Trust God to Care for You - The Crosswalk Devotional - January 11

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Trust God to Care for You
By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,” – Nahum 1:7, NIV 

During the winter – when the days are shortest, the weather is coldest, and the festive energy of the holidays has worn off – many people struggle with feeling sad and tired. The winter can feel like an unending time of trouble since it’s a dark, cold season that seems to drag on forever. But in this fallen world, there are so many challenges that you can experience trouble anytime. 

Thankfully, this Bible verse reminds you that God is a refuge you can turn to in times of trouble. 

A refuge is a safe place with reliable help. God is the ultimate refuge for you, whenever you’re facing any kind of trouble. God is always purely good. He doesn’t change with the seasons or with your feelings. God’s goodness is a constant truth you can build your life on. 

The Bible doesn’t promise that you won’t experience trouble. In fact, it often acknowledges that trouble is a part of life in this broken world. Jesus says straight out in John 16:33 that: “in this world you will have trouble”. But he adds in that same verse: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Nahum 1:7 assures you that you don't have to face trouble alone. You can take refuge in God, who is completely trustworthy in every situation. 

The second part of this verse gives you the confidence that God “cares for those who trust in him.” The same God who created the vast universe and knows every star by name cares about the specific challenges you’re facing right now. He cares about the sadness and stress you’re feeling, and he hears your prayers and plans to answer them

When other people don’t really care about how sad or exhausted you feel, you can relax and be honest with God. God will listen to how you really feel, and he really cares. But God also asks you to trust him. Trust is the key that unlocks God’s care in your life. 

How can you trust God to care for you? You need to let go of the need to control the outcomes of the troubling situations you’re facing. Just like you can’t control the temperature or the amount of daylight in winter, and you can’t force yourself to feel better. But you can choose to surrender your struggle to God, and you can trust that God will help you with whatever you need when you ask for his help. 

So, talk with God honestly. Share all of your difficult feelings with God, and tell him you’re choosing to trust him to help you with what you need. Then, rest in the reality that God will keep his promises. God promises to be a refuge for you in times of trouble. He promises to care for you when you trust him. So, choose to believe that God will really do that! 

In the cold, dark days of winter, trusting God allows you to stop worrying about finding the warmth and light you need. Instead, you get to rest in the warmth and light of God’s presence with you. You can take a deep breath and remember that God’s goodness is your greatest resource. God is watching over you, guiding you, and providing for you – even in times of trouble. 

Take the pressure off yourself to be cheerful when you’re feeling sad, or to be productive when you’re tired. Just focus on connecting with God’s presence with you, and trusting God to help you. God is good, he is your refuge, and he cares for you. Let God’s care be the strength that gets you through times of trouble. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider why it’s important to trust God to care for you in times of trouble, reflect on these questions: 

  • What kind of trouble are you currently facing?
  • How does knowing that God is a refuge for you change how you view the trouble you’re going through right now? Does it feel less overwhelming? 
  • What’s a situation in your life where you’re trying to control the outcome? How can you trust God to help you with that situation so you can relax and experience God’s best for you? 
  • When was a time in the past when you were going through a time of trouble and God cared for you then? 
  • How can you remind yourself this week to trust God more when you’re feeling sad or tired? 

Further Reading:
John 16:33
Psalm 46:1
Psalm 91:2
Isaiah 41:10
1 Peter 5:7

How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Amber N Ford 


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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Trust God to Care for You - The Crosswalk Devotional - January 11

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

The Crosswalk Devotional updated banner logo

Trust God to Care for You
By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,” – Nahum 1:7, NIV 

During the winter – when the days are shortest, the weather is coldest, and the festive energy of the holidays has worn off – many people struggle with feeling sad and tired. The winter can feel like an unending time of trouble since it’s a dark, cold season that seems to drag on forever. But in this fallen world, there are so many challenges that you can experience trouble anytime. 

Thankfully, this Bible verse reminds you that God is a refuge you can turn to in times of trouble. 

A refuge is a safe place with reliable help. God is the ultimate refuge for you, whenever you’re facing any kind of trouble. God is always purely good. He doesn’t change with the seasons or with your feelings. God’s goodness is a constant truth you can build your life on. 

The Bible doesn’t promise that you won’t experience trouble. In fact, it often acknowledges that trouble is a part of life in this broken world. Jesus says straight out in John 16:33 that: “in this world you will have trouble”. But he adds in that same verse: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Nahum 1:7 assures you that you don't have to face trouble alone. You can take refuge in God, who is completely trustworthy in every situation. 

The second part of this verse gives you the confidence that God “cares for those who trust in him.” The same God who created the vast universe and knows every star by name cares about the specific challenges you’re facing right now. He cares about the sadness and stress you’re feeling, and he hears your prayers and plans to answer them

When other people don’t really care about how sad or exhausted you feel, you can relax and be honest with God. God will listen to how you really feel, and he really cares. But God also asks you to trust him. Trust is the key that unlocks God’s care in your life. 

How can you trust God to care for you? You need to let go of the need to control the outcomes of the troubling situations you’re facing. Just like you can’t control the temperature or the amount of daylight in winter, and you can’t force yourself to feel better. But you can choose to surrender your struggle to God, and you can trust that God will help you with whatever you need when you ask for his help. 

So, talk with God honestly. Share all of your difficult feelings with God, and tell him you’re choosing to trust him to help you with what you need. Then, rest in the reality that God will keep his promises. God promises to be a refuge for you in times of trouble. He promises to care for you when you trust him. So, choose to believe that God will really do that! 

In the cold, dark days of winter, trusting God allows you to stop worrying about finding the warmth and light you need. Instead, you get to rest in the warmth and light of God’s presence with you. You can take a deep breath and remember that God’s goodness is your greatest resource. God is watching over you, guiding you, and providing for you – even in times of trouble. 

Take the pressure off yourself to be cheerful when you’re feeling sad, or to be productive when you’re tired. Just focus on connecting with God’s presence with you, and trusting God to help you. God is good, he is your refuge, and he cares for you. Let God’s care be the strength that gets you through times of trouble. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider why it’s important to trust God to care for you in times of trouble, reflect on these questions: 

  • What kind of trouble are you currently facing?
  • How does knowing that God is a refuge for you change how you view the trouble you’re going through right now? Does it feel less overwhelming? 
  • What’s a situation in your life where you’re trying to control the outcome? How can you trust God to help you with that situation so you can relax and experience God’s best for you? 
  • When was a time in the past when you were going through a time of trouble and God cared for you then? 
  • How can you remind yourself this week to trust God more when you’re feeling sad or tired? 

Further Reading:
John 16:33
Psalm 46:1
Psalm 91:2
Isaiah 41:10
1 Peter 5:7

How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Amber N Ford 


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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