What Were You Expecting? - Crosswalk the Devotional - March 12

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( What Were You Expecting? by [Scott Savage]( "When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich." - [Luke 18:22-23]( Every Jesus follower has the same experience at one point or another. We recognize that the way Jesus is leading us is not the direction we wanted or intended to go. Whatever our expectation involved, we are shocked to find out Jesus has other plans. And we are not alone. In [Matthew 16]( Peter heard the words "Get behind me, Satan" when he told Jesus not to go to Jerusalem and be crucified. In [Luke 18]( a wealthy, powerful young man turned away from Jesus when he was invited to go up the one thing he could not abandon. At the heart of our expectation is often a desire for more. It could be more fulfillment, more meaning, or even more connection. Comedian and actor Russell Brand would say "more" is a longing for God. [In an interview with Relevant Magazine in 2017](, Brand said, “There’s a famous quote: ‘Every man who knocks on a brothel door, he’s looking for God.’ Crack houses and these dens of suffering and illicit activity, they’re all people trying to feel good, trying to feel connected. People are trying to escape. People are trying to get out of their own heads. To me, this is a spiritual impetus.” I can relate to Brand's words. Not because I've knocked on a brothel door, but because I've longed for more. I knew I was meant for more than the role I held at a church about two years ago. And as I sought what "more" looked like beyond that, my wife and I both became convinced we were supposed to make a move. But the move involved a major adjustment for me. It meant leaving a city of 4 million for a town of 40,000. This transition has not been easy, but we knew this was our next step of obedience. What if “more” means a next step we weren’t expecting? Like the young man in [Luke 18]( we might be disappointed. Or like Peter in [Matthew 16]( we might be frustrated. But once our next step is clear, we have a choice to make. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( You May Also Like: [10 Church Activities That Need to Go]( Lindsey VanSparrentak Let’s get rid of the events that are holding our church back from growing. Let’s find the events that are thriving and add fuel to the proverbial fire. Let’s get rid of the old and bring in the new, and let’s start today. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [7 Ways God Uses Waiting to Prepare You]( Cortni Marrazzo Here are 7 beautiful things God is working for good in your waiting. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2021 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](