A Personal Journal of Grace and Discipleship
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20
From the blog
The Exchanged Life: Finding Freedom and Wholeness Through Spirituotherapy
In a world filled with competing counseling models, it’s not uncommon to find contrasting views on what “biblical” or “Christian” counseling truly means. Searching for answers can feel overwhelming, and the terms alone—“biblical counseling” versus “Christian counseling”—can spark endless debates on how, or whether, secular counseling methodologies fit within a Christian framework.
Only the Hungry Grow
Today’s devotional from Miles Stanford explores a key distinction in our spiritual journey. While Romans 1 through 5 contain the birth truths of salvation, it is Romans 6 through 8 that reveal the growth truths essential for maturity. The Reformation rightly reclaimed the truth of justification, but it often stopped short of ushering believers into the indwelling life of Jesus as their functional source for living. That inner dependence is where transformation takes place.
The Meek Will Own What the Mighty Could Not Keep
The world today is under the rule of Satan, but Revelation 11:15 assures us that the day is coming when the world will fully belong to our Lord and His Christ. That reclaimed world, the earth itself, is the same one spoken of in Matthew 5:5 where Jesus says the meek will inherit it. Today’s devotional from Witness Lee uncovers the countercultural nature of this promise. In the world’s eyes, land is taken by power. History is full of wars fought for territory, and those who resist or refuse to fight are often seen as weak and forgotten. But in the eyes of the kingdom, meekness is not weakness. It is yielded trust.
Love That Looks Deeper
T. Austin-Sparks invites us to look through a window, not of judgment, but of love. and to see the surpassing excellence of Jesus as we engage with others. The love we’re called to express is not limited to those who are easy to love or who share our spiritual maturity. Scripture makes it plain that love must abound not only within our circle, but toward all people. That is a searching and deeply practical call.
The Call That Comes With a Companion
Today’s devotional from Ray Stedman invites us to look into Jeremiah’s initial hesitation when God called him. Jeremiah, feeling too young and too unqualified, responded in much the same way many others have throughout Scripture. Like Moses, Gideon, and Isaiah, he shrank back in fear and insecurity. But that hesitation, far from disqualifying him, placed him in a long line of servants whose strength came not from self-confidence but from divine companionship.
Trust Over Terms: Why God’s Promises Are Never Earned
Today’s devotional from Bob Hoekstra brings us back to Abraham, the man God called righteous not because of what he did but because of whom he trusted. The heart of the message is this: God’s promises are never bound by law-keeping. They are given freely and received through faith. Even before circumcision, before Mount Sinai, and long before the law, Abraham believed, and that belief alone was counted as righteousness.
The Quiet Grace That Carries
Today’s devotional from A.B. Simpson centers on Psalm 18:35 and highlights a truth often overlooked: that God’s gentleness, not just His strength, lifts us up. While many of us may be drawn to the power of God to deliver or protect, this passage reminds us that His quiet, patient love is what makes us truly great. We are not transformed by harshness, fear, or force, but by the gentle, personal touch of His Spirit.
Grace in the Strain
In today’s devotional, Oswald Chambers confronts a common misunderstanding: that the Christian life is meant to be free from trouble. In reality, following Jesus does not remove hardship, but transforms its meaning. Troubles are not canceled, but conquered. Jesus Himself said that in this world we would face tribulation. The promise is not the absence of pressure, but His presence in the midst of it.
When Glory Grows Through Gloom
Today’s reflection from Miles Stanford begins with a direct and sobering word from 1 Peter 4:12. Followers of Jesus are not to think it strange when fiery trials come. Instead, these trials are meant to shape, deepen, and purify the servant of God. The author draws a connection between the visible glory of ministry and the hidden burden it often carries. Just as sowing requires dying, so does reaping. And both are drenched in trust that God is working even when nothing seems to bloom.
The Hidden Comfort of Holy Sorrow
At first glance, Jesus' words in Matthew 5:4 seem puzzling. How can mourning be a blessing? Why would those who grieve be called happy? Yet, when seen through the lens of the kingdom within us, this statement becomes a deep encouragement. Those who mourn are not merely sorrowful over personal loss or disappointment. They carry the burden of God’s heart for the brokenness of this world.
When Direction Is a Whisper
Jeremiah 10:23 reminds us that our lives are not our own to direct. Rosalind Rinker builds on this truth with a heartfelt reflection on discerning God's guidance. She shares a story of a woman who was confident that she had heard from God, only to find that things did not unfold as expected. The issue was not just in what she believed she heard, but in how confidently she asserted that God had spoken, even when others could not confirm it.
The Heaven Within
Ephesians 1:13–14 declares that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance. In today’s devotional, E. Stanley Jones pauses again on this truth to explore the beauty of this sealing. It is not simply a mark of ownership. It is a deeply transformative act where the Holy Spirit applies the reality of heaven within us even before we step into it physically. This is not a second conversion but a personal and internal sanctifying work that brings our whole being under divine authority and peace.
When the Wilderness Lies
T. Austin-Sparks opens a window into a reality many believers quietly endure: the feeling of being utterly alone while walking faithfully with God. Whether you are seeking a deeper life with Jesus, pioneering a ministry that few understand, or enduring an inward spiritual trial that cannot be explained to others, the enemy is quick to exploit that loneliness. He whispers lies about abandonment and desertion, twisting your current experience into a false conclusion that God is no longer present.
Formed for This Very Hour
Ray Stedman’s reflection today from Jeremiah 1:4–5 brings us into the deeply personal heart of God, who speaks tenderly to Jeremiah with an affirmation that reaches into eternity past. Long before Jeremiah was formed in the womb, God knew him. He had already set him apart for a purpose. This is not just a warm sentiment. It is a foundational truth about God’s intimate involvement in shaping our lives before we ever draw breath.
The Law That Leads Us to the Promise
This devotional from Day by Day by Grace explores the distinct but connected purposes of God's law and God's promises. Paul asks two vital questions in Galatians 3. What is the purpose of the law? And does it oppose the promises of God? The answer to both reveals the heart of grace-based living. God did not give the law to replace His promises but to reveal the depth of humanity’s problem—sin. Without the law, we would not see the seriousness of our condition or our desperate need for redemption.
The Gift of Pressure
Today’s devotional from A.B. Simpson offers a wise and loving perspective on why God allows His children to experience pressure, conflict, and inward fear. Based on 2 Corinthians 7:5, it reminds us that the trials pressing in from every direction are not signs of God’s absence. Rather, they are His invitations to lean in, to rest more deeply in His provision, and to trust more fully in His power.
Trusting Him Where You Cannot Track Him
Today’s reflection by Oswald Chambers unpacks a deep and often overlooked truth about how God works in our lives. Jesus sends us out, and when we go in obedience, He often stays behind to care for the very people we worried about leaving. When He told the disciples to go, He then personally went to teach and preach in their cities. That same pattern remains. If we hold back out of a misplaced sense of duty or fear, we might be interfering with what Jesus Himself desires to do.
Rooted in His Glory, Rising in His Praise
Today’s devotional from Miles Stanford lifts our gaze beyond ourselves and sets it squarely on the glory of God. At the heart of the Christian life is a vertical relationship with the Father, not a horizontal striving to meet our own needs. The call is not just to receive grace, but to respond in praise and rest in the One who gives all things for His glory. The challenge offered is simple yet piercing: are your arrows pointing upward in worship, or downward in self-concern?
The Kingdom Already Within
Today’s devotional from Witness Lee draws our attention to a beautiful and often overlooked detail. Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.” He does not speak in future tense. He speaks in the present. The kingdom is not something we wait for. It is something we receive the moment we become poor in spirit and receive Jesus as our Lord.
More Than Lovely, Always Worthy
Today’s reflection compiled by Nick Harrison draws from Song of Songs 5:16, “Yea, he is altogether lovely,” and turns our hearts toward the surpassing loveliness of Jesus. His devotional reminds us that no one deserves our love more than the One who loved us first and gave Himself for us. The joy of the saints, both perfected and still being perfected, is found in seeing and savoring the beauty of the Son of God. If heavenly beings delight in praising Him, then surely our hearts here on earth are meant to do the same.
The Only Pattern That Fits
E. Stanley Jones reflects on the truth that the Holy Spirit is only given "in Christ." This is not exclusionary in a rigid sense, but rather, it is a matter of divine necessity. Just as mathematical truth does not change to fit opinions, spiritual truth does not bend to other molds. God gives the Holy Spirit only in Jesus because He is the one and only true pattern of divine life. To place the Spirit into any other form would misrepresent His character.