Today’s verses from the Gospel of Matthew remind us of the power of our efforts to call on the Name above all Names and the ability our faith in God has to move life’s mountains. - Meg Bucher

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Today’s verses from the Gospel of Matthew remind us of the power of our efforts to call on the Name above all Names and the ability our faith in God has to move life’s mountains. - Meg Bucher
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:

☕️ 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

Keep on Asking

When we think about difficult relationships, especially with our parents, God invites us to view them through the lens of His grace and redemption. Honoring a father does not mean ignoring pain, excusing harmful actions, or pretending wounds do not exist. Instead, it means trusting God to bring healing, justice, and transformation in ways only He can.

Highlights:
God cares about both the wounds we carry and the people who have caused them
Forgiveness does not mean ignoring pain, excusing wrongdoing, or removing healthy boundaries
God’s grace extends to every person, including those who have deeply failed others
We can trust God to bring healing and transformation where we cannot
Honoring others begins with allowing God to shape our hearts through compassion and forgiveness

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/

Do you want to listen ad-free?

When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! 

Sign Up Today!

Full Transcript Below:

No Father Left Behind

By Lynette Kittle

Bible Reading:

“There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.” - Proverbs 30:11

Nowadays, some adult children believe they are justified in dismissing their earthly fathers, seeing it as a personal matter between the two of them and believing God is okay with whatever they decide to do.

But nothing could be further from the truth, because God cares not only for us but for our fathers, too. Like the Marines’ unofficial slogan of leaving no man behind, God doesn’t leave fathers behind either, even in their failures and sins.

Sadly, many individuals have valid reasons for turning their backs on their fathers. Yet God calls us to follow His lead in responding to the pain in our lives, because too many fathers have fallen by the wayside and need His help, mercy, and redemption.

Tragically, some fathers have been drunkards, drug users, criminals, murderers, prisoners, abusers, and more.

Still, God holds children accountable for their attitudes toward their fathers because it’s a matter of the heart—the kind of issue that, if left unchecked, can lead to lifelong sorrow.

Regardless of a father’s sin, God doesn’t write fathers off or give children permission to do the same. Instead, He calls us to forgiveness and to trust Him to work in our fathers’ lives.

Trusting God with the Pain

We can trust God with our pain, too, because He isn’t going to ask us to embrace or entrust ourselves to fathers who aren’t trustworthy, or to pretend they didn’t hurt us.

He isn’t asking us to say or believe things about our fathers that aren’t true, or to overlook their sins. But He also doesn’t support us disowning, abandoning, or labeling them as toxic and unworthy of redemption.

Likewise, God doesn’t give us permission to punish, correct, dishonor, or treat them disrespectfully, even when we believe they deserve it. This is often a hard pill to swallow for those who’ve lived life with a derelict dad.

Sometimes God Asks More of Us

Along with leading us to forgive our fathers, sometimes God asks more of us when it comes to dealing with our dads.

Author and speaker Joyce Meyer’s dad sexually abused her while she was growing up, giving her every earthly reason to walk away from him and have nothing to do with him for the rest of her life.

Yet, unbelievably, God called her to provide for and care for her abusive father in his old age—something she resisted at first, shocked that a holy and just God would ever ask her to do.

After all, why would a loving God call her to care for a father who had so cruelly abused and mistreated her? He certainly didn’t deserve her kindness and generosity.

Still, God didn’t let her off the hook. He asked her to do what seemed impossible.

Choosing to live in obedience to Him rather than remain bound by her pain, Meyer took on the responsibility. Remarkably, through her kindness and generosity, her father came to know the Lord before passing away.

Does God Love Fallen Fathers?

So one has to ask: Does God love the godless fathers who have failed miserably and caused unimaginable and unspeakable wounds in the lives of their children and others?

Some of us, even as Christians, are ready to throw in the towel when it comes to caring about deeply flawed dads, believing they don’t deserve to receive God’s love. But we are mistaken if we see ourselves as more deserving of His love than they are.

The Apostle Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

If we see ourselves as more deserving of receiving God’s forgiveness and love than faithless fathers, then we don’t truly understand the sin nature we are all born with. We all enter life undeserving of God’s grace and in desperate need of a perfect, sinless Savior to redeem us.

Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:


If you’re trying to come to terms with a father who failed you, ask God to help you forgive him and give you a heart of compassion toward him. Trust Him to bring healing to your heart and to work in your father’s life in ways only He can.

Further Reading:
How to Offer Your Dad Forgiveness this Father’s Day

When we think about difficult relationships, especially with our parents, God invites us to view them through the lens of His grace and redemption. Honoring a father does not mean ignoring pain, excusing harmful actions, or pretending wounds do not exist. Instead, it means trusting God to bring healing, justice, and transformation in ways only He can.
Highlights:
<ul data-start="925" data-end="1362">
<li data-section-id="1ltwr9s" data-start="925" data-end="1005">God cares about both the wounds we carry and the people who have caused them</li>
<li data-section-id="n3vg6s" data-start="1006" data-end="1102">Forgiveness does not mean ignoring pain, excusing wrongdoing, or removing healthy boundaries</li>
<li data-section-id="1rv3snp" data-start="1103" data-end="1189">God&rsquo;s grace extends to every person, including those who have deeply failed others</li>
<li data-section-id="6g0m3d" data-start="1190" data-end="1262">We can trust God to bring healing and transformation where we cannot</li>
<li data-section-id="5ckm94" data-start="1263" data-end="1362">Honoring others begins with allowing God to shape our hearts through compassion and forgiveness</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:
No Father Left Behind
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
&ldquo;There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.&rdquo; - Proverbs 30:11
Nowadays, some adult children believe they are justified in dismissing their earthly fathers, seeing it as a personal matter between the two of them and believing God is okay with whatever they decide to do.
But nothing could be further from the truth, because God cares not only for us but for our fathers, too. Like the Marines&rsquo; unofficial slogan of leaving no man behind, God doesn&rsquo;t leave fathers behind either, even in their failures and sins.
Sadly, many individuals have valid reasons for turning their backs on their fathers. Yet God calls us to follow His lead in responding to the pain in our lives, because too many fathers have fallen by the wayside and need His help, mercy, and redemption.
Tragically, some fathers have been drunkards, drug users, criminals, murderers, prisoners, abusers, and more.
Still, God holds children accountable for their attitudes toward their fathers because it&rsquo;s a matter of the heart&mdash;the kind of issue that, if left unchecked, can lead to lifelong sorrow.
Regardless of a father&rsquo;s sin, God doesn&rsquo;t write fathers off or give children permission to do the same. Instead, He calls us to forgiveness and to trust Him to work in our fathers&rsquo; lives.
Trusting God with the Pain
We can trust God with our pain, too, because He isn&rsquo;t going to ask us to embrace or entrust ourselves to fathers who aren&rsquo;t trustworthy, or to pretend they didn&rsquo;t hurt us.
He isn&rsquo;t asking us to say or believe things about our fathers that aren&rsquo;t true, or to overlook their sins. But He also doesn&rsquo;t support us disowning, abandoning, or labeling them as toxic and unworthy of redemption.
Likewise, God doesn&rsquo;t give us permission to punish, correct, dishonor, or treat them disrespectfully, even when we believe they deserve it. This is often a hard pill to swallow for those who&rsquo;ve lived life with a derelict dad.
Sometimes God Asks More of Us
Along with leading us to forgive our fathers, sometimes God asks more of us when it comes to dealing with our dads.
Author and speaker Joyce Meyer&rsquo;s dad sexually abused her while she was growing up, giving her every earthly reason to walk away from him and have nothing to do with him for the rest of her life.
Yet, unbelievably, God called her to provide for and care for her abusive father in his old age&mdash;something she resisted at first, shocked that a holy and just God would ever ask her to do.
After all, why would a loving God call her to care for a father who had so cruelly abused and mistreated her? He certainly didn&rsquo;t deserve her kindness and generosity.
Still, God didn&rsquo;t let her off the hook. He asked her to do what seemed impossible.
Choosing to live in obedience to Him rather than remain bound by her pain, Meyer took on the responsibility. Remarkably, through her kindness and generosity, her father came to know the Lord before passing away.
Does God Love Fallen Fathers?
So one has to ask: Does God love the godless fathers who have failed miserably and caused unimaginable and unspeakable wounds in the lives of their children and others?
Some of us, even as Christians, are ready to throw in the towel when it comes to caring about deeply flawed dads, believing they don&rsquo;t deserve to receive God&rsquo;s love. But we are mistaken if we see ourselves as more deserving of His love than they are.
The Apostle Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: &ldquo;Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.&rdquo;
If we see ourselves as more deserving of receiving God&rsquo;s forgiveness and love than faithless fathers, then we don&rsquo;t truly understand the sin nature we are all born with. We all enter life undeserving of God&rsquo;s grace and in desperate need of a perfect, sinless Savior to redeem us.
Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us, &ldquo;For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith&mdash;and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God&mdash;not by works, so that no one can boast.&rdquo;
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life: 
If you&rsquo;re trying to come to terms with a father who failed you, ask God to help you forgive him and give you a heart of compassion toward him. Trust Him to bring healing to your heart and to work in your father&rsquo;s life in ways only He can.
Further Reading: <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/fathers-day/how-to-offer-your-dad-forgiveness-this-fathers-day.html">How to Offer Your Dad Forgiveness this Father&rsquo;s Day</a>

No Father Left Behind

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/4414debc-8768-4641-8a22-b46b00fb73cb/transcript

Spiritual growth often begins when we stop looking outward and allow God to examine what is happening within us. It can be easy to recognize the faults, habits, and struggles of others while overlooking the areas where God is inviting us to grow. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7 reminds us that true transformation starts with humility, self-reflection, and a willingness to let God reveal our own blind spots.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
Consider these questions as you reflect on your own spiritual growth:
What patterns continue to appear in your relationships, work, or daily life that God may want to transform within you?
Do you extend the same grace and understanding to others that you hope to receive?
Is there someone you need to forgive, or is there bitterness you need to surrender to God?

Spiritual maturity begins when we allow God to reveal the truth about our hearts—not to condemn us, but to lead us toward freedom, healing, and deeper dependence on Him.

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/

Do you want to listen ad-free?

When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! 

Sign Up Today!

Full Transcript Below:

3 Questions That Cause Spiritual Growth
By Kelly Balarie

Bible Reading:

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” –  Matthew 7:3-5 ESV

I clenched my hands. Clear as day, the issue was him. He was being stubborn. He wasn’t listening. He wasn’t being open to a different perspective.

But was I…? 

Being open…?
Listening...?
Hearing what He was saying…?

Not really…

Jesus addressed this sort of situation when he said, “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Mt. 7:3-5 ESV)

My husband and I have a phrase for this sort of finger-pointing. It’s called “You spot it, you got it.”

Meaning, if I spot my husband being stubborn, I’ve likely got stubbornness too.
If I spot that He isn’t listening, I should wonder whether I’ve got earphones on my ears also. 
If I spot an inability to understand another perspective, I am wise to ask myself if I’ve got that same inability to listen.

We spot it, we got it!

When we consider that what we judge in others may be what is lurking inside of us, true spiritual progress happens. Pride is healed. Humility comes. A deeper need for God surfaces. Blind spots are seen for what they are. God’s grace is absolutely required.

What blind spots may exist within you? Let’s dive deeper…

3 Exploratory Questions to Grow Closer to God

Ask yourself:
 What patterns follow me from relationship to relationship, job to job, or situation to situation? How might I blame on people, predicaments, or pressures, something God may want to heal within me?


Take a moment and reflect. Do not allow shame to convict you. Instead, allow the hard reality of truth to set you free to the life-giving power of God to help you. Pray. Ask. Seek the Lord. Repent, if needed. 
 How do I demand sympathy or grace from others to justify where I am? Do I give others the same sympathy and grace that I expect? 

Sometimes, we have stories to keep us safe. We have a long list of reasons why we do what we do. We expect others to coddle us, instead of realizing God has more for us. Seeing the truth helps us build better relationships in the future.
 Who do I keep needing to forgive? How do I gain personal sympathy by not forgiving them? If I have forgiven, have I asked God to forgive me, for my bitterness or resentment? And, most of all, have I forgiven myself?

Often, we forgive others but fail to ask God to forgive us for anger, bitterness, or thinking bad thoughts about others. Have we done this? Also, the hardest person to forgive is -- ourselves. 

Additionally, when we have forgiven, but it doesn’t feel like we have, the issue is often not that we haven’t forgiven them; we are still angry. The issue is often that we are still angry at ourselves. 

Take a second and forgive yourself, too.

The bottom line? To see the truth of what we haven’t seen often sets us free.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What did these questions stir up in you? How will you change as a result? What will it look like to walk a new path?

Spiritual growth often begins when we stop looking outward and allow God to examine what is happening within us. It can be easy to recognize the faults, habits, and struggles of others while overlooking the areas where God is inviting us to grow. Jesus&rsquo; teaching in Matthew 7 reminds us that true transformation starts with humility, self-reflection, and a willingness to let God reveal our own blind spots.
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life: Consider these questions as you reflect on your own spiritual growth:
<ul data-start="1250" data-end="1554">
<li data-section-id="1hwquh0" data-start="1250" data-end="1372">What patterns continue to appear in your relationships, work, or daily life that God may want to transform within you?</li>
<li data-section-id="ou9zqb" data-start="1373" data-end="1459">Do you extend the same grace and understanding to others that you hope to receive?</li>
<li data-section-id="1u74j66" data-start="1460" data-end="1554">Is there someone you need to forgive, or is there bitterness you need to surrender to God?</li>
</ul>
Spiritual maturity begins when we allow God to reveal the truth about our hearts&mdash;not to condemn us, but to lead us toward freedom, healing, and deeper dependence on Him.
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:
3 Questions That Cause Spiritual Growth By Kelly Balarie
Bible Reading:
&ldquo;Or how can you say to your brother, &lsquo;Let me take the speck out of your eye,&rsquo; when there is the log in your own eye?&nbsp;You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.&rdquo; &ndash;&nbsp; Matthew 7:3-5 ESV
I clenched my hands. Clear as day, the issue was him. He was being stubborn. He wasn&rsquo;t listening. He wasn&rsquo;t being open to a different perspective.
But was I&hellip;?&nbsp;
Being open&hellip;? Listening...? Hearing what He was saying&hellip;?
Not really&hellip;
Jesus addressed this sort of situation when he said, &ldquo;Or how can you say to your brother, &lsquo;Let me take the speck out of your eye,&rsquo; when there is the log in your own eye?&nbsp;5&nbsp;You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.&rdquo; (Mt. 7:3-5 ESV)
My husband and I have a phrase for this sort of finger-pointing. It&rsquo;s called &ldquo;You spot it, you got it.&rdquo;
Meaning, if I spot my husband being stubborn, I&rsquo;ve likely got stubbornness too. If I spot that He isn&rsquo;t listening, I should wonder whether I&rsquo;ve got earphones on my ears also. If I spot an inability to understand another perspective, I am wise to ask myself if I&rsquo;ve got that same inability to listen.
We spot it, we got it!
When we consider that what we judge in others may be what is lurking inside of us, true spiritual progress happens. Pride is healed. Humility comes. A deeper need for God surfaces. Blind spots are seen for what they are. God&rsquo;s grace is absolutely required.
What blind spots may exist within you? Let&rsquo;s dive deeper&hellip;
3 Exploratory Questions to Grow Closer to God
Ask yourself:
<ol>
<li> What patterns follow me from relationship to relationship, job to job, or situation to situation? How might I blame on people, predicaments, or pressures, something God may want to heal within me?</li>
</ol>
 Take a moment and reflect. Do not allow shame to convict you. Instead, allow the hard reality of truth to set you free to the life-giving power of God to help you. Pray. Ask. Seek the Lord. Repent, if needed.&nbsp;
<ol>
<li> How do I demand sympathy or grace from others to justify where I am? Do I give others the same sympathy and grace that I expect?&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Sometimes, we have stories to keep us safe. We have a long list of reasons why we do what we do. We expect others to coddle us, instead of realizing God has more for us. Seeing the truth helps us build better relationships in the future.
<ol>
<li> Who do I keep needing to forgive? How do I gain personal sympathy by not forgiving them? If I have forgiven, have I asked God to forgive me, for my bitterness or resentment? And, most of all, have I forgiven myself?</li>
</ol>
Often, we forgive others but fail to ask God to forgive us for anger, bitterness, or thinking bad thoughts about others. Have we done this? Also, the hardest person to forgive is -- ourselves.&nbsp;
Additionally, when we have forgiven, but it doesn&rsquo;t feel like we have, the issue is often not that we haven&rsquo;t forgiven them; we are still angry. The issue is often that we are still angry at ourselves.&nbsp;
Take a second and forgive yourself, too. The bottom line? To see the truth of what we haven&rsquo;t seen often sets us free.
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
What did these questions stir up in you? How will you change as a result? What will it look like to walk a new path?

3 Questions That Cause Spiritual Growth

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/ded21e0a-e4c6-4ea3-9515-b46b00fb7040/transcript

When we invite God to “open our eyes,” we’re acknowledging something important: the Bible isn’t just understood through effort alone, but through relationship. The Holy Spirit brings insight where familiarity has dulled our attention and breathes life into verses we thought we already knew. Suddenly, Scripture becomes less like a checklist and more like conversation—one where God is still speaking, still revealing, still shaping how we see Him, ourselves, and the world around us.

Highlights:
Scripture becomes more meaningful when approached with expectation rather than routine
Spiritual insight comes through the Holy Spirit, not just personal effort
Familiar passages can reveal new truth when we slow down and engage deeply
Prayer before reading reshapes how we see and receive God’s Word
Curiosity and openness create space for renewed passion in Scripture

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/

Do you want to listen ad-free?

When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! 

Sign Up Today!

Full Transcript Below:

Get Excited about the Bible Again
By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading:
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” – Psalm 119:18, NIV 

When a friend invited me to a Bible study, I agreed to go just to spend time with that friend. I’d been reading the Bible for years, and it all seemed so familiar that I didn’t expect to learn much. But during the first session, after we all prayed together, I found a fresh perspective on a Bible passage I’d read many times before. That happened again and again during that Bible study, as the leader encouraged us to ask God to open our eyes spiritually to his messages for us. It was like finding hidden treasure! I was excited to read the Bible again. 

It’s so easy for us to read the Bible like a chore on our to-do lists, just like picking up the groceries or folding the laundry. We know it’s good for us, so we try to squeeze it in. But too often, we don’t really feel excited about the Bible’s messages. We might start a Bible reading plan with great intentions, but then we hit a section that feels confusing or dry, and we just give up. Or, we find one day that we don’t relate to the Bible verse of the day when we first read it, so we don’t reflect on it or try to apply it to our lives. 

But even when reading the Bible feels like an obligation, it’s actually an opportunity. Every part of the Bible can help connect us to God in wonderful ways if we’re reading it prayerfully. 

Psalm 119:18 features a simple yet significant prayer: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” This tells us that we aren’t meant to understand the Bible just by using our own brainpower or willpower. We need to ask God to show us the “wonderful things” hidden in those pages that we simply can’t see on our own. That takes the pressure off of us to be perfect students and puts the focus on God to be the perfect Teacher – which he is, through his Holy Spirit. 

If you struggle with the Bible, it may be because you’ve tried to force yourself into a reading plan that doesn’t actually fit the way you learn or the season of life you’re in. You may think there’s only one right way to read and reflect on the Bible – like sitting at a desk and taking notes on every passage you read – and if you can’t do that, you don’t do anything at all. But God wants you to enjoy his messages! He wants you to come to the Bible with a sense of curiosity and adventure. If you find yourself stuck, you have the freedom to try something new. Maybe it would work better for you to listen to an audio Bible while you walk through the woods, or dive deep into just one single verse for a whole week and journal your thoughts about creative ways you can try applying that verse to your life. 

You can discover a fresh perspective on the Bible when you stop seeing it as a set of rules to follow and start seeing it as a wonderful place where God reveals his character to you. The more you ask God to show you the “wonderful things” this psalm talks about, the more you can learn about who God is and what God does to work in your life in wonderful ways every day. Your passion for the Bible will grow not from becoming more disciplined, but from becoming more in love with your wonderful God. 

So, give yourself permission to start fresh with the Bible today. Just pray for God to open your eyes to the wonderful things in his word, the Bible. God will meet you where you are and answer your prayer. Expect to be surprised by God’s wonder every time you read the Bible while praying for God’s Spirit to show you what’s really inside! 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how to get excited about the Bible again, reflect on these questions: 
When you think about reading the Bible, do you honestly feel like it’s an obligation or an opportunity, and why do you feel that way? 
Do you ever find yourself rushing through your Bible reading just to check it off a list? If so, how can praying Psalm 119:18 before you start reading help you absorb the message into your soul? 
What kind of Bible-reading routine would you actually look forward to every day? What details would be involved – format, time of day, location, etc.? 
What’s one “wonderful thing” you’ve learned about God’s character recently that made God feel more real to you? 
What’s something that you’re wondering about who God is or what God does, that you’d like to learn more about from the Bible? 

Further Reading:
Jeremiah 15:16
Psalm 119:105
Hebrews 4:12
Psalm 19:7
Joshua 1:8

When we invite God to &ldquo;open our eyes,&rdquo; we&rsquo;re acknowledging something important: the Bible isn&rsquo;t just understood through effort alone, but through relationship. The Holy Spirit brings insight where familiarity has dulled our attention and breathes life into verses we thought we already knew. Suddenly, Scripture becomes less like a checklist and more like conversation&mdash;one where God is still speaking, still revealing, still shaping how we see Him, ourselves, and the world around us.
Highlights:
<ul data-start="1605" data-end="1994">
<li data-section-id="eci9pq" data-start="1605" data-end="1695">Scripture becomes more meaningful when approached with expectation rather than routine</li>
<li data-section-id="xcvthg" data-start="1696" data-end="1773">Spiritual insight comes through the Holy Spirit, not just personal effort</li>
<li data-section-id="1bfnf24" data-start="1774" data-end="1852">Familiar passages can reveal new truth when we slow down and engage deeply</li>
<li data-section-id="nydzcs" data-start="1853" data-end="1921">Prayer before reading reshapes how we see and receive God&rsquo;s Word</li>
<li data-section-id="vwmn63" data-start="1922" data-end="1994">Curiosity and openness create space for renewed passion in Scripture</li>
</ul>
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Full Transcript Below:
Get Excited about the Bible Again By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading: &ldquo;Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.&rdquo; &ndash; Psalm 119:18, NIV&nbsp;
When a friend invited me to a Bible study, I agreed to go just to spend time with that friend. I&rsquo;d been reading the Bible for years, and it all seemed so familiar that I didn&rsquo;t expect to learn much. But during the first session, after we all prayed together, I found a fresh perspective on a Bible passage I&rsquo;d read many times before. That happened again and again during that Bible study, as the leader encouraged us to ask God to open our eyes spiritually to his messages for us. It was like finding hidden treasure! I was excited to read the Bible again.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s so easy for us to read the Bible like a chore on our to-do lists, just like picking up the groceries or folding the laundry. We know it&rsquo;s good for us, so we try to squeeze it in. But too often, we don&rsquo;t really feel excited about the Bible&rsquo;s messages. We might start a Bible reading plan with great intentions, but then we hit a section that feels confusing or dry, and we just give up. Or, we find one day that<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-to-do-when-the-verse-of-the-day-doesnt-speak-to-your-heart.html"> we don&rsquo;t relate to the Bible verse of the day</a> when we first read it, so we don&rsquo;t reflect on it or try to apply it to our lives.&nbsp;
But even when reading the Bible feels like an obligation, it&rsquo;s actually an opportunity. Every part of the Bible can help connect us to God in wonderful ways if we&rsquo;re reading it prayerfully.&nbsp;
Psalm 119:18 features a simple yet significant prayer: &ldquo;Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.&rdquo; This tells us that we aren&rsquo;t meant to understand the Bible just by using our own brainpower or willpower. We need to ask God to show us the &ldquo;wonderful things&rdquo; hidden in those pages that we simply can&rsquo;t see on our own. That takes the pressure off of us to be perfect students and puts the focus on God to be the perfect Teacher &ndash; which he is, through his<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/scriptures-that-tell-us-about-the-holy-spirit.html"> Holy Spirit</a>.&nbsp;
If you struggle with the Bible, it may be because you&rsquo;ve tried to force yourself into a reading plan that doesn&rsquo;t actually fit the way you learn or the season of life you&rsquo;re in. You may think there&rsquo;s only one right way to read and reflect on the Bible &ndash; like sitting at a desk and taking notes on every passage you read &ndash; and if you can&rsquo;t do that, you don&rsquo;t do anything at all. But God wants you to enjoy his messages! He wants you to come to the Bible with a sense of curiosity and adventure. If you find yourself stuck, you have the freedom to try something new. Maybe it would work better for you to listen to an audio Bible while you walk through the woods, or dive deep into just one single verse for a whole week and journal your thoughts about creative ways you can try applying that verse to your life.&nbsp;
You can discover a fresh perspective on the Bible when you stop seeing it as a set of rules to follow and start seeing it as a wonderful place where God reveals his character to you. The more you ask God to show you the &ldquo;wonderful things&rdquo; this psalm talks about, the more you can learn about<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/god-is-love-the-crosswalk-devotional.html"> who God is</a> and what God does to<a href="https://amzn.to/4fbNBmU"> work in your life in wonderful ways every day</a>. Your passion for the Bible will grow not from becoming more disciplined, but from becoming more in love with your wonderful God.&nbsp;
So, give yourself permission to start fresh with the Bible today. Just pray for God to open your eyes to the wonderful things in his word, the Bible. God will meet you where you are and answer your prayer. Expect to be surprised by God&rsquo;s wonder every time you read the Bible while praying for God&rsquo;s Spirit to show you what&rsquo;s really inside!&nbsp;
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
As you consider how to get excited about the Bible again, reflect on these questions:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">When you think about reading the Bible, do you honestly feel like it&rsquo;s an obligation or an opportunity, and why do you feel that way?&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Do you ever find yourself rushing through your Bible reading just to check it off a list? If so, how can praying Psalm 119:18 before you start reading help you absorb the message into your soul?&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">What kind of Bible-reading routine would you actually look forward to every day? What details would be involved &ndash; format, time of day, location, etc.?&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">What&rsquo;s one &ldquo;wonderful thing&rdquo; you&rsquo;ve learned about God&rsquo;s character recently that made God feel more real to you?&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">What&rsquo;s something that you&rsquo;re wondering about who God is or what God does, that you&rsquo;d like to learn more about from the Bible?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Further Reading: Jeremiah 15:16 Psalm 119:105 Hebrews 4:12 Psalm 19:7 Joshua 1:8

Get Excited about the Bible Again

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