Ephesians says that God made us alive together with Jesus, raised us with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places. The devotional slows down and lets those words sink in. With Jesus, raised with Him, seated with Him. Not beside the life of Jesus, but in Him. Redemption is not a distant target we aim at. It is a new location, a new life we inhabit right now.

Today’s reading from Ray Stedman reminds us that God’s first response to our drifting is not anger but faithful warning. When our hearts begin to wander, He calls out to us repeatedly, making the consequences of sowing to the flesh unmistakably clear. The principle is unavoidable: if we sow to the flesh, we will reap corruption from it. Even when forgiveness is granted, the scars remain. God’s love does not erase every earthly consequence, but it does redeem us fully in Him.

Today’s reading from Bob Hoekstra links two words that might seem at first to pull in opposite directions: diligence and patience. Both, however, are inseparable in experiencing God’s promised rest. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that rest is not simply a matter of physical relaxation or doing nothing. It is the divine relief that comes from Jesus rescuing us from both the crushing burden of sin and the exhausting strain of self-driven Christian living.

The Christian life is not about trying to overcome sin through sheer willpower, but about standing in the reality of what has already been done in Jesus. Romans 6:6 declares that our old self was crucified with Him so that sin’s grip would be broken. We are no longer under the control of sin; we are free to live in the newness of His resurrection life.

Oswald Chambers invites us to see the childhood of Jesus not as a stage He grew out of, but as a permanent reality of His relationship with the Father. His words in Luke 2:49, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”, were not a passing expression of youth, but the unchanging truth of His eternal position with God. Chambers asks us if we are so identified with Jesus that we also live as holy, innocent children of God, continually at home in our Father’s presence.

Today’s devotional from Miles Stanford reminds us that the Christian life is built upon one unshakable foundation, the Word of God, both written and living. It warns against trying to sustain our walk on shifting emotional experiences or temporary blessings. Instead, our life in Jesus is meant to grow steadily, grounded in His Word and enriched by an ever-deepening knowledge of Him.

Today’s reading from Witness Lee draws a clear connection between the condition of our heart and the reward of seeing God. To be pure in heart is not merely about moral cleanliness or keeping certain rules, but about having an undivided focus toward God Himself. A pure heart seeks nothing apart from Him and desires that His will and His glory be accomplished above all else.

Today’s devotional from T Austin-Sparks confronts us with an uncomfortable yet liberating truth: we are capable of the very worst, and nothing of ourselves counts before God. Sparks speaks plainly. Our best intentions, our purest motives, even our most diligent striving, do not register as righteousness before a holy God. The Cross was not God's response to our failure to measure up. It was His declaration that we were never the measure to begin with.

Today’s devotional from E. Stanley Jones reminds us that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is not simply a historical moment to admire. It is the very power at work in us now, lifting us into victorious living. Paul’s words in Ephesians point us toward this overwhelming truth: the same power that brought Jesus back to life and seated Him in heavenly authority is also working in every believer.

Today’s devotional compiled by Nick Harrison draws a striking parallel between two doves: one sent out from Noah’s ark, and the other descending upon Jesus at His baptism. In Noah’s time, the dove circled the flooded earth, seeking a place to land, but it returned until the waters receded. Only when there was life—a resting place—did it remain. Likewise, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, found no true resting place upon humanity for millennia, because sin had corrupted every heart.

In this powerful and honest passage from Jeremiah, God paints an arresting image of a people who have run wild with their cravings. The picture is raw—likening Judah’s behavior to animals driven by instinct, unable to restrain themselves. Though it may offend modern sensibilities, God’s message is unmistakable. He is not shaming His people for being human. He is awakening them to the intensity of their unfaithfulness through imagery they would clearly understand.

God has promised His people more than just freedom from sin’s penalty. He offers rest. A rest that goes beyond initial salvation. A rest that invites us to cease striving in our own strength. Hebrews 4 assures us that this deeper rest is still available to God’s people today. It is not just rest from guilt, but rest from self-effort. Not only forgiveness, but freedom from the burden of trying to be the source of our own spiritual growth.

Today’s devotional from A.B. Simpson invites us to recognize the deeply personal and intimate guidance of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer. He does not lead in only one way. Sometimes He ushers us into prayer, into service, into trials, or into new places that stretch us. At other times, He brings us into quiet stillness. In those moments, we are not abandoned or forgotten, but lovingly held under His protection, gently being prepared and strengthened for what lies ahead.

Today, Oswald Chambers draws our attention to the difference between passing through the Cross and living from it. Many believers think of the Cross only as the entry point to salvation, but Chambers points us deeper. We are not merely meant to pass through the Cross, but to remain in it, to be completely identified with Jesus in every area of life. This identification is most vividly experienced in prayer.

Today’s devotional from Miles Stanford reminds us that walking in the Spirit is not about fixating on the Spirit Himself, but about remaining centered on Jesus. The role of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son, not to draw attention to Himself. As we walk, worship, and pray in the Spirit, He reveals the Lord Jesus to us—our true source, center, and supply. Jesus made it clear that the Spirit would take what is His and make it known to us, anchoring our hearts in the relationship that brings life.

God’s mercy is never sloppy. It flows from His righteousness, not from turning a blind eye to sin. In this devotional, we’re reminded that genuine mercy toward others is born not from leniency or shared weakness, but from a heart that is honest before the Lord and upright in its own walk. When we are serious about our own sanctification, we’ll no longer feel the need to scrutinize others. Instead, we’ll learn to extend the same mercy we have received from God.

Today’s devotional compiled by Nick Harrison redirects our attention from striving for life to living from the life we already possess in Christ. Rather than trying to conform our fleshly lives to some moral ideal, we are called to embrace the actual life that is hidden with Christ in God. The devotional highlights that this new life is not something we chase, but something we already have. It is not an unreachable standard, but a present reality into which we are invited to walk, rest, and rejoice.

Ephesians 1:17–18 points us toward a powerful truth. God desires that we grow in spiritual understanding not merely through intellect, but through revelation. Paul speaks of the “eyes of your heart” being enlightened, not just the mind. This matters deeply. A loveless mind may gather facts, but only a heart made alive in Jesus can truly perceive the riches of what God has given and is doing in His people.

T. Austin-Sparks invites us to peer through an open window, not into abstract doctrine or dry familiarity, but into a living revelation of Jesus. He reminds us that the true knowledge of Jesus is not uncovered through study alone or clever reasoning. It is revealed, not discovered. It is seen through the eyes of the heart, not merely understood by the mind. This illumination comes by the Holy Spirit, who speaks through the Word to bring Jesus into view.

Ray Stedman’s devotional from Jeremiah 2:1–3 gently calls us to remember. Through the voice of the prophet, the Lord reminds His people what it was like in the beginning, when their love was undivided and their devotion simple and sincere. He recalls their early love like that of a bride following her beloved through the wilderness. It is not a scolding voice, but a tender one, inviting His people to reflect on how things were when they walked in close communion with Him.