The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

You are loved before you perform, before you obey, and before you understand. This Crosswalk Devotional centers on 1 John 4:19, unpacking the freeing truth that God’s love is not earned—it is initiated by Him. In a world shaped by rejection, comparison, and performance-based approval, Scripture reminds us that God’s love picks first, not last, and it becomes the foundation for genuine transformation.
Rather than striving to earn affection through obedience or spiritual productivity, this devotional invites listeners to rest in the reality that God loved us while we were still sinners. His love is not the reward at the end of the Christian life—it is the starting point. From that secure place, growth, repentance, and obedience naturally flow.
Highlights
God’s love is the source of our love, not the result of it

We are loved before belief, obedience, or understanding

The gospel reverses performance-based love

Growth flows from being loved, not striving for love

Nothing can separate believers from God’s love in Christ

God’s love moves first—even at our worst

Obedience becomes a response, not a requirement for acceptance

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This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org
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Full Transcript Below:
Loved First, Not Last
By: Sarah Frazer
Bible Reading:
“We love because he first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19 (ESV)
When you were younger, did you ever get picked last for a game? Or did you have your friends leave you out of a fun activity? A sleepover? A party? Even as adults, we get left out, too.
Rejection feels horrible. It really does. Even people who might have stepped out of your life can hurt you, and that sometimes feels like a rejection. Over the years, if we let rejection be the narrative by which we formulate our lives, we might not believe the truth we read in 1 John 4:19.
“We love because he first loved us.”
This kind of love picks first, not last. This love isn’t something we earn. There isn’t something inside our hearts that can earn it either. We are so used to being loved because of what we do. Even in our faith circles, we see language such as “grow, repentance, and sanctification.” All of these are good things, necessary things. But those things have nothing to do with us being loved.
What is this kind of love? It is not like a love we have ever experienced before; it is much deeper. In this verse, chapter, and book of the Bible, we get a glimpse of this amazing love. God’s love is not the result of our love for Him; it is the source of it.
Notice that the Apostle John uses the word “first.” This means a couple of things. It means we are loved before we believe, before we obey, before we understand, before we cry out to God. God loves first. Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV) There was no fixing ourselves or proving ourselves before God would love us. God loved us first, while we were still sinners.
It also means God moved first. He did not wait for you and me to be spiritually or morally ready for his love. It existed before we had a chance to even change. God’s love came towards us when we were at our worst, not our best.
Performance-based love focuses on doing better, and then you will be loved. A gospel-centered love says you are loved; therefore, you can change. Growth, repentance, and sanctification come after we experience God’s love!
As a perfectionist, people-pleaser, I still find this amazing truth a source of great freedom. Although I had heard it all growing up at church, it never really sank in until later in my life. In my mid-thirties, I came to realize that my productivity, my goodness, and faithfulness never earned me one ounce of God’s love. In addition to that, my failings, faults, and sins could never lose me an ounce of His love either.
While I grew up trying to earn the love of those around me, God loved me first. This means I’ll never have to earn more love, nor do I need to fear losing God’s love. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 8 about Christ’s love for us:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:35-38 (ESV)
You might feel crushed, persecuted, unloved, unwanted, and distressed, but none of these things will ever keep you from God’s love. In fact, knowing God’s love comes first means God’s love is not at the end of our spiritual journey, but the beginning. It has always been with us, as soon as we became Christians. It will carry us through until the end.
You are not loved because you responded to God; you respond because He loved you first. So if you think back to a time when you were picked last, remember that today, you have been picked first. You have been chosen by God to be loved. Rest in this truth and believe you can walk in obedience because of this love!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
In what areas of your faith are you still trying to earn God’s affection rather than rest in the love He has already given?
How might your daily walk with God change if you believed obedience flows from being loved, rather than working for love?
Further Reading:
Psalm 103:8-14
Ephesians 1:4-5
Isaiah 43:1-4
John 6:37
2 Thessalonians 2:16
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God alone is enough—and He knows exactly what we need. This Crosswalk Devotional centers on Lamentations 3:24, reminding us that when we say “The Lord is my portion,” we’re declaring our trust in God as our ultimate source of security, provision, and contentment. Just as a portion is intentionally measured and given, God assigns what is perfectly suited for each of His children.
In a culture that constantly tempts us to compare, compete, or crave more, this devotional gently redirects our hearts back to gratitude and trust. Whether our portion feels abundant or modest, we can rest in the truth that God never withholds what is necessary for our good. He supplies peace, strength, rest, and provision—always on time and always with purpose.
Highlights
God is our allotted portion—intentionally given and perfectly measured

True contentment flows from trusting God as our Provider

Comparison steals joy; gratitude restores it

God fills every void that possessions never can

Even seasons of lack are opportunities to grow deeper in trust

God’s provision is personal, purposeful, and sufficient

Declaring “The Lord is my portion” is an act of faith and surrender

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This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org
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Full Transcript Below:
The Lord Is My Portion
By Angela Anderson
Bible Reading:
“‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’” - Lamentations 3:24 (NKJV)
One of the many things I enjoy doing with my family is going out to eat. Recently, we went to a local, favorite restaurant of ours where the servers knew our family by name. It was a small but vibrant eatery, where the food was always excellent. We were not only known for our frequent visits as a family, but also for our meal selections, especially the dessert. Once we finished our meal, it was a known fact that we would be ordering this warm, giant-sized, decadent chocolate fudge brownie surrounded by scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. The servers always positioned this delectable dessert in the middle of our table and then brought us four long spoons: one for me, one for my husband, one for my oldest son, and one for my youngest son. As soon as that dish of dessert hit the table, no one had to tell us to start digging in. It was a race to the finish!
My oldest son seemed to have the advantage each time, as I observed the large amount of dessert that he was able to balance on his long spoon. My youngest son was struggling with maneuvering his spoon to fit both a piece of brownie and some ice cream on it. Sometimes he would get just enough dessert on his spoon, and then the dessert would fall off the side of his spoon before even leaving the bowl. For every one spoon of dessert that successfully made it to his mouth, his older brother had already eaten about three spoons full of dessert.
I had to put an end to this. On our next visit, when it was time for dessert, I requested four small plates. And before anyone could put a spoon in the bowl of brownie and ice cream, I divided the dessert, placed it on a separate plate, and put it in front of each person. Every member of my family now had an appropriate portion of dessert that was allocated to each of us.
When the biblical writer says, “The Lord is my portion,” the word “portion” in Hebrew carries the notion that something is measured out, allotted, or assigned. It’s almost as if there is a gift with your name on it because it is specifically set apart and given to you. In the life of a believer, there is a dependence on God as the ultimate source of security and blessing. As our Creator and Heavenly Father, He knows and understands our every need, and He gives each of us exactly what we need when we need it. He alone determines our portion. Whether large or small, it is perfectly proportioned and just enough for the one who receives it. It is our duty to celebrate and delight in the portion God has given. In doing so, we are honoring the God who gave it.
Another connotation of the word “portion” in the context of God is divine provision. There are many people in this world who feel a void, and they try to fill that void with things that still leave them wanting more. When you believe that God is your portion, you believe that God is the source of your strength in every situation. There is contentment in knowing that He will supply all your needs. Even when there seems to be an area of lack, there is a calm assurance that God will step in to make up that difference. In response, there is no desire to seek any possession or comfort outside of God. There is an unwavering trust that God is in control of all your circumstances. There is a realization that nothing is as valuable as the promises of God. This signifies a close relationship with the Provider, and His goal is to use life’s circumstances to draw you closer. As you learn that God is your portion, you learn that your need for Him outweighs your desire for other things.
When you need peace, God is the One who gives you peace. When you need rest, God alone will extend rest. When you need provision, God offers provision. He provides for you what no one else can, and everything He gives to you is a blessing directly from the throne of heaven designed just for you.
“The Lord is my portion” is more than a declaration. It is an affirmation that God, our Creator, our Provider, and our Sustainer, is more than enough.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
It is often easy to look around at what others possess instead of appreciating what we have in front of us. Take a moment to thank God for His provision and recognize God as your portion.
Further Reading:
Psalm 73:26
Philippians 4:19
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Jesus can be present right in front of us—and still be missed. This Crosswalk Devotional reflects on John 1:11–13, inviting us to examine how easily familiarity, pain, or assumptions can blind us to the presence of Christ. When Jesus came to earth, many failed to recognize Him for who He truly was. Yet Scripture reminds us that those who did receive Him were given the right to become children of God.
This Christian devotional challenges us to consider how we see Jesus today. Do we recognize Him as Lord, Savior, and faithful Friend in the middle of ordinary life, hardship, or disappointment? Or do distractions, expectations, and appearances cloud our spiritual vision? God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent—and He is still at work, even when we struggle to perceive Him.
Highlights
Jesus was rejected because many did not recognize who He truly was

God’s presence can be missed when we judge by appearances or expectations

Pain, disappointment, and distraction can dull our spiritual awareness

Christ is still present, powerful, and actively working in our lives

Recognizing Jesus begins with faith, humility, and openness

When we receive Christ, we are reborn as children of God

God calls us to reflect Christ’s love in how we treat others

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This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org
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Full Transcript Below:
If We Only Knew
By Alexis A. Goring

Bible Reading:
“He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” - John 1:11-13 NLT

While scrolling on social media a few weeks ago, I saw several skits with similar themes: a hotel concierge or a fancy purse store employee who treated someone poorly based on their appearance and denied service to them. However, after finding out who they were (famous, prominent, important, and influential), these people apologized profusely, but it was too late to take back their bad behavior and negative comments toward that person.
A real, modern-day example of how people may treat you when they don’t know you’re rich and famous or influential happened several years ago when a famous American broadcast journalist was traveling in Europe. She visited a local store to shop for a purse. When she saw a purse she liked, she asked the clerk to see it. But the clerk said no because it was too expensive. The clerk proceeded to try to show the journalist other purses that she assumed were in the customer’s budget. The journalist decided to leave the store. Later, when management received news of what had happened and realized who this famous person was, they apologized and said that they didn’t know it was her. They implied that if they only knew who this famous woman was, then they would have treated her better and let her see the purse she wanted because she could afford it. After all, this woman is a billionaire.
Reflecting on this real-world situation caused me to think of the Bible stories about how most people didn’t recognize the Messiah. I realized how often we can be just as shortsighted as the Pharisees and other Bible characters who didn’t recognize our Savior (Jesus Christ) when He was there with them. When Jesus was living on Earth, His own people rejected him and treated him poorly because they didn’t know who He was. It wasn’t until Christ’s death on the cross that a Roman soldier nearby said in Mark 15:39 (NIV), “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
This made me think: If Jesus Christ were standing right in front of us, would we know Him? Would we recognize Him as our Lord and Savior? Would we know Him as the most faithful friend we ever had? Would we treat Him well or would we treat Him poorly based on how He appeared?
It boggles my mind to know that when our Savior came to save humankind, most people didn’t recognize Him. Even the disciples of Jesus Christ had trouble realizing they were walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection (Luke 24:13-35). Did they not feel His comforting Presence? Did they not experience His peace? Did they not feel that familiarity with the man whom they followed for several years? How did they not know that this was their Savior who had risen from the dead and now lives forever, just like He said would happen when they were part of His ministry prior to His death?
Perhaps the disciples of Jesus were too traumatized and depressed by all the events that unfolded leading up to Christ’s crucifixion. Maybe they felt too hurt to see the hope who was walking right beside them. I can understand that because I also have felt too weighed down by the woes of the world at times, making it nearly impossible to sense God’s Presence in our broken planet.
But the good news is that Jesus is here. The Bible says God is omniscient, which means He knows all and nothing is hidden from Him (Psalm 139:1-4 and Jeremiah 23:24). God is also omnipresent, which means His Presence is everywhere (Psalm 139:7-10). God is omnipotent, and that means He is the most powerful force in this world and the entire universe (Psalm 147:5). What a mighty God we serve!
When you feel burdened by the problems in our world, turn to Jesus. Know Him for who He is: Our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, and most Faithful Friend. It is my hope and prayer that we will always recognize God in our lives. Let’s not be like the people of the Bible era who missed the Messiah even when He was with them. Let’s be like the ones who recognized the Son of God and welcomed Him with open arms. Let’s allow the bright light of Jesus Christ to shine through us and fill the world with His pure love for humankind. May we also treat each other with agape love, kindness, and respect, no matter how we look (Leviticus 19:18).
In closing, I’d like you to listen to these songs listed below.
Song of Reflection #1: “How Beautiful” by Twila Paris. Listen HERE.
Song of Reflection #2: “Love God Love People” by Danny Gokey. Listen HERE.
Song of Reflection #3: “Each One, Reach One” by Babbie Mason. Listen HERE.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Will you know Jesus Christ when you see Him?
Further Reading:
Micah 6:8
Matthew 5:16
2 Corinthians 5:20
Hebrews 7:24-25
Romans 10:9
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Life doesn’t always give us time to plan—and that’s often where God’s provision becomes most visible. This Crosswalk Devotional centers on Exodus 12:31–39, reminding us that when preparation is impossible, God still provides exactly what we need. The Israelites left Egypt abruptly, carrying unfinished dough into an uncertain future, yet God faithfully supplied every step of their journey. Their hurried departure wasn’t an oversight—it was an invitation to trust.
This Christian devotional speaks to seasons of disruption, loss, and uncertainty, when routines fall apart and control slips through our fingers. Whether facing sudden change, grief, or exhaustion, Scripture shows us that God uses moments of unpreparedness to reveal His character. When we can’t rely on our plans, we learn to rely on His promises.
Highlights
God often works powerfully in moments when we feel least prepared

The Israelites’ rushed escape reveals God’s intentional provision

Loss of control can become an invitation to deeper trust

God’s provision is not limited by our circumstances or planning

Seasons of uncertainty help us remember we are God’s children, not slaves

Dependence on God strengthens faith and reveals His faithfulness

When preparation fails, prayer becomes our lifeline

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This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org
TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org
Full Transcript Below:
God Provides When We Cannot Prepare
By Deidre Braley
Bible Reading:
During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.”
The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!” So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.
The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. - Exodus 12:31-39
Our family recently traveled 300 miles north to spend the holidays at home, where my husband and I both grew up. Though we had planned for an extended stay, we did not sleep well on the first or second night, and on the following morning, my husband woke with a terrible bout of food poisoning. Exhausted, exasperated, and with a terribly achy back, I couldn’t imagine being away from home for even another moment.
Before the sun had even risen, I announced, “That’s it. We need to leave—today.”
In a rush, I threw apples and slippers and dog food into any spare bag I could find. I stuffed dirty clothes back into suitcases and rummaged in the fridge for anything that could qualify as breakfast for the kids. I promised myself we’d all brush our teeth later. And then, with our odds and ends shoved into every spare crevice of the car, we sped off, not even stopping to say goodbye to our family on the way out of town.
All day, I felt unsettled. Our luggage was disorganized, we were subsisting on a bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans, and, as I discovered later, two out of our three kids weren’t even wearing socks! Our careful routines—and my sense of any control—had gone out the window. And it was deeply uncomfortable.
It made me sympathize with the Israelites, who were pushed out of Egypt in such a hurry that they weren’t even finished making the dough for their bread; they swept it up onto their shoulders and lugged it off into the great unknown. They did not have time to prepare provisions for themselves.
But their journey was more than just one long day down the interstate. It was forty years of wandering. Forty years of being unsettled. Forty years of not being in control. Forty years of having to depend on Someone Else to provide for them.
I think their rapid departure from Egypt was an intentional move on God’s part. I believe he wanted to make sure they did not have time to prepare—not because he wanted them to feel uncomfortable, but because he wanted to show them that he would provide everything they needed. He wanted to show them what it meant to be the people of the One True Living God. He wanted to position them to understand that they were not slaves any longer: they were his children, and they could trust him to take care of them.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
There are times in our lives that we simply cannot prepare for. A loss of a job. The death of someone we love. Or maybe just a husband waking up with food poisoning. Though we might despise the situation and wish to cling to control with everything we’ve got (which are very natural and human responses!), in moments of disquiet, may we find the courage to look at God and ask him what he wishes to show us about his character in these times. When he puts us in positions of total abandon—where our illusions of control and carefully measured procedures have been stripped away—may we learn to pray:
God,
Show me your goodness. I have nothing. You are in control. I need you. Please provide. Amen.
Further Reading:
Throughout the Bible, people find themselves in situations where their only hope is to trust God to provide. Consider:
Daniel telling Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of his dream (Daniel 2)
Joshua’s army marching around the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6)
Mary learning that she will give birth to Jesus (Luke 1)
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Life constantly tempts us to measure contentment by what we lack—but Scripture tells a different story. This Christian devotional explores how God is more than enough, even in a culture driven by comparison, accumulation, and the constant pursuit of “more.” Rooted in Psalm 4:7, this devotion invites believers to rediscover joy, peace, and lasting satisfaction found not in possessions, but in a secure relationship with God.
Highlights
Contentment grows when we focus on what God provides, not what we lack

God’s joy surpasses material abundance and worldly success

Gratitude reshapes our perspective in seasons of comparison

True security comes from God, not possessions or financial stability

Spiritual blessings in Christ are eternal and unshakeable

God’s promises bring peace even in uncertain circumstances

When we have God, we truly have more than enough

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This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org
TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org
Full Transcript Below:
More Than Enough
By Cindi McMenamin
Bible Reading:
“You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.” (Psalm 4:7 NASB)
I remember the day we were driving home from a store, and my teenage daughter was complaining to me about all that she didn’t have—a new car like the one being driven by her 16-year-old friend who just got her driver’s license, expansive homes her friends lived in with more rooms than their families needed, the latest electronic gadgets, brand-name clothing, the highest-priced handbags.
Weary of constantly being reminded of what we didn’t have that her friends’ families did, I finally blew!
“Do you realize what we do have?” I snapped. “You have a roof over your head, and these days, that should be enough!”
Apparently, my words struck a chord with her. Her face fell, and she sadly told me of another one of her friends who was losing her home due to her parents’ job loss.
Immediately, my tone softened as I realized my daughter had already been convicted by her own words. We prayed for the family that was losing their hom,e and then I silently prayed for wisdom to turn that topic into a teaching moment.
“You know, Sweetie,” I told her softly, as I continued to drive, “a lot of people around us are losing their homes. That’s why it’s important for us to not only think about what we have and be grateful for it, but to focus on what we have that we will never lose.”
She looked at me, puzzled, for a moment. And then she got it.
We immediately began to recount all that we have that can never be taken from us:
The love we have for each other in our family
The memories we’ve had in our three-bedroom condo (and the small two-bedroom home we owned prior to that)
The unconditional love of God (Romans 5:8)
The gift of our salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9)
A promised mansion in Eternity (John 14:2-3)
I realized that day that my daughter is not the only one who often wishes she had more. It’s easy for me, at times, to look at what others have and be envious. It’s natural for me to sometimes wish I had a little more money to indulge in my desires. But so often I forget all I do have…and that it is more than enough.
So often, we go through life looking at what others have and wondering when our ship will come in. Then we remember we have a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), a God who has gone to prepare a place for us and who will come again and receive us to Himself so that where He is, we will be—forever (John 14:3).
In Psalm 4, David begins his song by asking God for relief from his distress. But then he must have remembered what he had, because he finished his song with a perspective of joy:
“You have put joy in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine are abundant.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, Lord, have me dwell in safety” (verses 7-8).
In The Message translation, verse 7 reads:
“I have God’s more-than-enough,
more joy in one ordinary day
than they get in all their shopping sprees.”
That sounds like a song I should be singing every day that I begin to forget my blessings and start longing for more.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
God is our true source of security in an insecure world…and He is the Only One who satisfies in a culture where we can never seem to get enough. When we have Him—along with His promises for provision, protection, and peace—we have “more than enough.”
Can you draw strength from knowing that you have God’s more-than-enough, even if at times it doesn’t look like quite enough? Thank Him today for all that you have, as well as for the blessings that you don’t yet see. The Bible says if we belong to Christ, God has blessed us in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). And if we “share in His sufferings” we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Joint heirs with God! Think about that. We are heirs of all that is His. Now that’s an inheritance. That’s a future. And that is more than enough.
Further Reading:
Ephesians 1:3-14
For a daily awareness of all you have in your relationship with Christ, see Cindi’s book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God.
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.