There are distractions and uncertainty within the realm of social media. Listen to a way on how to navigate it with grace, authenticity, while having a faith perspective.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:

Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/
Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/

There are distractions and uncertainty within the realm of social media. Listen to a way on how to navigate it with grace, authenticity, while having a faith perspective.
SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts: Your Daily Prayer: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/">https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/</a> Your Daily Bible Verse: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/">https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/</a>

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:

☕️ Confidence in Knowing God Is Enough
☕️ What to Do When Life Takes a Drastic Turn
☕️ How to Escape the Trap of Anger
☕️ An Attitude of Gratitude for the New Year
☕️ Three Keys to a Hope-Filled Spiritual Mindset
☕️ Gaze at God for Peace-filled Positive Thoughts

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:
☕️ Confidence in Knowing God Is Enough ☕️ What to Do When Life Takes a Drastic Turn ☕️ How to Escape the Trap of Anger ☕️ An Attitude of Gratitude for the New Year ☕️ Three Keys to a Hope-Filled Spiritual Mindset ☕️ Gaze at God for Peace-filled Positive Thoughts

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

How Should I Show Up on Social Media?

What would it look like for you to take it easy and to let go of your record of wrongs? Perhaps, take a second to repent and then receive God’s grace for you. He doesn’t look at you and see every mistake you’ve ever made; He looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He loves you and will continue to help you.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:

Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/
Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/

Full Transcript Below:

How to Move Forward when Sin Keeps Returning

By Kelly Balarie

“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” – Prov. 29:11 NIV

I feel so angry at myself, and I can’t seem to let it go. Friends, I know, I know... God forgives me, so I need to forgive myself (in fact, I must forgive myself), but sometimes forgiving oneself is more easily said than done.

The issue is -- I didn’t overlook an offense and, therefore, became explosive in my tone of voice. I unleashed it on one I love. The issue is that this wasn’t the first time this had happened either. It’s embarrassing to say that I have done it a couple times in the last few years. The issue is that I had resolved not to do this, ever, and I did it again. Oh, the frustration of it all…

Have you ever given full vent to your offense?

It’s so easy to do. In those moments where we’re wronged or a slighted, it’s easy to feel justified to be upset. The cause is righteous so, of course, we should stand up for it, with force. We know the action is right because we’re standing up for a person.  We’re standing up for God’s truth, so we have every right to not let the other person believe a lie. 

The need to release offense and to stand up for something – can feel so right, yet it can be executed all wrong. That’s what I’m learning, anyway.

For me? In those moments before I spoke, the words brewed inside, burning to be released. Finally, the second the other party provoked me – I hit a high-pressure point! Then, like a tea kettle screeching under the heat -- I gave full-vent to my anger.

What pressures you to let loose your annoyance, anger or offense?“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” - Prov. 29:11 NIV

Friends, I can’t help but be confronted with the thought: Two wrongs don’t make a right.  There is a way that seems right to a man but leads to death (see: Prov. 14:12). And there also a way that seems wrong to man but leads to calm in the end.

In order to go the right way, we cannot permit feelings of flesh to hinder us from heeding God’s Word.  

And, what do you do if, much like me, all the actions you thought were right have led up to a million repeated wrongs? How do you handle the face of all your mistakes?

Here, Proverbs 29:11 comes to mind again, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”

We are foolish to give vent to anger, even towards ourselves.  Wisdom embraces calm and extends itself the grace of Jesus.

Letting go, we can choose to take it easy.

Why? Because Jesus’ grace is always enough. Because Jesus’ grace is equipping, empowering and enabling. Because Jesus’ grace is alive and well.  

This means, He will help us going forward.

God is the Author and the Perfecter of our faith story and, best of all, our story is not over. God is still perfecting it. Here, we can take it easy on ourselves and let it go…God always has for us a fresh start in Christ Jesus. It’s time to let go…

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What would it look like for you to take it easy and to let go of your record of wrongs? Perhaps, take a second to repent and then receive God’s grace for you. He doesn’t look at you and see every mistake you’ve ever made; He looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He loves you and will continue to help you.

What would it look like for you to take it easy and to let go of your record of wrongs? Perhaps, take a second to repent and then receive God’s grace for you. He doesn’t look at you and see every mistake you’ve ever made; He looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He loves you and will continue to help you.
SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts: Your Daily Prayer: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/">https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/</a> Your Daily Bible Verse: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/">https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/</a>
Full Transcript Below:
How to Move Forward when Sin Keeps Returning
By Kelly Balarie
“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” – Prov. 29:11 NIV
I feel so angry at myself, and I can’t seem to let it go. Friends, I know, I know... God forgives me, so I need to forgive myself (in fact, I must forgive myself), but sometimes forgiving oneself is more easily said than done.
The issue is -- I didn’t overlook an offense and, therefore, became explosive in my tone of voice. I unleashed it on one I love. The issue is that this wasn’t the first time this had happened either. It’s embarrassing to say that I have done it a couple times in the last few years. The issue is that I had resolved not to do this, ever, and I did it again. Oh, the frustration of it all…
Have you ever given full vent to your offense?
It’s so easy to do. In those moments where we’re wronged or a slighted, it’s easy to feel justified to be upset. The cause is righteous so, of course, we should stand up for it, with force. We know the action is right because we’re standing up for a person.  We’re standing up for God’s truth, so we have every right to not let the other person believe a lie. 
The need to release offense and to stand up for something – can feel so right, yet it can be executed all wrong. That’s what I’m learning, anyway.
For me? In those moments before I spoke, the words brewed inside, burning to be released. Finally, the second the other party provoked me – I hit a high-pressure point! Then, like a tea kettle screeching under the heat -- I gave full-vent to my anger.
What pressures you to let loose your annoyance, anger or offense?“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” - Prov. 29:11 NIV
Friends, I can’t help but be confronted with the thought: Two wrongs don’t make a right.  There is a way that seems right to a man but leads to death (see: Prov. 14:12). And there also a way that seems wrong to man but leads to calm in the end.
In order to go the right way, we cannot permit feelings of flesh to hinder us from heeding God’s Word.  
And, what do you do if, much like me, all the actions you thought were right have led up to a million repeated wrongs? How do you handle the face of all your mistakes?
Here, Proverbs 29:11 comes to mind again, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”
We are foolish to give vent to anger, even towards ourselves.  Wisdom embraces calm and extends itself the grace of Jesus.
Letting go, we can choose to take it easy.
Why? Because Jesus’ grace is always enough. Because Jesus’ grace is equipping, empowering and enabling. Because Jesus’ grace is alive and well.  
This means, He will help us going forward.
God is the Author and the Perfecter of our faith story and, best of all, our story is not over. God is still perfecting it. Here, we can take it easy on ourselves and let it go…God always has for us a fresh start in Christ Jesus. It’s time to let go…
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
What would it look like for you to take it easy and to let go of your record of wrongs? Perhaps, take a second to repent and then receive God’s grace for you. He doesn’t look at you and see every mistake you’ve ever made; He looks at you and sees the righteousness of Jesus. He loves you and will continue to help you.

How to Move Forward When Sin Keeps Returning

The more we yield to God’s Spirit within us, and courageously yield to His promptings, the more we experience the abundant, beyond expectations, deeply fulfilling life Christ promised. God still advances His plan. Our disobedience won’t thwart that.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:

Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/
Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/

Full Transcript Below:

Seizing God Moments, written by Jennifer Slattery

“From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

“On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us” (Acts 16:12-15, NIV).

When my daughter was young, my marriage and my life were a mess. My husband and I fought all the time. He held a demanding, high stress position with the railroad that often kept him away and left him exhausted when he was home. I was lonely and battling roots of shame that often caused me to react to challenges and conflict with defensiveness instead of love. We were in significant debt yet continued numbing our pain through shopping. As you can imagine, that didn’t help our relationship. At one point, things became so bad, my husband and I met with a divorce attorney, ready to end it all. 

But then one day, while walking through our neighborhood with my daughter in her stroller, I encountered a woman who invited me to her church. She didn’t say much more than that.  I didn’t know her, had never seen her before, and never saw her since, but I did go to church the following Sunday. 

That church, and the people there, changed my life, saved my marriage, and helped me learn an entirely new way of living. My daughter is now 26 and a precious woman of God. She and her husband lead a small group for young adults. Praise the Lord, they both have a lovely relationship with one another and me and my husband. And I wonder, where might she be, and how might her childhood have looked different, had that woman not responded to the God moment to invite me to church?

And, if she’d reached out and I’d responded with hostility or disdain? While she might’ve felt a brief sting of rejection, I doubt she would’ve carried the heavy cloak of regret. 

Thinking of today’s passage, and all that occurred after, provokes similar questions. Where might Lydia and her family have ended up, had she, those with her, and Paul not responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting on the Sabbath mentioned in Acts 16? In our culture where a decreasing number of Christ followers regularly attend church, I’m struck by the fact that Lydia and those women took time to meet at the river. 

Let me explain the historical background. Regardless of how many God-following women occupied a city, the location needed at least ten Jewish men to form a public faith gathering. Therefore, we can reasonably assume, fewer than ten Jewish men lived in Philippi. In such cases, Jews customarily met at rivers to pray, hoping a traveling Rabbi would stop by to teach them. I don’t know how many women gathered at the river the day Paul arrived, but people would’ve considered their number insignificant. I imagine there were numerous Sabbath’s during which these women didn’t encounter a Rabbi. And on those occasions in which they did, how many Jewish leaders stopped to teach a group of women? From my perspective, this seems unlikely. 

Did Lydia and her companions ever consider staying home? They certainly could’ve prayed there. 

Yet, they were at the river, connecting with God, the day Paul, led by the Spirit, happened by. Because of this, they heard and responded to the gospel. But Lydia did more than that. She also invited Paul to her house, which scholars believe became the first Christ-following church in ancient Europe.

But I’m also struck by Paul’s behavior, especially when one considers how people viewed women at this time. As I mentioned, although they considered ten Jewish men sufficient to form a synagogue, they found the number of Jewish women irrelevant. Therefore, one might expect Paul to pass them by. But he didn’t. Responding to the Holy Spirit, he seized the God moment, told them about Jesus, baptized these new believers, and accepted Lydia’s invitation to stay at her house. This became the Philippian church, which, as I mentioned in a previous devotional, became a major source of support for Paul. 

Intersecting Life and Faith

We all encounter numerous God moments each day; divine invitations we either accept or decline. We’ll never know the beauty we could’ve witnessed from those incidents we disregard or rationalize away. But the more we yield to God’s Spirit within us, and courageously yield to His promptings, the more we experience the abundant, beyond expectations, deeply fulfilling life Christ promised. God still advances His plan. Our disobedience won’t thwart that. It will, however, rob us of the joy of knowing God used us to impact a life. 

Thankfully, when fear holds us hostage, we can ask God to embolden our faith and empower us to live for Him. 

Further Reading:

Ephesians 5:15-17

Isaiah 30:21

Acts 1:8

The more we yield to God’s Spirit within us, and courageously yield to His promptings, the more we experience the abundant, beyond expectations, deeply fulfilling life Christ promised. God still advances His plan. Our disobedience won’t thwart that.
SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts: Your Daily Prayer: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/">https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/</a> Your Daily Bible Verse: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/">https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/</a>
Full Transcript Below:
Seizing God Moments, written by Jennifer Slattery
“From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
“On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us” (Acts 16:12-15, NIV).
When my daughter was young, my marriage and my life were a mess. My husband and I fought all the time. He held a demanding, high stress position with the railroad that often kept him away and left him exhausted when he was home. I was lonely and battling roots of shame that often caused me to react to challenges and conflict with defensiveness instead of love. We were in significant debt yet continued numbing our pain through shopping. As you can imagine, that didn’t help our relationship. At one point, things became so bad, my husband and I met with a divorce attorney, ready to end it all. 
But then one day, while walking through our neighborhood with my daughter in her stroller, I encountered a woman who invited me to her church. She didn’t say much more than that.  I didn’t know her, had never seen her before, and never saw her since, but I did go to church the following Sunday. 
That church, and the people there, changed my life, saved my marriage, and helped me learn an entirely new way of living. My daughter is now 26 and a precious woman of God. She and her husband lead a small group for young adults. Praise the Lord, they both have a lovely relationship with one another and me and my husband. And I wonder, where might she be, and how might her childhood have looked different, had that woman not responded to the God moment to invite me to church?
And, if she’d reached out and I’d responded with hostility or disdain? While she might’ve felt a brief sting of rejection, I doubt she would’ve carried the heavy cloak of regret. 
Thinking of today’s passage, and all that occurred after, provokes similar questions. Where might Lydia and her family have ended up, had she, those with her, and Paul not responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting on the Sabbath mentioned in Acts 16? In our culture where a decreasing number of Christ followers regularly attend church, I’m struck by the fact that Lydia and those women took time to meet at the river. 
Let me explain the historical background. Regardless of how many God-following women occupied a city, the location needed at least ten Jewish men to form a public faith gathering. Therefore, we can reasonably assume, fewer than ten Jewish men lived in Philippi. In such cases, Jews customarily met at rivers to pray, hoping a traveling Rabbi would stop by to teach them. I don’t know how many women gathered at the river the day Paul arrived, but people would’ve considered their number insignificant. I imagine there were numerous Sabbath’s during which these women didn’t encounter a Rabbi. And on those occasions in which they did, how many Jewish leaders stopped to teach a group of women? From my perspective, this seems unlikely. 
Did Lydia and her companions ever consider staying home? They certainly could’ve prayed there. 
Yet, they were at the river, connecting with God, the day Paul, led by the Spirit, happened by. Because of this, they heard and responded to the gospel. But Lydia did more than that. She also invited Paul to her house, which scholars believe became the first Christ-following church in ancient Europe.
But I’m also struck by Paul’s behavior, especially when one considers how people viewed women at this time. As I mentioned, although they considered ten Jewish men sufficient to form a synagogue, they found the number of Jewish women irrelevant. Therefore, one might expect Paul to pass them by. But he didn’t. Responding to the Holy Spirit, he seized the God moment, told them about Jesus, baptized these new believers, and accepted Lydia’s invitation to stay at her house. This became the Philippian church, which, as I mentioned in a previous devotional, became a major source of support for Paul. 
Intersecting Life and Faith
We all encounter numerous God moments each day; divine invitations we either accept or decline. We’ll never know the beauty we could’ve witnessed from those incidents we disregard or rationalize away. But the more we yield to God’s Spirit within us, and courageously yield to His promptings, the more we experience the abundant, beyond expectations, deeply fulfilling life Christ promised. God still advances His plan. Our disobedience won’t thwart that. It will, however, rob us of the joy of knowing God used us to impact a life. 
Thankfully, when fear holds us hostage, we can ask God to embolden our faith and empower us to live for Him. 
Further Reading:
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+5%3A15-17&amp;version=NIV">Ephesians 5:15-17</a>
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+30%3A21&amp;version=NIV">Isaiah 30:21</a>
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+1%3A8&amp;version=NIV">Acts 1:8</a>

Seizing God Moments

Every night we have the choice, as our head lays down on our pillows. We can cry out to God and pour our hearts out to Him, giving Him our burdens. Or we can bottle it up and toss and turn.

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:

Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/
Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/

Full Transcript Below:

What If We Really Gave Our Burdens to God?

By Sarah Frazer

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” - Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

“Do you need help?” I asked the toddler struggling with the groceries. He grabbed the bag with spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, and ranch dressing. 

“I got it!” was the confident reply. The next thing I knew, a jar of spaghetti sauce was rolling down the driveway. My son ran after it and caught it before it broke into pieces. The bag was too heavy, but the toddler insisted that it wasn’t. He needed to let me unload that burden for him. 

What heaviness do you hold today that needs to be unloaded? 

My toddler thought that he could carry it on his own, but that bag was too much. Often we face trials and burdens in our life that we think we can handle. In fact, we look at others and think they seem to be handling the same type of burdens just fine on their own. Only in our hearts we know that we can’t hold up on the weight of the heaviness. I wonder if some of us need to admit that we need help. 

The world says, “You’ve got this!” and “You are enough.” This is not the way of the Bible. Our lives weren’t meant to be lived independently. That isn’t how God created us. As Christians we have something even better than doing life on our own. We have a God who is ready to carry our burdens for us. 

The Bible talks a lot about what to do with our burdens. The word used in Psalm 55:22 for “cast” means “throwing away.” This can mean literally throwing something out like garbage or figuratively throwing something away from us to remove something from our presence. We are called to cast or throw out those things in our lives that weigh us down. 

A burden can be anything in our hearts or minds that keeps us from living freely in Christ. It is a load or a task that requires effort. Throughout the Old and New Testament, God tells us what to do with our burdens. 

Psalm 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” I love the word “daily.” It assumes that we have things weighing us down each day. You and I know what it is like to release something to God one day, but then the next day, we find ourselves worried and worn down from picking it back up again. God walks with us each day. He is there to help us each time we find ourselves weighed down. 

In the New Testament, Jesus talks about burdens in Matthew 11:28-30. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We still might carry the weight of something, but sharing it with Jesus allows us to not bear the thing all by ourselves. Jesus calls us here in Matthew 11 to live a life dependent on Him. 

1 Peter 5:6-7 says that we can cast our anxieties on him. Other translations change the word for anxieties to worries, fears, troubles, and cares. Those things that keep us awake at night or occupy our minds during the day are anxieties. Why can we bring them to God? Peter says it is because God cares for us. He loves us. Sometimes, we ask others around us to help carry our burdens, but they get tired, too. They have their own burdens to carry. God is never tired and nor does His love ever run out. We can always come to God and hand over our cares. 

How do we do this? We pray. Prayer is our connection to God. He is always listening (Psalm 116:1), and He answers us (Psalm 116:2). As we pray, we tell God everything in our hearts. You might think, “But He already knows it.” Yes, but He knows that when we share those cares and hurts and burdens with Him, we are lighter. 

Every night we have the choice, as our head lays down on our pillows. We can cry out to God and pour our hearts out to Him, giving Him our burdens. Or we can bottle it up and toss and turn. If I try to handle things on my own, I always end up failing. But if I rely on God, letting my burdens fall on His strong shoulders, I am able to rest each night. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What is the burden that you are carrying right now? Pray, asking God, to take this burden away or lighten the load. Know that God is in control and is working everything for our good (Romans 8:28). How is knowing God is in control and working all things out a comfort for you today? 

Further Reading:

Romans 8:28-29

Isaiah 41:13

Isaiah 40:11

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Psalm 18:6

Every night we have the choice, as our head lays down on our pillows. We can cry out to God and pour our hearts out to Him, giving Him our burdens. Or we can bottle it up and toss and turn.
SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts: Your Daily Prayer: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/">https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/</a> Your Daily Bible Verse: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/">https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/</a>
Full Transcript Below:
What If We Really Gave Our Burdens to God?
By Sarah Frazer
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” - Psalm 55:22 (ESV)
“Do you need help?” I asked the toddler struggling with the groceries. He grabbed the bag with spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, and ranch dressing. 
“I got it!” was the confident reply. The next thing I knew, a jar of spaghetti sauce was rolling down the driveway. My son ran after it and caught it before it broke into pieces. The bag was too heavy, but the toddler insisted that it wasn’t. He needed to let me unload that burden for him. 
What heaviness do you hold today that needs to be unloaded? 
My toddler thought that he could carry it on his own, but that bag was too much. Often we face trials and burdens in our life that we think we can handle. In fact, we look at others and think they seem to be handling the same type of burdens just fine on their own. Only in our hearts we know that we can’t hold up on the weight of the heaviness. I wonder if some of us need to admit that we need help. 
The world says, “You’ve got this!” and “You are enough.” This is not the way of the Bible. Our lives weren’t meant to be lived independently. That isn’t how God created us. As Christians we have something even better than doing life on our own. We have a God who is ready to carry our burdens for us. 
The Bible talks a lot about what to do with our burdens. The word used in Psalm 55:22 for “cast” <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7993/kjv/wlc/0-1/">means</a> “throwing away.” This can mean literally throwing something out like garbage or figuratively throwing something away from us to remove something from our presence. We are called to cast or throw out those things in our lives that weigh us down. 
A burden can be anything in our hearts or minds that keeps us from living freely in Christ. It is a load or a task <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/eastons-bible-dictionary/Burden">that requires effort</a>. Throughout the Old and New Testament, God tells us what to do with our burdens. 
Psalm 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” I love the word “daily.” It assumes that we have things weighing us down each day. You and I know what it is like to release something to God one day, but then the next day, we find ourselves worried and worn down from picking it back up again. God walks with us each day. He is there to help us each time we find ourselves weighed down. 
In the New Testament, Jesus talks about burdens in Matthew 11:28-30. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We still might carry the weight of something, but sharing it with Jesus allows us to not bear the thing all by ourselves. Jesus calls us here in Matthew 11 to live a life dependent on Him. 
1 Peter 5:6-7 says that we can cast our anxieties on him. Other translations change the word for anxieties to worries, fears, troubles, and cares. Those things that keep us awake at night or occupy our minds during the day are anxieties. Why can we bring them to God? Peter says it is because God cares for us. He loves us. Sometimes, we ask others around us to help carry our burdens, but they get tired, too. They have their own burdens to carry. God is never tired and nor does His love ever run out. We can always come to God and hand over our cares. 
How do we do this? We pray. Prayer is our connection to God. He is always listening (Psalm 116:1), and He answers us (Psalm 116:2). As we pray, we tell God everything in our hearts. You might think, “But He already knows it.” Yes, but He knows that when we share those cares and hurts and burdens with Him, we are lighter. 
Every night we have the choice, as our head lays down on our pillows. We can cry out to God and pour our hearts out to Him, giving Him our burdens. Or we can bottle it up and toss and turn. If I try to handle things on my own, I always end up failing. But if I rely on God, letting my burdens fall on His strong shoulders, I am able to rest each night. 
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
What is the burden that you are carrying right now? Pray, asking God, to take this burden away or lighten the load. Know that God is in control and is working everything for our good (Romans 8:28). How is knowing God is in control and working all things out a comfort for you today? 
Further Reading:
Romans 8:28-29
Isaiah 41:13
Isaiah 40:11
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Psalm 18:6

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