The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

How can you know when to trust your own instincts and when to wait for God’s guidance? When conflict, difficult decisions, or emotional situations arise, self-reliance can cause us to act or react before seeking God’s wisdom. Judges 1:1-4 offers a powerful picture of what it looks like to turn to God first, ask for His direction, and faithfully follow where He leads.
Following Christ doesn’t mean we will always know exactly what to do or receive an immediate answer. God often guides us through Scripture, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom of other believers. As we consistently seek Him in everyday circumstances, we become more attentive to His direction when bigger challenges arise. Learning to follow Christ requires practice, humility, and trust, but we can rest in the assurance that we don’t have to figure out every step on our own.
Highlights
Why self-reliance can lead us to act or react before seeking God’s guidance

What Judges 1:1-4 teaches about turning to God for direction

How prayer and Scripture help us develop greater spiritual discernment

Why God’s guidance may come through Scripture, other believers, or the Holy Spirit

How practicing dependence on God in everyday situations prepares us for bigger challenges

What James 1:5 teaches about asking God for wisdom without fear of criticism

Encouragement to trust Christ’s leadership rather than trying to figure out every step on your own

Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture.
UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org
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Full Transcript Below:
Letting God Rake Away What Is Covering Your Heart
By: Lia Girard
Bible Reading:
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
– Psalm 139:11-12, NLT
I love the way fallen leaves in autumn cover landscapes across many parts of the world. It feels like a song of sweet surrender, as vivid colors float everywhere, then fade into nutrients for the soil. Carpets of fall foliage on lawns, parks, or fields always look so purposeful and romantic to me.
But when we live in modern, manicured places, we often rake these leaves into piles, either composting them for reuse or disposing of them. It’s a common seasonal sight, though I’m still not sure if it’s better to rake or not rake the leaves that grace our lives. It’s always interesting to me that we don’t need to rake wild forests. They remain entirely in God’s hands.
However, when it comes to my heart and yours, let’s consider that God may do some spiritual raking. Because sometimes we want to hide ourselves, our feelings, our habits, our lack of faith, from God. That’s why Psalm 139 lays out clearly that God sees everything, anyway.
In fact, Psalm 139:11-12 proclaims that “even in darkness I cannot hide from you.” This entire psalm rejoices that you can turn to God and ask him to search you, bring you into His light, and lead you on the path of everlasting life.
The freedom you gain when you let God “uncover” you is also celebrated in 2 Corinthians 3:16, when Paul says, “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” Paul is referring to how Moses would cover his face with a veil because the glory of God he reflected was too much for his followers to receive. So, in his New Testament letter, Paul teaches that you and I have been reconciled to God through Jesus. You can let God lift the veil, rake away what you’re hiding under, and fully receive the Holy Spirit within you. There’s no need to bury yourself in secrecy.
Not only will God rake away what’s covering hearts, but he will also dig deeper to pull up stones and plant new life. When Ezekiel 36:26 tells us, “and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a new heart of flesh,” it refers to God’s miraculous power to completely transform a hardened heart that has become cold, inflexible, or impenetrable.
This hardening could be the result of self-protection over many years of pain. Or, it could be a heart turned away from reconciliation by unforgiveness. Or, it could be a refusal to share fears and feelings with God. Ezekiel 36:26 is God’s reminder to you and me—that he sees our struggles anyway.
So, even if you don’t see a way to cultivate peace in your own heart, or feel courageous enough to be exposed, God’s promise here is that he can do the work for you, if you let him. You and I can bring our hurting, hiding, hardened hearts to God, and welcome his healing. He will rake away what’s weighing you down, warming and softening your heart.
So the next time you’re working in the yard, or marveling at leaves, remember: John 15 says God is your gardener. Let him rake, prune, and shape you ... so that you will bear much fruit for His glory.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider the beauty of changing seasons, or the work of raking away anything that’s covering something underneath, reflect on these thoughts:
What can you ask God to reveal to you about anything that may be weighing you down?
Can you recall a time God pruned you and you were better off for it?
If your heart is hurting, how might you pray for God to heal it?
Further Reading:
Hebrews 4:12-13
Psalm 33:13-14
1 John 3:20
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How can you know when to trust your own instincts and when to wait for God’s guidance? When conflict, difficult decisions, or emotional situations arise, self-reliance can cause us to act or react before seeking God’s wisdom. Judges 1:1-4 offers a powerful picture of what it looks like to turn to God first, ask for His direction, and faithfully follow where He leads.
Following Christ doesn’t mean we will always know exactly what to do or receive an immediate answer. God often guides us through Scripture, prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom of other believers. As we consistently seek Him in everyday circumstances, we become more attentive to His direction when bigger challenges arise. Learning to follow Christ requires practice, humility, and trust, but we can rest in the assurance that we don’t have to figure out every step on our own.
Highlights
Why self-reliance can lead us to act or react before seeking God’s guidance

What Judges 1:1-4 teaches about turning to God for direction

How prayer and Scripture help us develop greater spiritual discernment

Why God’s guidance may come through Scripture, other believers, or the Holy Spirit

How practicing dependence on God in everyday situations prepares us for bigger challenges

What James 1:5 teaches about asking God for wisdom without fear of criticism

Encouragement to trust Christ’s leadership rather than trying to figure out every step on your own

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Full Transcript Below:
Faithfully Led by Christ
By: Jennifer Slattery
Bible Reading:
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” - Judges 1:1.
Some of my deepest relational wounds were self-inflicted. I’m presently dealing with the painful aftereffects of a situation I created through self-reliance. That’s not to say I never prayed for God’s guidance, or that I didn’t try to follow His lead. I did, frequently. But I also acted on my emotions and perspectives far too often, particularly during times of conflict.
Because of this, at times, I did and said things that hurt the other person and damaged our relationship. In fact, when I consider some of my most painful experiences, I recognize that I brought many of them on myself by acting before receiving God’s guidance, His perspective on the situation, or His strength to love others as He loves me.
That’s one reason I find the book of Judges so comforting, because it highlights God’s grace despite humanity’s persistent rebellion.
The people started their new season in the Promised Land well. The Israelites appeared to keep their focus on God and His will, even for some time after Joshua, their former leader, died.
Having witnessed God’s miraculous provision and protection during their desert wanderings, these men and women seemed to recognize how much they needed the Lord’s support. At this point in their history, it appears they didn’t have a strong, central leader—no president, king, or military commander—to follow.
Yet, rather than relying on themselves, they turned to their true, ever-faithful King, the Almighty. They sought His guidance, and He provided, stating in verse 2, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”
Verse 4 records the result: “Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek” (Judges 1:4, NASB).
This reminds me of the promise recorded in James 1:5, which reads, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (NIV).
Intersecting Life & Faith:
Scripture invites me to come to God with all my concerns, questions, and confusion. When I do, God never responds with frustration or criticism. Instead, He welcomes me close, often comforts and strengthens my soul, and provides the wisdom I need to navigate life’s complexities with discernment and grace.
Sometimes, I “hear” His directions in that moment. Most often, however, His guidance comes later, in His perfect timing, whether that's through Scripture, a conversation with another Christ-follower, or a growing but gentle conviction from the Holy Spirit.
I’m learning, I’m most apt to recognize His voice when I practice connecting with Him while tuning my spiritual ears to Him. This intentionality and consistency in everyday experiences help me recognize His voice in situations that feel “high stakes”—like with the relationship I mentioned at the beginning of this devotion.
In my present, healing-but-not-yet-whole situation, the Lord provided understanding of the other person’s fears and their hurts I wouldn’t have known otherwise. This reduced my tendency toward defensiveness while increasing my ability to remain focused on the real issue, rather than outward behavior (symptoms). He’s also shown me ways some of my past actions caused harm, along with how I can interact differently in the future.
Not only have these divine insights facilitated relational healing, but they’ve also dramatically reduced my angst by reminding me that I’m not alone. I don’t have to figure out each step; I simply need to follow the One who has promised to lead me to His very best (John 10:10).
As I consistently turn to Christ and yield to His Spirit within, I’m better able to follow the example provided in the opening of Judges. As I do, something beautiful occurs. God’s faithfulness deepens my trust and increases my desire to seek His guidance before acting or reacting.
Again, this takes practice, intentionality, and consistency, as many of us have spent our entire lives strengthening our self-reliance. Thankfully, we’re not traveling this transformation journey alone. The God who led ancient Israel into the Promised Land longs to guide us through our challenges, big and small, as well.
Consider: How might responding to God's guidance in everyday situations increase your ability to recognize His direction when facing life's bigger battles? And if this is an area you long to grow in, I invite you to join me and my cohost Carol McCracken on the Faith Over Fear podcast for our upcoming series on hearing God. Because the Lord is leading us. The question is, are we alert and responsive to His guidance?
Further Reading:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Psalm 25:4-5
Galatians 5:16, 22-25
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How can you pass your faith on to the next generation? Sharing stories about God’s faithfulness, answered prayers, and the ways He has carried you through difficult seasons can have a lasting impact on children, grandchildren, and younger people in your life. Your testimony doesn’t have to be dramatic or perfectly presented to encourage someone else to trust God.
Psalm 78:2-4 reminds us of the importance of telling the next generation about God’s power and the wonderful things He has done. The faith stories you share can help younger people see that God is not only part of Bible history—He is active, present, and trustworthy today. Whether you’re talking around the dinner table, spending time with family, or encouraging someone at church, everyday conversations can become opportunities to share your faith and leave a spiritual legacy that points others toward God.
Highlights
Why sharing stories of God’s faithfulness can strengthen the faith of the next generation

What Psalm 78:2-4 teaches about telling others what God has done

How stories of answered prayer can inspire younger people to develop their own prayer lives

Why you don’t need to be a Bible scholar or public speaker to share your faith

Practical ways to talk about God with children, grandchildren, and younger people in your community

How your testimony can help younger people connect God’s faithfulness in the past with hope for their future

Questions to help you identify opportunities to encourage someone younger through your own story of God’s work

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Full Transcript Below:
Tell the Next Generation
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old – things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.” – Psalm 78:2-4, NIV
My paternal grandmother, Lena Wyckoff, told me many memorable stories about how God worked in her life before she passed away at age 98. She emphasized how God was close by her side through everything she experienced – in good and bad circumstances alike. Grandma’s long life was full of highs and lows. She enjoyed lots of love in her life from family and friends, yet she was widowed young and suffered a lot as a single mother afterward. She faced many challenges, but she overcame them all with God’s help. Along the way, Grandma stayed close to God through prayer and recorded the details of how God answered her prayers. She shared wonderful stories with me about the power of prayer and God’s faithful answers to prayers. Thanks to Grandma’s stories, I was inspired to build my own prayer life with God.
Think back to the stories you heard when you were growing up. Maybe a parent, a grandparent, a Sunday school teacher, or a close friend sat with you and shared about how God was working in their lives. They told you about the prayers God answered, the times God brought them through difficult seasons, and the wonderful ways God showed his love. Those stories were not just nice memories from the past. They were living seeds of faith planted into your heart to help you understand who God is and how well he cares for you.
In Psalm 78:2-4, the Bible reminds you that you have an important role to play in God’s plans by passing along the stories of how God has worked in your life. God wants you to share his praiseworthy deeds, his power, and the wonders he has done with the next generation of people, like your descendants, and other younger people you know.
You don’t need to be a biblical scholar or an experienced public speaker to share inspiring stories of God at work. All God asks you to do is be an honest witness of how he has worked so far in your life. You can do so well just by sharing genuine stories about God in your everyday conversations with the people you know. God will bring you lots of opportunities to tell the next generation about him. You can tell stories whenever you’re spending time with your children and grandchildren – especially during family meals, when everyone is paying attention to family conversations. You can also share your stories with young people you know from your church and other places in your community. Get to know a few younger people as friends, offer to pray for them about the concerns they share with you, and share stories of how God has helped you in similar situations.
When you share your stories about God, you help younger people make connections between God’s faithfulness in the past and the hope they need for the future. Every time you share a story of God’s wonderful work in your life, you help a younger person see that God is real, active, and trustworthy today. You help them realize that the same God who performed wonders in the Bible, and who guided believers throughout history, is ready to guide them in their own lives right now.
Never underestimate the power of your positive influence on the next generation when you share your stories about God. Even the simplest stories you tell younger people about God’s wonderful work in your life can help them learn and grow closer to God.
So, ask God to help you notice the opportunities he gives you to share your faith stories, and to share the Gospel message in fresh ways through those stories. Your stories have eternal value!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider why it’s important to share stories of God’s wonderful work with younger people, reflect on these questions:

Who in your past faithfully shared God’s wonders with you, and how did their words inspire you to grow closer to God?
What’s one story of how God answered your prayers that you can share with someone younger this week?
What fears might hold you back from sharing your faith stories, and how can you rely on God to help you overcome those fears?
How can you make plans in your schedule regularly to talk about God with the young people around you?
Who is a young person in your life right now who needs encouragement? How can you pray for that person today and share an encouraging story with him or her?
Further Reading:
Joel 1:3
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Psalm 145:4
2 Timothy 1:5
Psalm 71:18
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What has God grown in you this year? As the year comes to a close, it can be easy to focus on what remains unfinished, what didn’t go as planned, or where you wish you had grown more. But reflecting on your year through the lens of faith can help you recognize the spiritual growth, lessons, answered prayers, strengthened relationships, and deeper trust in God that may have developed along the way.
God often grows something meaningful in us through ordinary days, difficult seasons, waiting, disappointment, and unexpected opportunities. Like gathering a harvest, taking time to look back can reveal how God has been shaping your character and drawing you closer to Him. Reflecting on His faithfulness can help you celebrate progress you may have overlooked, give thanks for what He has taught you, and carry those lessons into the year ahead with greater faith and purpose.
Highlights
How to recognize the spiritual growth God has cultivated in your life this year

Why we can overlook meaningful growth when we focus only on what remains unfinished

How difficult seasons, waiting, and disappointment can produce lasting spiritual lessons

Practical ways to reflect on answered prayers, changed priorities, and deeper faith

Why remembering God’s faithfulness can strengthen gratitude and hope for the future

How to gather the lessons God has grown in you rather than simply moving on to the next season

Encouragement to look back with gratitude and trust God with what He will grow next

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Full Transcript Below:
Gathering What God Grew in You This Year
By Melinda Eye Cooper
Bible Reading:
So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. - 1 Corinthians 3:7 NIV
An interesting thing happened this year. Two tomato plants grew in the exact spot we’d planted them last year, but they shouldn’t have. My husband had pulled the plants out of the landscaping last Fall when they were done producing.
We planned on putting a couple more plants there again this year because they’d grown well in that shaded spot beside the house. But strangely, in spring, when we began preparing the landscaping for flowers, two healthy-looking plants were growing in the exact same place we planted them the year before.
“Are these tomato plants?” he asked after he finished pulling weeds, preparing to plant flowers. Thankfully, he didn’t pull them out thinking they were some kind of weed.
I examined the two healthy plants and couldn’t stop the excitement in my voice. “They sure are. Wow.”
“That’s really weird. I pulled those out last fall when they were done making tomatoes,” he said.
We were shocked but happy we didn’t have to buy any plants.
We checked with some family members to find out if tomato plants will just automatically grow back the next year in the same place. One person told us that it had happened to them before but the tomatoes that grew back were small and not as good.
With this knowledge, we didn’t have great expectations but were curious about these mysterious plants, so we kept our eyes on them, making sure they were watered.
Those plants grew absolutely huge and took over the landscaping on that side of the house. They produced the best crop of tomatoes we’ve ever grown. All without us even doing a thing except for giving them some water, and my husband tied them up to keep them off the ground, for the most part.
Apparently, the plants found the perfect spot to grow.
We gathered tons of tomatoes. I learned how to use a water bath to can them. Some are in the freezer. I gave many to neighbors, and ate a lot of delicious bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches and fresh salads. No store-bought tomato can compare to the heavenly taste of a homegrown one. They’re just better in every way.
God really knows how to grow good things.
And thankfully, He does the same thing with us.
In the referenced Scripture, Paul is speaking about church growth. I love how Paul says God makes things grow. That statement is so true. We can try all we want, but without God, we’re not going to grow well. We may get head knowledge, but true growth is a changed heart, and the most important thing.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
When we seek God by reading the Bible, speaking with Christian friends about questions we have, or going straight to God in prayer, we’re growing spiritually. It is a slow process, for sure.
What God produces within us through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit is really good stuff – the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
Like I gathered an unexpected bumper crop of tomatoes, and figured out the best way to use and preserve them, how can we do this with what God has grown in us?
(I’m so glad you asked.)
This good fruit of the Spirit is incredibly beneficial and is evidence of God’s work in our lives. He’s changing us, helping us become more like Jesus, slowly but surely as we grow.
Speaking to each of these fruits would probably be a long devotion or even a book. So, I’ll keep it short and sweet.
One way we can know God has grown something good within us is when we can forgive someone we love for causing us pain and continue to love them through forgiveness. We don’t allow bitterness or resentment to take hold.
We gather what God grew in us and give them some grace and mercy as He has given us.
God has a purpose in pain, and often it is the catalyst for our own spiritual growth.
Not to say we forgive and forget what happened, but that we recognize none of us is perfect, and we all make mistakes. And with genuine forgiveness on our part, we can move forward a little wiser and love others in a better way. We choose to show love and forgiveness even when it’s hard. That can be a big point of growth.
We’re a work in progress, and thank goodness, God’s growing us to be more like Jesus. We’re changing for the better.
With Jesus deeply rooted in our hearts, we’re planted in the right spot.
God will nourish, and we will surely flourish.
Father, thank You for the powerful Holy Spirit and for His help in life. I need Him every moment of every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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What does it mean to say, “The Lord is my portion”? When life feels uncertain, we can be tempted to measure security by what we own, accomplish, or can control. But Scripture points us toward a deeper source of contentment: God Himself. When we recognize the Lord as our portion, we can find hope and stability even when circumstances change or the things we depend on are taken away.
Making God our portion means trusting that His presence, faithfulness, and promises are enough. It does not mean we will never experience loss, disappointment, or uncertainty, but it gives us something circumstances cannot take away. Instead of placing our hope in temporary possessions, relationships, success, or earthly security, we can turn our hearts toward God and remember that He remains faithful in every season. When the Lord is our portion, we have reason to hope, persevere, and rest in His goodness.
Highlights
What it means to make the Lord our portion and source of hope

Why earthly possessions and circumstances cannot provide lasting security

How trusting God can bring contentment during seasons of uncertainty or loss

Why God’s presence and faithfulness are greater than anything we can gain or accomplish

How to shift our hope from temporary things to the promises of God

Why recognizing God as our portion helps us persevere through difficult seasons

Encouragement to find lasting hope and stability in the Lord rather than in circumstances

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Full Transcript Below:
The Lord Is My Portion
By Cindi McMenamin
Bible Reading:
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I wait for Him.” (Lamentations 3:24 NASB)
Life was going well, and I had been assigned to write an article called “10 Ways Your Life Looks Different When God Is Your Portion.” I read through every verse in the Bible about God being our portion, our refuge, our reward. And I prayed that God would make me a person who saw Him as my portion.
As I was writing the article, I also prayed for insight about the hurts and disappointments people would be experiencing as they read the article, so it would be a comfort and encouragement to them. I thought of my mother, who was sinking into depression as her husband was sinking deeper into the disease of Alzheimer’s. I thought of a reader who had just lost a dear friend. I thought of someone who may just be receiving the news that they’d lost their longtime job.
“God, give me Your words that people will most need to read for their hearts to be encouraged,” I prayed.
I turned in the article and didn’t think about it for a couple of weeks. Until the day came that the article was published. I read through it once again, emailed a link of the article to my mom so she could read it, and prayed that everyone who encountered it would be encouraged.
And then it happened.
I received an email that same morning with devastating news, and in an instant, I knew God had arranged for that article to encourage me. He was using all those verses I had read and studied earlier in order to write that article, not just help others, but to move me to a place where I saw Him as my ultimate reward. While life was going well, it was easy to think that I was already seeing God as my portion. But when I had lost something dear to me, I suddenly had to take inventory of what was most important.
Immediately, the lessons I wrote about came to my mind: Because the Lord is my portion, I don’t need to worry about my provision, my future, or whether or not I have an inheritance. Because the Lord is my refuge, I can feel safe in His care, regardless of uncertainties. Because He is my reward, I can find contentment in life, and focus on my blessings, not my burdens, and the things I seem to be losing. And because He is my portion and my very great reward, I can surrender the need to succeed and find my identity in Him, not in what I do.
Tears came to my eyes as I realized that more than needing the good news I was expecting in that email, God knew I needed to see Him as my portion and my very great reward.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
What would you consider your greatest reward? Is it your children and grandchildren? Is it the legacy you’ve worked for all your life? Is it the retirement that awaits you or the commendation you waited years to earn? Is it your ministry or the satisfaction you feel after serving others or bringing about some good for someone?
God’s Word is true when it tells us we will only find the desires of our hearts if we delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). And Asaph, the psalmist, knew the true rewards of this life when he sang these words to his Maker and Sustainer in Psalm 73:25-26:
“Whom do I have in heaven but You?
And with You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (NASB).
When the Lord becomes your greatest treasure and reward, you will never find yourself lacking.
Thank You, Lord God, for loving us so much You know what we need eternally, not just temporarily. Help us to see You as our greatest portion and our most treasured reward, and may we be satisfied with nothing less.
Further Study:
Psalm 16
For daily encouragement in seeing the Lord as your portion, see Cindi’s book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 days to a Closer Connection with God.
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