DEVOTION

Hello Crossings Family!

It’s a privilege to get to share with you today. With the state beginning to reopen, there is some excitement, but also a lot of uncertainty and questions I think have left many of us—myself included—feeling somewhat uneasy. Hopeful, but still somewhat unsure.

Through all of this, I feel God has been asking me to lean into him in ways unlike ever before. He has been asking me to lean into him through my fears, loneliness, insecurities, doubts, and lack of control.

The verse that keeps coming to my mind this week is Psalm 37:3, which says, “Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness” (NASB).

I don’t know what tomorrow holds. I don’t know what next week looks like. I don't know how to best reintegrate into “normal” life—most days I don’t even know how to best steward my extra time.

But, what would it look like to simply wake up each day, choose to put my trust in the Lord, dwell in the land, or in others words: exist in my current life and cultivate faithfulness?

Cultivate means: to tend, pasture, shepherd, to contend with.

Faithfulness means: steadfastness, firmness, fidelity, steadiness.

When I choose to rise in the morning, put my trust, hope, and security in the God of the universe and do my best to do good—pursuing with steadfastness and fidelity whatever I have in front of me in my work, personal life, friendships, etc.—I am not quite as worried or anxious about everything else going on.

My worry and fear tends to kick in when I put my trust in the media, do a bunch of nothing, and dwell in land cultivating anxiety.

The Lord is so gracious with his words given to us in Scripture. They’re not intended to be patronizing, but rather to lead us to him and the freedom found in knowing him.

Let’s lean in today, trust him to be who he says he is, and trust him to do what he’s promised to do. Let’s cultivate faithfulness right where we are today, no matter what is in front of us. Whether that’s a full day’s work at the office or home, taking care of children and homeschooling, making the phone call to the friend on your mind, stewarding your free time wisely, or whatever else it might be, his way is always better than ours, and he is a good and trustworthy God.

PRAYER

Lord,

Help us to believe your words. Help us to learn how to trade fear and anxiety for trust and relationship with you. Help us to trust you, to do good, to live in our places, and cultivate faithfulness to you, our God and our king, rather than our fears and our screens. We love you, we need you, and we choose to trust you even when we are afraid.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

MaryAshton Floyd

Women's Director Young Adult/College Ministry

mfloyd@crossings.church