Many of us first learned to think of Jesus as near us and for us, which is gloriously true. But I wish to press further, testifying to Christ in us as our very life. Union with Christ is a present, operative reality: not merely “Christ for me” as an external Savior’s work on my behalf, but Christ in me as my life (Gal 2:20; Col 1:27). The Christian life is not chiefly God lending strength to an independent self; it is Jesus Himself, by the Holy Spirit, living in and through a still-responsible, still-distinct person. That recognition changed my posture from “Lord, please help me” to “Lord, I trust You to live Your life in me and through me in this moment.”

Humility is not self shaming. It is not pretending to be small so people will think well of us. Humility is the restful posture of a son or daughter who knows the Father’s heart. Miles Stanford reminds us that God gives grace to the humble, and that the servant who rests in the Father’s presence carries a quiet strength that does not need to prove anything. Thank you, Miles, for pointing us back to the gentle way of Jesus.

The picture today is simple. Religious pressure says, try harder, fast more, act solemn, earn your way to God. Jesus answers with a smile. The Bridegroom is here. His presence turns the room from a waiting hall into a wedding feast. That is not a call to reckless living. It is an invitation to real life in Him, shared at His table, where grace sets the tone and joy becomes the normal air of the room.

Hebrews says we see Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death by the grace of God for everyone. Today’s page in His Victorious Indwelling lifts that truth out of the familiar and sets it right in our hands. C. C. Crowston reminds us that no river of animal blood ever removed a single stain of sin. Only the blood of Jesus reaches that deep and that far. It does not mask the stain. It removes it at the root.

Faith and love are not rivals, they are partners. When we trust Jesus, heaven plants a new capacity within us to love people we once overlooked, avoided, or opposed. E. Stanley Jones points us to Colossians 1:4, where the church’s faith in Jesus and love for all the saints are mentioned together. Separate them and both wither. Keep them together and life happens.

We hurry through so many mornings. A quick word about schedules and safety, a request for the day to go smoothly, then off we run. Today’s reading from T. Austin-Sparks gently lifts our chin. If we have been raised with Jesus, prayer is not just about life going well on earth. Prayer begins from where we truly are in Him, with hearts set on things above, where Jesus is.

The heart of today’s reading is Romans 8:3-4. God did what the Law could never do. The Law can measure, diagnose, and demand, but it cannot impart life. Ray Stedman points us to this good news with a pastor’s clarity. The Father sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. In His body, sin was condemned. Now the righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in us who walk according to the Spirit.

The God who spans eternity is not distant. He is holy, lifted high, and beyond the reach of time, yet He delights to settle down with the humble. That is the heart of today’s reading, and it is stunning. The One who fills heaven sets His affection on contrite hearts, not polished resumes. He meets us, not where we impress, but where we are honest and yielded.

Gideon’s story reminds me that God delights to work through small numbers and thin strength. Judges 8:4 paints the scene with simple honesty, exhausted yet still in pursuit. A. B. Simpson thanks God for that kind of faith, a faith that does not collapse into passivity, and also refuses the pride of self powered striving.

God formed us for Himself. In Jesus, He restores what sin tried to derail, which is that we would live in His joy and display His light in the world. Oswald Chambers points us to this big-hearted purpose. We are not defined by private projects or narrow loyalties. We are drawn into God’s great love for people and invited to live from the life of Jesus within us.

We come into the family of God by grace. Not by our record, not by our resolve, and not by our promises to do better. Miles Stanford gathers the voices of Andrew Murray and J. N. Darby to remind us that the same grace that first drew us to Jesus is the grace that holds us, shapes us, and shines through us. Conversion is not the finish line. It is the doorway into an abiding life where Jesus lives His life in us.

Fasting can be good. So can Bible reading, serving, and giving. But Matthew 9 shows us something better. When questioned about why His disciples were not fasting, Jesus answered with a picture, the wedding party does not mourn while the Bridegroom is with them. Presence changes the point of the practice. The feast is not about the plates, it is about the Person.

Some places feel like Caesar’s household. Power games. Whispered agendas. Temptations that cling like syrup. E. Stanley Jones takes us by the hand and points to a surprising sentence in Philippians, there were saints in Caesar’s household. Right in the middle of the palace, belonging to Jesus, and walking clean. Thank you, Dr. Jones, for reminding us that holiness is not location based. It is union based, in Christ.

Martha loved the Lord. She opened her home, rolled up her sleeves, and wanted everything just right. Most of us know that impulse. We want to do something for Jesus, then the list grows, our spirit tightens, and joy slips through our fingers. Watchman Nee points us back to the one thing that is truly necessary, sitting with Jesus, letting His presence steady our hearts.

We grow weary when we try to patch the old life with spiritual language. Brother Austin-Sparks reminds us that the gospel is not an upgrade to the old. It is a Cross and a grave in our history with Jesus, and then the reality of His risen life now. That is why the message of the Cross appears like nonsense to those who are perishing, yet it is the very power of God to us who are being saved. Thank you, T. Austin-Sparks, for pointing us back to the power of Jesus crucified and risen.

We all know the tug of war inside. Like Paul, our minds agree with the goodness of God’s ways, yet our members still house old patterns that try to drag us back. Ray Stedman points us to the headline that steadies a trembling heart, there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus. That little phrase in Christ changes the whole landscape.

Grace is not a prize for spiritual achievers, it is the gift Jesus supplies to those who come low and lean hard. Bob Hoekstra points us there with clarity and kindness. He reminds us that God gladly pours grace into humble, trusting hearts, and He does so because our adequacy rests in Him, not in our self effort. When we try to carry the Christian life by our own power, we stall. When we agree with God about our limits and rely on His sufficiency, we stand firm in the grace we already have in Christ.

There are days when the most faithful thing we can do is to be still. Not passive, not checked out, but quietly yielded so that Jesus steadies our pace and resets our steps. A. B. Simpson’s reflection points us here with a simple picture. The pause is not a delay in grace. It is often the doorway into it.

Jesus points us to a life that mirrors the generous heart of the Father. Matthew 5 is not a call to try harder at being nice. It is an invitation to share in God’s own way of loving people. Chambers reminds us that our natural likes and dislikes are not the compass for a disciple. Life in Jesus frees us from being ruled by affinity and aversion.

There are seasons when life rubs a little rough. Duties press in. Circumstances stack up. We wonder if a life of steady fellowship with Jesus is even possible in the middle of so much noise. Today’s reading from Abide Above reminds us that our Father is not far off in these moments. He is personally near. He trains His children in love, and His aim is not to break us, but to form Christ in us for our good and for His glory.