When Grace Does The Work
Stepping to the sensor, the door moves by a power I do not supply.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above by Miles Stanford
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reading in Abide Above points me back to the simplicity of faith. We received Jesus by trusting Him, not by earning Him, and we grow the same way. Grace is not a starter kit that leaves us to finish the job. Grace carries the weight from new birth to daily maturity. Miles Stanford’s reminder is kind and clear. Any “victory” that demands white-knuckle effort from me is counterfeit. The real thing is Jesus expressing His life in and through a willing heart.
I find this freeing. I do not have to make myself righteous by trying harder. The Father has already joined me to His Son. My part is not to manufacture holiness, my part is to receive and rely on the One who lives in me. When I lean into that union, the Spirit brings the obedience He desires, not as a wage for my effort, but as fruit from His life.
This is not passivity. It is active dependence. I set my mind on things above. I present myself to God. I say yes to the Spirit’s lead. Then the power comes from Jesus, not from my push. Grace gets the credit, and peace returns to the soul.
So here is the invitation. Step out of the cycle of trying to earn what God freely gives. Receive the gift of His working today. Let grace do the lifting, and watch real change grow where striving once lived.
Journal Entry, Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I anchor you in the finished work of My Son. To the one who does not work, but believes on the One who justifies the ungodly, faith is counted as righteousness. I have made you the righteousness of God in Him. You stand in grace, and you receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.
I remind you of your union. You were crucified with the Messiah, and you live, yet not you, but Jesus lives in you. You died to sin, and you are alive to Me in Christ Jesus. You have been raised and seated with Him. Continue to walk in Him, rooted and built up, established in the faith, abounding with thanksgiving.
I direct your steps in dependence, not self-effort. Present yourself to Me as one alive from the dead. Walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. My grace is sufficient for you, and My power is perfected in weakness. There remains a rest for the people of God, so enter that rest. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets you free from the law of sin and death.
I work in you to will and to do for My good pleasure. Apart from the Vine you can do nothing, but abiding in Him you bear much fruit. Hold fast the confession of your hope without wavering, for I am faithful. Thanks be to God who gives you the victory through the Lord Jesus.
Scripture references: Romans 4:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:2, Romans 5:17, Romans 6:14, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6 to 11, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 2:6 to 7, Romans 6:13, Galatians 5:16, 2 Corinthians 12:9 to 10, Hebrews 4:9 to 11, Romans 8:2, Philippians 2:13, John 15:4 to 5, Hebrews 10:23, 1 Corinthians 15:57.
Real-Life Analogy
Automatic sliding doors at the grocery store do not open because I pry them apart. They open because I draw near to the sensor. My step is real, but the mechanism supplies the power. Life in Jesus works like that. I take a trusting step, and the Holy Spirit supplies what I cannot produce. The door moves because His life is active, not because I forced it open.
Try this today. Before you enter a conversation that usually drains you, pause at the threshold and look to where Jesus is. Say, Lord, I rely on You for my words and my tone in this moment, be the patience and truth that moves through me. Then walk in with a quiet heart, expecting the Spirit to express kindness and clarity through you.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that righteousness and victory are gifts in Your Son. Thank You that I am under grace, not under law, and that Jesus lives in me. I present this day to You, trusting You to work in my will and my actions. I receive the freedom You have provided, and I welcome the fruit You bring. Lord, I depend on You to be my love, my patience, and my faithfulness in this moment.