The Crosswalk Devotional

Are you in heavy season? If so, what verse above gives you encouragement? Commit the verse to memory and recite it when you are struggling to hold on to your joy.

Where are you looking at what you don’t have instead of all you have in Christ Jesus? How might God be calling you to adjust your vantage point?

The next time fear tries to interfere with you hearing God’s messages, remind yourself of the angel’s words: “Do not be afraid.” Push past your fear, open your mind and heart, and listen carefully. Joy is waiting for you!

How is your heart during this holiday season? Is it filled with worship, awe, and thankfulness for the gifts of God, or is it overwhelmed with dread and disappointment?

If we’re going about our busy season and have lost all semblance of peace, then we need to take a step back. Chances are, we’re not honoring God, and much of what we do is being done in vain.

If you grew up Christian, but unaware of celebrating Advent, take some time to prayerfully consider if you and your family would like to participate this coming year in one or more of the traditions.

Take time today to think about how you approach worship. Are you like me, prone to attend out of obligation, or is your heart joyful at the opportunity to “enter His courts with praise”?

So, as this Thanksgiving season is here, let’s pause at least once a day and think about all we are grateful for, then thank God for all of it and more. Such a practice will fill our hearts with joy and help us remember that our God is good all year round.

What are some reasons why you’re struggling with contentment this Thanksgiving? Is there anything you can do to change your heart of want to a heart of contentment?

Ask God to lead you in cultivating a heart full of thanksgiving. Begin by studying His word, spending time in prayer thanking Him for His faithfulness, and telling others of all He has done in your life.

Jesus, in today’s world, we are far too familiar with noise. Please grant us the grace to consider our relationship with silence, and help us be courageous enough to open ourselves up to ways we can enter a silent, sacred space to better commune with you.

Father, let us be people who give thanks in all we do. Help us understand how you always work in all situations. Let us adopt an attitude of thankfulness, even when our will is bent toward negativity and discontentment.

The goal for Thanksgiving is to express true thankfulness. Not a thankfulness that is only surface-level, but a true thankfulness that reaches to the inmost parts of our souls.

Contentment and choosing to be faithful to God’s purpose are daily choices. Often, my feelings dictate my soul's contentment. Paul understood this struggle.

Our best teacher when it comes to learning about true gratitude is found in the Bible. As the author of gratitude, no one knows or can teach us more about it than God. He is our authority on how, when, where, and why to express it.