Let's release ourselves from the burden of perfection and pursue a deeper relationship with the One who sacrificed so much to make us right with Him. - Laura Bailey

SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:

Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/
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Let's release ourselves from the burden of perfection and pursue a deeper relationship with the One who sacrificed so much to make us right with Him. - Laura Bailey
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

The  Pursuit of Righteousness over Perfection

Waiting on God, trusting His timing, and holding onto hope in suffering are at the heart of When the Miracle Hasn’t Come Yet. Rooted in Romans 8:24–25 and the story of Lazarus in John 11, this devotional explores how God’s love remains constant—even when answers feel delayed.

In seasons of pain, silence, or unanswered prayers, it’s easy to question where God is. Yet Scripture shows us that delay is not the absence of love. Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus deeply—and still waited. That tension is where faith grows. Biblical hope isn’t pretending everything is fine; it’s trusting that God is still working when we can’t yet see the outcome. Even in the waiting, Jesus is still our resurrection and our life. The miracle may not have come yet—but His presence is already with us.

Highlights
God’s delay does not mean He is distant or uncaring
Faith allows room for both belief and honest grief
Biblical hope is anchored in what we cannot yet see
Jesus is our hope now—not just when the miracle comes
Waiting seasons are not wasted; they deepen our dependence on God
God’s love and our suffering can coexist without contradiction
You are not alone—God is present even in the silence

Full Transcript Below:

When the Miracle Hasn’t Come Yet
By: Sarah Frazer

Bible Reading:
“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” - Romans 8:24-25

If God loves me why am I suffering?

I asked this question many years ago while sitting awake in bed at 2 AM. I was battling an intense time of depression and anxiety. Sleep would not come, even after begging God for relief. I had gotten so tired that I couldn’t rest. Tears rolled down my cheek.

As I walked through the valley of depression, I began to search out why God would delay my healing. I wrestled with the question of how God could be loving but also allow suffering as well.  Our passage for today speaks into this tension.

“Now a man named Lazarus was sick… Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So… he stayed where he was two more days.” - John 11:5-6

Notice that it says Jesus loved them! It is evident in other scriptures that Jesus had a close relationship with all three siblings. Yet, when they needed him the most, Jesus delayed. If He loved them, why didn’t He hurry to heal Lazarus? For two days, Jesus didn’t move. So many of us feel like we are living in that “two-day delay.” We are loved, but we are still waiting.

One night, while sitting in my bed, unable to fall asleep, I remember finally being honest with God. I told him that I was so depressed and asked Him why He didn’t take this pain away. Mary and Martha, in John 11, were also honest with Jesus.

“‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” - John 11:21

There is belief here. She believed Jesus could have helped, but she also expressed her grief. How many of us shy away from both things when we are waiting for relief from our own suffering? Faith in God does not mean we can’t be disappointed. Jesus did not chide her for her honesty. Believing God’s promises and His power does not silence our sorrow.

Although Jesus does resurrect Lazarus, Martha didn’t know this. You and I know that one day our new bodies will not suffer, and all tears will be wiped away. But that doesn’t mean we don’t live in unresolved circumstances now.

“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” - Romans 8:24-25

Biblical hope is not wishful thinking or denial. Mary and Martha did not deny the pain, nor did they have a vague belief in Jesus. Martha stood in her grief before she saw glory. Many of us do that too. Paul, in the book of Romans, encourages us to wait for what we cannot see and hope will come.

Resurrection means that death does not win. Delay does not cancel love, and the grave does not get the final word. Often, we believe that God’s love means we will have immediate answers or instant healing. Instead, we find that God’s timeline and ours don’t always match. Jesus was the resurrection and the life before Lazarus walked out of the tomb. He is the resurrection for us, even if tears fall.

“I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25

Notice what Jesus did not say: “I will perform a resurrection.” He said, “I am.” This is one of the many “I AM” statements found throughout the Gospel of John. In this moment, Jesus is declaring Himself God. Very soon after this moment, Jesus would face His own death, and then God would resurrect Jesus as well. Notice that the miracle came later. Jesus is still our hope, our savior, and our king, even if we find ourselves still inside the tomb.

Depression is like a tomb for me. So many times I’ve suffered through seasons of extreme sorrow, feeling like I was dying. In those moments, I began to cling to Jesus. Nothing around me felt any different, but as I read scripture, especially this passage, I realize that Jesus sees my sorrow, loves me deeply, and was willing to die Himself so I could one day be free from pain and sorrow.

The same Savior who sometimes allows suffering is the One who ultimately conquered it on the cross. So if you find yourself praying at 2 a.m., longing for relief, just remember that you are not forgotten. You may not see the miracle yet. But you are not waiting alone.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Where does it feel like God is late in showing up for you? What prayer feels unanswered? What miracle are you waiting and hoping for? You are not abandoned in the delay. Love can coexist with waiting. Resurrection hope sustains sometimes before it resolves.

Further Reading:
Isaiah 30:18
Lamentations 3:25-26
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Hebrews 11:13
Revelation 21:4-5

Waiting on God, trusting His timing, and holding onto hope in suffering are at the heart of When the Miracle Hasn&rsquo;t Come Yet. Rooted in Romans 8:24&ndash;25 and the story of Lazarus in John 11, this devotional explores how God&rsquo;s love remains constant&mdash;even when answers feel delayed.
In seasons of pain, silence, or unanswered prayers, it&rsquo;s easy to question where God is. Yet Scripture shows us that delay is not the absence of love. Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus deeply&mdash;and still waited. That tension is where faith grows. Biblical hope isn&rsquo;t pretending everything is fine; it&rsquo;s trusting that God is still working when we can&rsquo;t yet see the outcome. Even in the waiting, Jesus is still our resurrection and our life. The miracle may not have come yet&mdash;but His presence is already with us.
Highlights
<ul data-start="825" data-end="1243">
<li data-section-id="k609ok" data-start="825" data-end="880">God&rsquo;s delay does not mean He is distant or uncaring</li>
<li data-section-id="qvit5n" data-start="881" data-end="935">Faith allows room for both belief and honest grief</li>
<li data-section-id="hzah0n" data-start="936" data-end="991">Biblical hope is anchored in what we cannot yet see</li>
<li data-section-id="l0i8xm" data-start="992" data-end="1049">Jesus is our hope now&mdash;not just when the miracle comes</li>
<li data-section-id="1fak6tw" data-start="1050" data-end="1119">Waiting seasons are not wasted; they deepen our dependence on God</li>
<li data-section-id="1i6hpms" data-start="1120" data-end="1186">God&rsquo;s love and our suffering can coexist without contradiction</li>
<li data-section-id="wgov9x" data-start="1187" data-end="1243">You are not alone&mdash;God is present even in the silence</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
When the Miracle Hasn&rsquo;t Come Yet By: Sarah Frazer
Bible Reading: &ldquo;For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.&rdquo; - Romans 8:24-25
If God loves me why am I suffering?
I asked this question many years ago while sitting awake in bed at 2 AM. I was battling an intense time of depression and anxiety. Sleep would not come, even after begging God for relief. I had gotten so tired that I couldn&rsquo;t rest. Tears rolled down my cheek.
As I walked through the valley of depression, I began to search out why God would delay my healing. I wrestled with the question of how God could be loving but also allow suffering as well.&nbsp; Our passage for today speaks into this tension.
&ldquo;Now a man named Lazarus was sick&hellip; Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So&hellip; he stayed where he was two more days.&rdquo; - John 11:5-6
Notice that it says Jesus loved them! It is evident in other scriptures that Jesus had a close relationship with all three siblings. Yet, when they needed him the most, Jesus delayed. If He loved them, why didn&rsquo;t He hurry to heal Lazarus? For two days, Jesus didn&rsquo;t move. So many of us feel like we are living in that &ldquo;two-day delay.&rdquo; We are loved, but we are still waiting.
One night, while sitting in my bed, unable to fall asleep, I remember finally being honest with God. I told him that I was so depressed and asked Him why He didn&rsquo;t take this pain away. Mary and Martha, in John 11, were also honest with Jesus.
&ldquo;&lsquo;Lord,&rsquo; Martha said to Jesus, &lsquo;if you had been here, my brother would not have died.&rsquo;&rdquo; - John 11:21
There is belief here. She believed Jesus could have helped, but she also expressed her grief. How many of us shy away from both things when we are waiting for relief from our own suffering? Faith in God does not mean we can&rsquo;t be disappointed. Jesus did not chide her for her honesty. Believing God&rsquo;s promises and His power does not silence our sorrow.
Although Jesus does resurrect Lazarus, Martha didn&rsquo;t know this. You and I know that one day our new bodies will not suffer, and all tears will be wiped away. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean we don&rsquo;t live in unresolved circumstances now.
&ldquo;For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.&rdquo; - Romans 8:24-25
Biblical hope is not wishful thinking or denial. Mary and Martha did not deny the pain, nor did they have a vague belief in Jesus. Martha stood in her grief before she saw glory. Many of us do that too. Paul, in the book of Romans, encourages us to wait for what we cannot see and hope will come.
Resurrection means that death does not win. Delay does not cancel love, and the grave does not get the final word. Often, we believe that God&rsquo;s love means we will have immediate answers or instant healing. Instead, we find that God&rsquo;s timeline and ours don&rsquo;t always match. Jesus was the resurrection and the life before Lazarus walked out of the tomb. He is the resurrection for us, even if tears fall.
&ldquo;I am the resurrection and the life.&rdquo; John 11:25
Notice what Jesus did not say: &ldquo;I will perform a resurrection.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;I am.&rdquo; This is one of the many &ldquo;I AM&rdquo; statements found throughout the Gospel of John. In this moment, Jesus is declaring Himself God. Very soon after this moment, Jesus would face His own death, and then God would resurrect Jesus as well. Notice that the miracle came later. Jesus is still our hope, our savior, and our king, even if we find ourselves still inside the tomb.
Depression is like a tomb for me. So many times I&rsquo;ve suffered through seasons of extreme sorrow, feeling like I was dying. In those moments, I began to cling to Jesus. Nothing around me felt any different, but as I read scripture, especially this passage, I realize that Jesus sees my sorrow, loves me deeply, and was willing to die Himself so I could one day be free from pain and sorrow.
The same Savior who sometimes allows suffering is the One who ultimately conquered it on the cross. So if you find yourself praying at 2 a.m., longing for relief, just remember that you are not forgotten. You may not see the miracle yet. But you are not waiting alone.
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
Where does it feel like God is late in showing up for you? What prayer feels unanswered? What miracle are you waiting and hoping for? You are not abandoned in the delay. Love can coexist with waiting. Resurrection hope sustains sometimes before it resolves.
Further Reading: Isaiah 30:18 Lamentations 3:25-26 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Hebrews 11:13 Revelation 21:4-5

When the Miracle Hasn’t Come Yet

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/122ad0a8-d233-4930-b725-b42001209f5c/transcript

Spiritual surrender, trusting God’s timing, and releasing control take center stage in Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel 1–2. The Burial Before the Breakthrough reveals how God often does His deepest work in our hearts before He changes our circumstances.

Hannah’s journey through infertility, longing, and public shame paints a powerful picture of what it means to wrestle with unmet desires. Yet instead of turning away, she brought her pain directly to God—honestly, persistently, and with surrender. Her breakthrough didn’t begin with the birth of Samuel, but with a transformed heart that desired God’s will above her own. This story reminds us that sometimes God allows seasons of waiting not to withhold from us, but to reshape us, deepen our dependence on Him, and prepare us for something greater than we imagined.

Highlights
God often transforms our hearts before He changes our circumstances
Seasons of waiting can draw us closer to God rather than away from Him
Even good desires can become idols if they take God’s place in our hearts
True peace comes from surrendering our will to God’s greater plan
Breakthrough often begins in the “burial” of our own expectations
God sees our pain, hears our prayers, and works behind the scenes
Lasting fulfillment is found in God, not in the things we’re asking for

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org

TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org

Full Transcript Below:

The Burial before the Breakthrough

By Hannah Benson

 

Bible Reading:
“And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.” - 1 Samuel 2:1-5 (ESV)

I’ve often wondered why I love Hannah’s story.

Perhaps it’s because we share the same name, or because the deep ache burning within her is something we can all relate to. Even if we cannot relate to the infertility of her womb, surely, we can relate to the infertility of her heart.

Hannah deeply desired a child, but for years, she wrestled with barrenness. In those days, it was a cultural norm: a woman’s worth was measured by her children.

Don’t get me wrong. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3 ESV). ALL children are precious gifts from God above and meant to be treasured, cherished, and loved!

For Hannah, not only did she desire to be a mother, but infertility was a societal weight. Because she couldn’t bear a child, her husband’s line would die with her.

Consequently, Elkanah was bound by duty to take a second wife, Peninnah, turning Hannah’s grief into public shame.

Imagine the immense sadness that increased with each day as Hannah was reminded of what she didn’t have. While once she may have been reminded anytime she visited an ever-growing family, now the patter of little feet haunted her in her home.

Her husband was a proud father, but not of her child.

Can we imagine?

To make matters worse, she received no sympathy from Peninnah. Her husband’s second wife “used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb” (1 Samuel 1:6 ESV).

Undoubtedly, Hannah would’ve asked God, “Why”?

She may’ve wondered if God had a plan.

Why wouldn’t He bless her with a child?

We know Elkanah loved Hannah very much. When he and his household went up to worship the LORD and to offer sacrifices, he gave portions to Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. But as is written in 1 Samuel 1:5 (ESV), “But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.”

Although Peninnah had his children, Hannah had his heart.

As hard as it can be to understand sometimes, God wasn’t cruel in closing her womb. He sees what we can’t when we’re in the middle of the fight, and later we see it wasn’t for Hannah’s harm but for God to weave a beautiful story far beyond what she could even imagine.

What inspires me is that Hannah chose to go to the temple “year by year” to worship God anyway. Though it would’ve been easier to stay home and avoid Peninnah’s constant taunts, she let the hole in her heart drive her into the arms of God.

“And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8 ESV).

Hannah’s heart was broken. Yes, she loved her husband, but the ache in her heart was so great that not even he could fill it.

We often believe that receiving the thing we long for will satisfy us, but only God can satisfy the true hunger of our souls. If we look to anything but Him, we shall be sorely disappointed.

It doesn’t mean God doesn’t desire to give us good gifts. He does. But He wants to be the greatest desire of our hearts, whom we long for more than anything else. 

I don’t know exactly what drove Hannah to her knees.

Perhaps she was simply tired of Peninnah’s taunting.

Perhaps she realized there was nothing she could do to change her circumstances, and so she needed the Lord to change her heart.

1 Samuel 1:10-11 (ESV) says: “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

Eli, the priest, saw Hannah and thought she was drunk. When she explained that she was crying out before the Lord, he told her to “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him” (1 Samuel 1:17 ESV).

Hannah’s heart changed the moment she wanted God’s will more than her own.

How many of us cling to a desire so tightly that we refuse to yield it, eventually losing sight of why we even wanted it? Even “good” desires can become idols when we want our will more than God’s.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

In Hannah’s story, God chose to change her circumstances after he changed her heart. But one of the greatest miracles in her story wasn’t just the arrival of Samuel (although that was a huge blessing and answer to prayer!) but the peace in her heart that came before the answered prayer.

When God blessed Hannah with her first child (and yes, she went on to have 5 more children), she kept her word, brought him to the temple after he was weaned, and gave him to Eli to serve the Lord all his days. She surrendered the very thing she’d once wept for. How hard must that have been to give her only son back to God?

Yet God gave her strength, and her satisfaction was now truly found in God alone.

God doesn’t always change our circumstances, but He will change our hearts if we ask.

Hannah is an inspiration to me as I ask myself: Have I relinquished control? Have I surrendered? Have I allowed my own will to be “buried” so God’s will may be done?

Whether the Lord chooses to answer the prayers the way I want or not, will I trust that He is still working everything for my good?

I pray you will be inspired today. God sees you. He knows the prayers you pray and the desires on your heart.

Do you trust Him with what matters most to you?

Spiritual surrender, trusting God&rsquo;s timing, and releasing control take center stage in Hannah&rsquo;s story in 1 Samuel 1&ndash;2. The Burial Before the Breakthrough reveals how God often does His deepest work in our hearts before He changes our circumstances.
Hannah&rsquo;s journey through infertility, longing, and public shame paints a powerful picture of what it means to wrestle with unmet desires. Yet instead of turning away, she brought her pain directly to God&mdash;honestly, persistently, and with surrender. Her breakthrough didn&rsquo;t begin with the birth of Samuel, but with a transformed heart that desired God&rsquo;s will above her own. This story reminds us that sometimes God allows seasons of waiting not to withhold from us, but to reshape us, deepen our dependence on Him, and prepare us for something greater than we imagined.
Highlights
<ul data-start="853" data-end="1363">
<li data-section-id="1bka1u3" data-start="853" data-end="924">God often transforms our hearts before He changes our circumstances</li>
<li data-section-id="1jlxr7e" data-start="925" data-end="999">Seasons of waiting can draw us closer to God rather than away from Him</li>
<li data-section-id="kpkgo1" data-start="1000" data-end="1077">Even good desires can become idols if they take God&rsquo;s place in our hearts</li>
<li data-section-id="10q1v6h" data-start="1078" data-end="1147">True peace comes from surrendering our will to God&rsquo;s greater plan</li>
<li data-section-id="dgrxxy" data-start="1148" data-end="1217">Breakthrough often begins in the &ldquo;burial&rdquo; of our own expectations</li>
<li data-section-id="smjn40" data-start="1218" data-end="1287">God sees our pain, hears our prayers, and works behind the scenes</li>
<li data-section-id="2ery8h" data-start="1288" data-end="1363">Lasting fulfillment is found in God, not in the things we&rsquo;re asking for</li>
</ul>
This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. &nbsp;Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | <a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org</a>
TrinityCredit &ndash; Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. <a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
The Burial before the Breakthrough
By Hannah Benson
&nbsp;
Bible Reading: &ldquo;And Hannah prayed and said, &ldquo;My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. &ldquo;There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.&rdquo; - 1 Samuel 2:1-5 (ESV)
I&rsquo;ve often wondered why I love Hannah&rsquo;s story.
Perhaps it&rsquo;s because we share the same name, or because the deep ache burning within her is something we can all relate to. Even if we cannot relate to the infertility of her womb, surely, we can relate to the infertility of her heart.
Hannah deeply desired a child, but for years, she wrestled with barrenness. In those days, it was a cultural norm: a woman&rsquo;s worth was measured by her children.
Don&rsquo;t get me wrong. &ldquo;Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward&rdquo; (Psalm 127:3 ESV). ALL children are precious gifts from God above and meant to be treasured, cherished, and loved!
For Hannah, not only did she desire to be a mother, but infertility was a societal weight. Because she couldn&rsquo;t bear a child, her husband&rsquo;s line would die with her.
Consequently, Elkanah was bound by duty to take a second wife, Peninnah, turning Hannah&rsquo;s grief into public shame.
Imagine the immense sadness that increased with each day as Hannah was reminded of what she didn&rsquo;t have. While once she may have been reminded anytime she visited an ever-growing family, now the patter of little feet haunted her&nbsp;in her home.
Her husband was a proud father, but not of her child.
Can we imagine?
To make matters worse, she received no sympathy from Peninnah. Her husband&rsquo;s second wife &ldquo;used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb&rdquo; (1 Samuel 1:6 ESV).
Undoubtedly, Hannah would&rsquo;ve asked God, &ldquo;Why&rdquo;?
She may&rsquo;ve wondered if God had a plan.
Why wouldn&rsquo;t He bless her with a child?
We know Elkanah loved Hannah very much. When he and his household went up to worship the LORD and to offer sacrifices, he gave portions to Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. But as is written in 1 Samuel 1:5 (ESV), &ldquo;But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.&rdquo;
Although Peninnah had his children, Hannah had his heart.
As hard as it can be to understand sometimes, God wasn&rsquo;t cruel in closing her womb. He sees what we can&rsquo;t when we&rsquo;re in the middle of the fight, and later we see it wasn&rsquo;t for Hannah&rsquo;s harm but for God to weave a beautiful story far beyond what she could even imagine.
What inspires me is that Hannah chose to go to the temple &ldquo;year by year&rdquo; to worship God anyway. Though it would&rsquo;ve been easier to stay home and avoid Peninnah&rsquo;s constant taunts, she let the hole in her heart drive her into the arms of God.
&ldquo;And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, &ldquo;Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?&rdquo; (1 Samuel 1:8 ESV).
Hannah&rsquo;s heart was broken. Yes, she loved her husband, but the ache in her heart was so great that not even he could fill it.
We often believe that receiving the thing we long for will satisfy us, but only God can satisfy the true hunger of our souls. If we look to anything but Him, we shall be sorely disappointed.
It doesn&rsquo;t mean God doesn&rsquo;t desire to give us good gifts. He does. But He wants to be the greatest desire of our hearts, whom we long for more than&nbsp;anything else.&nbsp;
I don&rsquo;t know exactly what drove Hannah to her knees.
Perhaps she was simply tired of Peninnah&rsquo;s taunting.
Perhaps she realized there was nothing she could do to change her circumstances, and so she needed the Lord to change her heart.
1 Samuel 1:10-11 (ESV) says: &ldquo;She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, &ldquo;O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.&rdquo;
Eli, the priest, saw Hannah and thought she was drunk. When she explained that she was crying out before the Lord, he told her to &ldquo;Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him&rdquo; (1 Samuel 1:17 ESV).
Hannah&rsquo;s heart changed the moment she wanted God&rsquo;s will more than her own.
How many of us cling to a desire so tightly that we refuse to yield it, eventually losing sight of why we even wanted it? Even &ldquo;good&rdquo; desires can become idols when we want our will more than God&rsquo;s.
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
In Hannah&rsquo;s story, God chose to change her circumstances after he changed her heart. But one of the greatest miracles in her story wasn&rsquo;t just the arrival of Samuel (although that was a huge blessing and answer to prayer!) but the peace in her heart that came&nbsp;before&nbsp;the answered prayer.
When God blessed Hannah with her first child (and yes, she went on to have 5 more children), she kept her word, brought him to the temple after he was weaned, and gave him to Eli to serve the Lord all his days. She surrendered the very thing she&rsquo;d once wept for. How hard must that have been to give her only son back to God?
Yet God gave her strength, and her satisfaction was now truly found in God alone.
God doesn&rsquo;t always change our circumstances, but He will change our hearts if we ask.
Hannah is an inspiration to me as I ask myself: Have I relinquished control? Have I surrendered? Have I allowed my own will to be &ldquo;buried&rdquo; so God&rsquo;s will may be done?
Whether the Lord chooses to answer the prayers the way I want or not, will I trust that He is still working everything for my good?
I pray you will be inspired today. God sees you. He knows the prayers you pray and the desires on your heart.
Do you trust Him with what matters most to you?

The Burial Before the Breakthrough

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/8c5d9bae-8708-4a83-9805-b41d00e75675/transcript

Facing fear, surrender, and trust in God’s plan takes center stage in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus models honest prayer and unwavering obedience. The Night Before the Cross explores how Jesus’ surrender in Matthew 26:36–39 invites us to trust God—even when the path ahead feels overwhelming.

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus experienced deep sorrow and anguish, fully aware of the suffering He would endure. Yet in that moment, He didn’t hide His emotions—He brought them honestly before the Father. His prayer reveals a powerful tension: a desire for relief paired with complete trust in God’s will. This moment reminds us that faith isn’t the absence of struggle—it’s choosing trust in the middle of it. Because of Jesus’ surrender, we are invited to bring our hardest emotions to God while still believing in His greater plan.

Highlights
Jesus models honest prayer—bringing raw emotions to God without holding back
Surrendering to God’s will doesn’t remove fear, but it anchors us in trust
Even Jesus sought the presence of friends, showing our need for community
Gethsemane reminds us that obedience often comes through deep struggle
God’s plan can be trusted, even when it leads through suffering
Jesus understands our pain, making Him a compassionate Savior
True faith is saying “Your will be done” even when it’s difficult

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org

TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org

Full Transcript Below:

The Night Before the Cross
By: Whitney Hopler 

Bible Reading:
“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” – Matthew 26:36-39, NIV

When I visited Israel and Palestine on a pilgrimage trip, I was moved to tears by the ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. Since olive trees regenerate, they can live for many generations. Some of those trees with the wide, twisted branches were descendants of the trees that were there when Jesus prayed in the garden the night before going to the cross. I imagined Jesus in agony there, knowing he would be crucified the next day and have to take the burden of all sin from his creation onto himself. No one had ever had such a heavy burden to carry in this fallen and broken world. 

Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to “stay here and keep watch with me.” He simply wanted the comfort of having his friends nearby. Jesus shows us that needing other people is an important part of being human. Even though his friends eventually let him down and fell asleep, the human part of Jesus reached out for their support. The divine part of Jesus knew that people are meant to encourage one another. 

Then, Jesus prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” He didn’t want to go through the excruciating physical pain of being crucified, but even more than that, he didn’t want the spiritual weight of carrying the world’s mistakes. He was completely honest with God when he asked if there was a way out. This is so encouraging for us today! It shows us we can tell God exactly how we feel, even when we’re dealing with difficult emotions. We don’t have to pretend to be happy when we’re actually sad, or to be peaceful when we’re actually terrified. God can handle our honest prayers about our most challenging feelings. 

But then, the story changes. After asking God the Father to change the plan if possible, Jesus added those famous words: “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus prayed with total trust. He knew that God’s will was best. Jesus trusted God’s plan more than he trusted his own human fear. His love for God and for humanity inspired him to let go of his will so he could do God’s will for us. 

We all have our own Garden of Gethsemane experiences – those times when we’re facing situations we don’t want to happen, and feel overwhelmed by them. But when we face those challenges, we can remember how Jesus prayed on the night before going to the cross. Jesus is a Savior who understands our sadness. He shows us that God isn’t afraid of our honesty. Most importantly, Jesus shows us how we can trust God’s plans for us, even while we’re challenged by those plans. The night before the cross was the darkest night in history, but it was also the night that proved just how much Jesus loves us! 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you consider how you can be honest with God about your hard feelings and still trust God’s plans for you, reflect on these questions:
When you’re going through a hard time, why is it important to you to reach out to friends or family?
Jesus was “overwhelmed with sorrow” on the night before the cross. How does knowing that Jesus experienced so much emotional pain change the way you feel comfortable talking to him in prayer?
Is there something in your life right now that you’re asking God to take away? If God keeps that in your life anyway, what will help you trust God in that situation?
What makes it challenging to say: “Not as I will, but as you will” in your current circumstances?
How does Jesus’ surrender in the garden give you hope for the difficult situations you’re facing? 

Further Reading:
Philippians 2:8
Luke 22:44
Isaiah 53:3
Psalm 34:18
Hebrews 4:15

Facing fear, surrender, and trust in God&rsquo;s plan takes center stage in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus models honest prayer and unwavering obedience. The Night Before the Cross explores how Jesus&rsquo; surrender in Matthew 26:36&ndash;39 invites us to trust God&mdash;even when the path ahead feels overwhelming.
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus experienced deep sorrow and anguish, fully aware of the suffering He would endure. Yet in that moment, He didn&rsquo;t hide His emotions&mdash;He brought them honestly before the Father. His prayer reveals a powerful tension: a desire for relief paired with complete trust in God&rsquo;s will. This moment reminds us that faith isn&rsquo;t the absence of struggle&mdash;it&rsquo;s choosing trust in the middle of it. Because of Jesus&rsquo; surrender, we are invited to bring our hardest emotions to God while still believing in His greater plan.
Highlights
<ul data-start="885" data-end="1401">
<li data-section-id="4xqobj" data-start="885" data-end="965">Jesus models honest prayer&mdash;bringing raw emotions to God without holding back</li>
<li data-section-id="ynbgb4" data-start="966" data-end="1044">Surrendering to God&rsquo;s will doesn&rsquo;t remove fear, but it anchors us in trust</li>
<li data-section-id="osmelx" data-start="1045" data-end="1122">Even Jesus sought the presence of friends, showing our need for community</li>
<li data-section-id="12f03al" data-start="1123" data-end="1197">Gethsemane reminds us that obedience often comes through deep struggle</li>
<li data-section-id="1uvrydn" data-start="1198" data-end="1265">God&rsquo;s plan can be trusted, even when it leads through suffering</li>
<li data-section-id="xrltqd" data-start="1266" data-end="1331">Jesus understands our pain, making Him a compassionate Savior</li>
<li data-section-id="x845wl" data-start="1332" data-end="1401">True faith is saying &ldquo;Your will be done&rdquo; even when it&rsquo;s difficult</li>
</ul>
This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. &nbsp;Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | <a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org</a>
TrinityCredit &ndash; Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. <a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
The Night Before the Cross By: Whitney Hopler&nbsp;
Bible Reading: &ldquo;Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, &lsquo;Sit here while I go over there and pray.&rsquo; He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, &lsquo;My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.&rsquo; Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, &lsquo;My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.&rdquo; &ndash; Matthew 26:36-39, NIV
When I visited Israel and Palestine on a pilgrimage trip, I was moved to tears by the ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. Since olive trees regenerate, they can live for many generations. Some of those trees with the wide, twisted branches were descendants of the trees that were there when Jesus prayed in the garden the night before going to the cross. I imagined Jesus in agony there, knowing he would be crucified the next day and have to <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/why-is-the-lamb-of-god-so-significant.html">take the burden of all sin from his creation onto himself</a>. No one had ever had such a heavy burden to carry in this fallen and broken world.&nbsp;
Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to &ldquo;stay here and keep watch with me.&rdquo; He simply wanted the comfort of having his friends nearby. Jesus shows us that needing other people is an important part of being human. Even though his friends eventually let him down and fell asleep, the human part of Jesus reached out for their support. The divine part of Jesus knew that<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/encourage-one-another-the-crosswalk-devotional.html"> people are meant to encourage one another</a>.&nbsp;
Then, Jesus prayed: &ldquo;My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.&rdquo; He didn&rsquo;t want to go through the excruciating physical pain of being crucified, but even more than that, he didn&rsquo;t want the spiritual weight of carrying the world&rsquo;s mistakes. He was completely honest with God when he asked if there was a way out. This is so encouraging for us today! It shows us we can tell God exactly how we feel, even when we&rsquo;re dealing with difficult emotions. We don&rsquo;t have to pretend to be happy when we&rsquo;re actually sad, or to be peaceful when we&rsquo;re actually terrified. God can handle our honest prayers about our most challenging feelings.&nbsp;
But then, the story changes. After asking God the Father to change the plan if possible, Jesus added those famous words: &ldquo;Yet not as I will, but as you will.&rdquo; Jesus prayed with total trust. He knew that God&rsquo;s will was best. Jesus<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/focus-on-god-not-on-fear-the-crosswalk-devotional.html"> trusted God&rsquo;s plan more than he trusted his own human fear</a>. His love for God and for humanity inspired him to let go of his will so he could do God&rsquo;s will for us.&nbsp;
We all have our own Garden of Gethsemane experiences &ndash; those times when we&rsquo;re facing situations we don&rsquo;t want to happen, and feel overwhelmed by them. But when we face those challenges, we can remember how Jesus prayed on the night before going to the cross. Jesus is a Savior who understands our sadness. He shows us that God isn&rsquo;t afraid of our honesty. Most importantly, Jesus shows us how we can trust God&rsquo;s plans for us, even while we&rsquo;re challenged by those plans. The night before the cross was the darkest night in history, but it was also the night that proved just how much Jesus loves us!&nbsp;
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
As you consider how you can be honest with God about your hard feelings and still trust God&rsquo;s plans for you, reflect on these questions:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">When you&rsquo;re going through a hard time, why is it important to you to reach out to friends or family?</li>
<li aria-level="1">Jesus was &ldquo;overwhelmed with sorrow&rdquo; on the night before the cross. How does knowing that Jesus experienced so much emotional pain change the way you feel comfortable talking to him in prayer?</li>
<li aria-level="1">Is there something in your life right now that you&rsquo;re asking God to take away? If God keeps that in your life anyway, what will help you trust God in that situation?</li>
<li aria-level="1">What makes it challenging to say: &ldquo;Not as I will, but as you will&rdquo; in your current circumstances?</li>
<li aria-level="1">How does Jesus&rsquo; surrender in the garden give you hope for the difficult situations you&rsquo;re facing?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Further Reading: Philippians 2:8 Luke 22:44 Isaiah 53:3 Psalm 34:18 Hebrews 4:15

The Night Before the Cross

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/490331e8-fc2f-48ee-8482-b41d00e677d2/transcript

The Pursuit of Righteousness over Perfection

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