay in your harness.”
Today I found myself saying to him, after he was back inside and whining that he couldn’t go out again, “Why can’t you stay in your harness? Don’t you know I want to keep you close so I can keep you safe?”
Oh, how God must want to tether my heart to Him to keep me safe as well.
In Psalm 16, David—who knew what it was like to be hunted like a wild animal, to run for his life from King Saul, who wanted him dead—said this about the security of being tethered closely to his God: “You make known to me the path of life” (in other words, “You know how to keep me safe and alive). And David sang, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” David was saying,” I am not only safe and secure in Your presence, but I am full of joy when I’m close to You, and I’m able to experience eternal pleasures.”
Intersecting Faith & Life:

How often have I tried to wander too far from God’s instruction, too close to temptation, and too close to something I might start loving more than Him, and He gently pulls me back to His side? How often has my Lord seen me try to escape the harness of His love and pursue something that will never satisfy? Certainly, He wants to keep me close to His side so I will be content and can enjoy life with Him.
When have you sensed God restraining you as you started to wander from Him? What might God be protecting you from in the disappointments and delays you are experiencing?
Can you, too, see how God’s restraints on us—what He keeps us from, what He won’t allow us to have or go near—are not restraints to punish us or make our lives miserable? He knows what’s best for you and me, and He wants to keep us close so we are not only safe, but filled with joy at being near His presence. When you sense that gentle nudge backward, that might feel frustrating because you can’t get ahead to what you want, will you trust that God knows exactly what He’s allowing—and not allowing—for your eternal best and for your pleasures forevermore, not just temporarily.
Lord, Your Word says in Your presence is abundant joy. Why would I ever want to wander? Keep me close to Your side, ever bound to You so that I can experience Your very best for me and enjoy Your company like no other.
Further Study:
Psalm 71:15
For daily encouragement to stay close to your Savior, see my book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God.

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Drawing from David’s life as a shepherd and later as Israel’s king, this devotional paints a beautiful picture of God's care. Just as shepherds built protective hedges around their sheep at night and positioned themselves as the gate, God lovingly surrounds us with His protection. He doesn't simply guard us from afar—He walks beside us, shielding us from the enemy's lies while gently directing our steps through every season of life.
When anxiety tempts us to rely on our own understanding, we can rest knowing we are never navigating life alone. God's hand remains upon us, leading us with wisdom, protecting us from danger, and giving us the freedom to follow Him with confidence. We don't have to live in fear or constantly anticipate every possible threat because our Good Shepherd has already gone before us.
Highlights:
God surrounds His children with His loving presence, protection, and guidance.
Psalm 139 reminds us that God is always before us, behind us, and actively involved in our lives.
David's experience as a shepherd illustrates God's protective care like a hedge surrounding His sheep.
God's presence guards us against fear, anxiety, and the enemy's deception.
We can trust God's gentle guidance instead of relying solely on our own understanding.
Because God walks with us, we are free to follow Him without living in constant fear.
Join the Conversation
When have you experienced God's protection or guidance during a season of uncertainty? How does remembering that God surrounds you with His presence give you peace today?
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
Encased by the Father’s Love
By Jennifer Slattery
Bible Reading:
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me. - Psalm 139:5 NIV
This has been an unsettling and confusing season where I’ve questioned my perspective and the path forward in a highly consequential area. I know God is leading, watching over, and blessing me, but my emotions don’t always align with what I know is true. Sometimes, at night, when I’m trying to sleep, the stress and unknowns of this situation pull me into an anxious spiral. In that space, there’s a part of me that fears getting pulled into the devil’s deception, in part because I recognize how easy it is to convince myself that following my preference is God’s leading.
That’s a dangerous place to be. It leaves me vulnerable to the enemy’s schemes. Yet, today’s verse reminds me that I’m well-protected by the One who knows me, remains with me, and shields me from what Scripture calls the devil's “flaming arrows.” Lies he aims at my soul to draw me away from Christ and His life-giving truth.
David, ancient Israel’s second king who wrote the passage from which today’s verse comes, understood how it feels to find yourself under attack—by the devil, and those he uses to carry out his will. For over a decade, he lived as a fugitive, hiding in caves and even in Philistine territory, for fear of death. During that season, numerous people betrayed him, and he often felt alone and as if no one cared about him.
Those were the statements his emotions made when life felt hard, exhausting, and his situation uncertain.
But even when his heart cried out for relief, he recalled the truth. He knew how to preach to his soul, a practice we see in many of the poetic prayers preserved in Scripture.
Scholars believe he wrote Psalm 139 after he’d assumed the throne and his life became more stable—with a few bumps along the way. Standing on the other side of intense suffering, he was able to look back and reflect upon how God had remained present and faithful each moment of his life—from before he took his first breath.
The Lord didn’t guide him from a distance. He came close and surrounded David with His strong, loving, and protective presence.
God “hemmed” David in. In the original Hebrew, one could state today’s verse as: Behind and before you have hedged me and laid upon me Your hand.” You may have heard the phrase, “a hedge of protection.” That analogy likely came from today’s verse. And I wonder if David’s statement came from his experience as a shepherd, where, at night, he would’ve created a literal hedge of thorns and branches that formed a makeshift pen for the sheep under his care. For added protection, the shepherd often slept on the ground, forming a gate with his body.
Intersecting Life & Faith:
This rich historic imagery, when applied to today’s text, reminds us that the Lord surrounds us like those thorny branches that surrounded sheep. He is our shield, strong tower, fortress, and defense who hides us in the shadow of His wings—another picturesque symbol of His protective stance over His children.
But notice, He also places His hand upon us. Whenever I read this, I’m reminded of how I guided and protected my daughter when she was learning to walk. She’d gone from strangle-gripping my finger to releasing my hand and toddling off in exploration. I wanted to give her as much freedom as developmentally appropriate while also keeping her from falling into sharp corners or getting too close to the stairs.
My solution? To place a gentle hand on her head, remaining alert to when I needed to direct her from danger and back to safe exploration.
Speaking of sheep, shepherds, gates, and exploration reminds me of Jesus’ analogy in John 10, when He said His sheep would go in—to the pen—and out to find pasture. His words speak of freedom and the rhythm of coming into the “sheepfold” for the spiritual nourishment and rest we need, then leaving to explore the wide-open spaces He’s provided.
But even when we exit the pen, we remain well-protected, whether the threat comes from the devil and his minions or some other frightening or dangerous encounter. God hems us in—by His power and love.
By His very self.
This gives me the peace to follow, knowing I don’t have to remain hyper vigilant, scanning the horizon for every possible threat. I simply need to remain in step with the One who matches His steps with mine.
Further Reading:
Psalm 139:1-24
Psalm 125:2
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God’s pruning process can feel difficult, but it is always guided by His love and purpose for our lives. In John 15:1-2, Jesus reveals that God is the gardener who carefully removes what prevents us from growing and producing lasting fruit. While pruning may involve letting go of things we value, God’s work is never meant to harm us—it is meant to help us become more fruitful.
Just as a gardener trims away unnecessary branches to help a plant thrive, God sometimes removes distractions, unhealthy patterns, or even good things that keep us from experiencing His best. He knows where our energy is being spent and what needs to change so we can grow deeper in our relationship with Him.
Although God’s pruning can be painful, we can trust the One doing the work. Our Heavenly Father sees the bigger picture and lovingly clears space for spiritual growth, renewed purpose, and the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in our lives. When we surrender what He asks us to release, we make room for greater dependence on Him.
Highlights:
God prunes our lives because He desires for us to grow and produce lasting spiritual fruit.
A crowded life can spread our energy too thin and distract us from what matters most.
God may remove both unhealthy things and even good things that keep us from His best.
Pruning requires trust because God sees the growth and purpose that we cannot yet see.
Letting go of what God removes creates room for deeper faith and transformation.
The fruit of the Spirit grows when we remain connected to God and allow Him to shape our lives.
Join the Conversation
What is one area of your life where God may be inviting you to let go, create space, or trust His pruning process? How can you surrender that area to Him today?
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
Let God Prune Your Life
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” – John 15:1-2, NIV
Walking through a botanical garden, I noticed a pile of green stems, branches, and buds that had been cut off various plants and scattered on the ground. It seemed at first like someone had vandalized the garden. Just as I started to get angry about what I thought was a crime, I noticed a gardener at work farther down the garden path. He was cutting off parts of plants on purpose! That reminded me that pruning is actually healthy for plants, no matter how hard it may look for them to be cut. Gardeners prune plants to give them the energy and space they need to bloom fully. Pruning helps plants reach their full potential.
Jesus reveals in John 15:1-2 that God prunes people. God cuts off what isn’t healthy and productive in our lives and gives us the help we need to be as fruitful as possible in our lives.
In the plant world, a vine only has a certain amount of sap to give to its branches. If that sap is sent to 50 different tiny branches, none of them will produce big, juicy grapes. They will all be small and struggling. But if the gardener cuts those 50 branches down to five, all the energy from the sap will go into those five branches. The result will be fruit that’s healthy and sweet.
The same is true for your soul. You only have so much energy. If your schedule is cluttered with too many activities, your limited energy will be spread so thin that you’ll become exhausted. You’ll be busy but not fruitful in the way God intended. Even though you’ll be doing a lot, you won’t be accomplishing what matters most from God’s perspective. That can all make your spiritual life feel like a wilted plant. You’ll feel burned out and unable to connect with God in the ways that will help your soul bloom fully.
Sometimes, God asks you to step away from things that are clearly unhealthy. It’s easier to do that than to step away from good things God sometimes leads you away from, like a job that pays well but pulls you away from your primary calling, or a friendship that you’ve outgrown. When God prunes parts of your life, he does so because he wants to give you more blessings – but first, you need more space in your life to receive those blessings.
Pruning can hurt. It can feel like you’ve lost an important part of your life, or even an important part of who you are as a person. But remember who the Gardener is. It’s your loving Heavenly Father, who has good purposes and plans for you. God doesn’t just hack away randomly; he prunes precisely what’s best for you to grow to reach your full potential.
When God prunes your life, he’s clearing the way for a season of growth that you can’t even imagine yet. He wants your life to be like a beautiful garden that fulfills you and pleases him as he sees his good design for your life become a reality. You need to cooperate with God for that to happen, however. It’s vital to be willing to let go of whatever God wants to prune out of your life.
So, take an honest look at your life right now. What’s taking the energy away from your relationship with God? Let the Master Gardener do his work to prune it away so you can grow and thrive!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how pruning is important for you to grow to reach your full potential, reflect on these questions:
If you looked at your schedule as a garden, which areas feel the most overgrown or crowded right now?
What’s one unhealthy activity you can prune out of your schedule this week to make more room for something that will help you grow closer to God?
What’s one activity in your life that’s good but still might be keeping you from experiencing God’s best? How can you let go of it to make room for something better?
When you feel God pruning something away from your life, how can you resist the urge to grab onto it and instead trust God to take it away?
What kind of fruit of the Spirit (like patience, kindness, or peace) do you want to see more of in your life this season?
Further Reading:
Hebrews 12:11
Proverbs 3:5-6
Galatians 5:22-23
Isaiah 58:11
Philippians 1:6
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The invitation God gives us is often the opposite of what our instincts tell us. When problems arise, we want to fix, plan, and act. But God invites us to pause and remember that He is already present and working. Time spent with Him is never wasted; it is where our hearts are renewed and our souls are restored.
God is not asking us to accomplish more to earn His love. He is inviting us into relationship with Him. Whether it is thirty minutes or just a few quiet moments throughout the day, sitting in God’s presence, reading His Word, and praying allows us to step away from the rush and experience His peace.
Jesus Himself was never hurried or driven by the need to prove His worth through productivity. Through Him, we are reminded that we do not have to carry burdens God never intended for us to hold. When we return to Him, we find the rest and strength we need for each day.
Highlights:
God does not measure our faithfulness by how busy we are, but by how closely we walk with Him.
Isaiah reminds us that true strength comes through returning to God, resting, and trusting Him.
Productivity can become a burden when we believe our worth depends on what we accomplish.
Spending quiet time with God restores our hearts and helps us recognize His presence.
Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him and receive rest.
Slowing down creates space to hear God’s voice and trust His direction.
Join the Conversation
Where do you feel the most rushed in your life right now? What would it look like to intentionally slow down and invite God into that space?
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:

God Is Not Rushing You
By Sarah Frazer
Bible Reading:
“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” - Isaiah 30:15, 18
My daughter does not like to be rushed. In so many ways I am the same way. When planning things I always give myself extra time. American culture is one that is governed by time. Events start on time and we complain if we are made to wait. It is easy to fall into the mindset of rushing when being dictated by the clock.
Rarely do people have time to rest, be quiet, and wait. Me included. My days are often packed with endless activities and to-do lists. For so long if I didn’t do anything on a particular day - that day felt unproductive. My to-do list can be like a taskmaster, running my day-to-day life. Somewhere along the way, I started to believe that a full schedule meant a faithful life—and that slowing down meant I was falling behind.
In Isaiah 31 we read the words: “in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…” God’s people, the Israelites, had been running away from God, not toward him. They were about to be attacked by their enemies, but instead of going to God, they turned to other allies. They tried to fix things on their own.
Isaiah, the prophet, spoke from God to tell the people that rescue would come a different way. It would come through returning to God, resting. This is counter intuitive, isn’t it? We often think the opposite: the way out of trouble is to run, move, and act! God, though, wasn’t asking for more effort but for them to return to Him. While they were rushing to solve their problems, God was inviting them to be still.
You and I are the same. We rush to fix problems, stay productive, and make sure we don’t let anything “fall through the cracks.” How often do we believe that faithfulness is the same as being busy? For so long, I have believed that my purpose in life - why God loved me and what God wanted from me - was to be productive. Faithfulness isn’t about that at all.
Friend, God invites us to return to him. How do we do this? Begin by sitting with God. That’s right. Stop at some point in your day (each day) to just sit and be with God. Don’t scroll. Don’t move. Just be still. Time in God’s presence is not wasted time—it is where our souls are restored. While you are sitting there, learn the value of not talking, thinking, or worrying.
During that time, use a few minutes to be in His Word. Don’t rush through a reading of the Bible, but linger with it. Listen to God’s voice as you read the words (or listen to the audio). As you do, let your heart naturally speak to God in prayer. Start a conversation with God. Maybe it will be about what you read, but mostly it can be about what is on your heart. Embrace the quietness, if possible. God is not asking you to do more—He is inviting you to be with Him. Those moments, whether they are thirty minutes or 3 minutes, can make such a difference in our day.
Many of us are tired not because we’re doing too little, but because we’re carrying what God never asked us to carry. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
God is not hurrying us along. He is gently inviting us to return, to rest, and to trust Him right where we are. As we learn to slow our hearts today, may we learn how to step out of the rush and into His presence. God can teach us to trust Him in the quiet places. This stopping, even for a moment, means we don’t have to strive; God is already near.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Jesus was never hurried, rushed, or needed to prove His worth by His productivity. You don’t either. As you start your day, remember to slow down and spend a few moments in prayer. Ask God to help you have strength for your day. In the dark at night, lift your heart to God again, asking Him for peace as you sleep. Where in your life do you feel the most rushed right now—and what would it look like to intentionally slow down and invite God into that space?
Further Reading
Psalm 46
Luke 10:39-42
Mark 6:31
Matthew 11:28-30
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As followers of Christ, we are not called to fix everyone or be close friends with everyone, but we are called to love as Jesus loved us. Because Christ showed us grace while we were still sinners, we can extend kindness, prayer, and compassion to others. When we remain rooted in God’s love, His love can flow through us.
Highlights:
We cannot effectively give love to others unless we first receive and understand God’s love for us.
God’s love is revealed through the way believers treat and care for others.
Jesus modeled love by moving toward people who were hurting, rejected, and imperfect.
Loving others does not mean approving everything they do, but it does mean responding with grace and compassion.
Remaining connected to God’s love allows His character to shine through our actions.
Join the Conversation
How does understanding how deeply God loves you change the way you love others? What is one way you can allow God’s love to flow through you today?

Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/
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Full Transcript Below:
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