It can be easy to let past struggles shape how we view God’s character. Difficult circumstances may tempt us to believe we are forgotten or left to handle life alone. But God’s faithfulness is often revealed not by removing every hardship, but by carrying us through each one with His peace, provision, and strength.

Because of Christ, we are not abandoned or forgotten. We are deeply loved, chosen, guided, and redeemed by the Father. When we remember who God is and who we are in Him, fear loses its power and we can walk forward with confidence in His care.

Highlights:
God’s love is something we are invited to experience, not just understand intellectually
Past hardships can distort our view of God’s faithfulness if we lose sight of His truth
God often meets us through difficulties by providing strength, peace, and guidance
We are desirable, lovable, helpable, and redeemable because of God’s love
Knowing we are loved by God changes how we face challenges and uncertainty

Join the Conversation

Have you experienced a time when God reminded you that He saw your pain, needs, or circumstances? How does knowing that God is El Roi—the God who sees you—change the way you approach difficult seasons?

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

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Full Transcript Below:

God’s Heart for You Is Huge
By Kelly Balarie

Bible Reading:
“…and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].” – Ephesians 3:19 AMPC

For a second, I imagined myself as a little girl, abandoned and left alone in the rain. Shivering, it was obvious that my clothes were far too scarce for the elements. 

As I came back out of my daydreaming, I decided that a random imaginary picture summed up how I felt. It aligned with my underlying thoughts: Who will rescue me? Who will protect me? Will I be okay?

The logical side of me knew, cerebrally, the truth: “God is faithful.”
The authentic side of me, honestly said, “Can I really trust God?”

I wasn’t so sure after all I’d been through - problem after problem, health issue after health issue, car malfunction after car malfunction. It leaves one wondering: WillI always be left out to dry?

The enemy of my soul certainly wanted me to believe that this would be the case. That God won’t show up. That God will fail me. That I can’t trust God. For if the devil can discourage me with the past, he can steal from me faith in the present.

I wasn’t about to let that happen. 

My mind circled back to the truth of my hard past situations. I remembered back to how Jesus didn’t deliver me from my surgery, but how His peace carried me through surgery and recovery. I acknowledged how some lump sum of money didn’t drop on me, but how God readily provided for me with my car problems. I remembered how a problem for a family member became a confidence boost post-event.

God loves me. He wasn’t running from me; God was with me. His love was right there.

A lie was unearthed: God wants to be near me and is not far from me. He desires to help me.

Owning this truth feels somewhat self-indulgent, but it still remains true that:

I am desirable to God.  He so desires to be with me that Christ lives in me.
I am lovable to God. He so loves me, He sent His Son for me, even while I was still a sinner.
I am helpable. He so wants to equip and guide me; He has sent His Holy Spirit to lead me.

I am redeemable. If Jesus conquered sin and death, He is able to conquer my problems, His way.

These 4 -able statements make me remember I don’t serve a God who is unable. 

Instead, I serve a God who loves me and wants to help me. This changes everything. I am not a lost child, but a loved one. A cared-for daughter. 

God’s love never fails me.

“…and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].” (Eph. 3:19 AMPC)

I am not left an unlovable, left to dry orphan, but I am a loved daughter of the Most High God.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What -able statement means the most to you? Why do you think it is hard to own these truths? What do you feel able to do or to confront when you realize that God is able to love you this way?

It can be easy to let past struggles shape how we view God&rsquo;s character. Difficult circumstances may tempt us to believe we are forgotten or left to handle life alone. But God&rsquo;s faithfulness is often revealed not by removing every hardship, but by carrying us through each one with His peace, provision, and strength.
Because of Christ, we are not abandoned or forgotten. We are deeply loved, chosen, guided, and redeemed by the Father. When we remember who God is and who we are in Him, fear loses its power and we can walk forward with confidence in His care.
Highlights:
<ul data-start="942" data-end="1370">
<li data-section-id="v1yaj0" data-start="942" data-end="1034">God&rsquo;s love is something we are invited to experience, not just understand intellectually</li>
<li data-section-id="19aqfzi" data-start="1035" data-end="1126">Past hardships can distort our view of God&rsquo;s faithfulness if we lose sight of His truth</li>
<li data-section-id="fgdstz" data-start="1127" data-end="1213">God often meets us through difficulties by providing strength, peace, and guidance</li>
<li data-section-id="1q0oech" data-start="1214" data-end="1291">We are desirable, lovable, helpable, and redeemable because of God&rsquo;s love</li>
<li data-section-id="1qb9alr" data-start="1292" data-end="1370">Knowing we are loved by God changes how we face challenges and uncertainty</li>
</ul>
Join the Conversation
Have you experienced a time when God reminded you that He saw your pain, needs, or circumstances? How does knowing that God is El Roi&mdash;the God who sees you&mdash;change the way you approach difficult seasons?
Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: <a href="https://forums.crosswalk.com/">https://forums.crosswalk.com/</a>
Do you want to listen ad-free?
When you join&nbsp;Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors&mdash;resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts!&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/subscribe/?utm_source=subscribe_page&amp;utm_medium=YDBV&amp;utm_campaign=YDBV_PLUS">Sign Up Today!</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
God&rsquo;s Heart for You Is Huge By Kelly Balarie
Bible Reading: &ldquo;&hellip;and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God&rsquo;s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].&rdquo; &ndash; Ephesians 3:19 AMPC
For a second, I imagined myself as a little girl, abandoned and left alone in the rain. Shivering, it was obvious that my clothes were far too scarce for the elements.&nbsp;
As I came back out of my daydreaming, I decided that a random imaginary picture summed up how I felt. It aligned with my underlying thoughts: Who will rescue me? Who will protect me? Will I be okay?
The logical side of me knew, cerebrally, the truth: &ldquo;God is faithful.&rdquo; The authentic side of me, honestly said, &ldquo;Can I really trust God?&rdquo;
I wasn&rsquo;t so sure after all I&rsquo;d been through - problem after problem, health issue after health issue, car malfunction after car malfunction. It leaves one wondering: Will I always be left out to dry?
The enemy of my soul certainly wanted me to believe that this would be the case. That God won&rsquo;t show up. That God will fail me. That I can&rsquo;t trust God. For if the devil can discourage me with the past, he can steal from me faith in the present.
I wasn&rsquo;t about to let that happen.&nbsp;
My mind circled back to the truth of my hard past situations. I remembered back to how Jesus didn&rsquo;t deliver me from my surgery, but how His peace carried me through surgery and recovery. I acknowledged how some lump sum of money didn&rsquo;t drop on me, but how God readily provided for me with my car problems. I remembered how a problem for a family member became a confidence boost post-event.
God loves me. He wasn&rsquo;t running from me; God was with me. His love was right there.
A lie was unearthed: God wants to be near me and is not far from me. He desires to help me.
Owning this truth feels somewhat self-indulgent, but it still remains true that:
I am desirable to God.&nbsp; He so desires to be with me that Christ lives in me. I am lovable to God. He so loves me, He sent His Son for me, even while I was still a sinner. I am helpable. He so wants to equip and guide me; He has sent His Holy Spirit to lead me.
I am redeemable. If Jesus conquered sin and death, He is able to conquer my problems, His way.
These 4 -able statements make me remember I don&rsquo;t serve a God who is unable.&nbsp;
Instead, I serve a God who loves me and wants to help me. This changes everything. I am not a lost child, but a loved one. A cared-for daughter.&nbsp;
God&rsquo;s love never fails me.
&ldquo;&hellip;and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God&rsquo;s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].&rdquo; (Eph. 3:19 AMPC)
I am not left an unlovable, left to dry orphan, but I am a loved daughter of the Most High God.
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
What -able statement means the most to you? Why do you think it is hard to own these truths? What do you feel able to do or to confront when you realize that God is able to love you this way?

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.

Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:

☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment
☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life
☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church
☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer
☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation
☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year

If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:
☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It) ☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment ☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life ☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life ☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church ☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer ☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation ☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year
If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/">https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.</a>

7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life.

The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

The Crosswalk Devotional

God’s Heart for You Is Huge

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/d6d9ab51-c5a0-4101-a74a-b46b00fb8b08/transcript