A True Testimony
When the pull of the world is removed, the soul steadies toward heaven.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Photo Credit: Unsplash
T. Austin-Sparks draws our attention to an oft-overlooked but piercing truth in Numbers 23:9—that God's people are not to be reckoned among the nations. In God's eyes, Israel—and by extension the Church—is distinct, set apart, even elevated above the world’s systems. Yet throughout history, Satan has labored to undo this separation. His strategy? Seduce the Church into seeking recognition by the world.
Austin-Sparks points to how much of organized Christianity today is built around being seen, admired, or validated by the world—through its grand buildings, marketing strategies, and social positioning. But in striving for earthly acclaim, the Church forfeits its heavenly power. The moment believers become concerned with being reckoned among the world’s systems—respected, accepted, or written up—they lose the power that flows from their true position: seated with Christ in the heavenlies.
This devotional issues a solemn reminder: the Church was never meant to be comfortable in the world. She is not here to be embraced, but to bear witness to a kingdom that confronts and convicts the values of this present age. When she settles for acceptance, she loses her prophetic voice. When she is rejected for Christ’s sake, she shines.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have set you apart—not to fit in, not to be admired, not to be reckoned among the shifting powers of this world. You are Mine, and I have seated you with Christ in the heavenly places. The world did not receive Me; do not be surprised when it resists you.
Your light is not for stage lighting but for sanctifying truth. The moment you seek applause, your gaze drifts from Me to men. When your eyes return to Me, you will remember: I did not call you to be popular—I called you to be holy. Your place is not among the nations, but above them, for you are joined to the One who reigns over all.
This is why I wean you from worldly approval. I have loved you too much to let you blend in. Your life is hidden with Christ in Me—so don’t climb back down to seek what I already raised you above. If they hated the light in Me, they will not love the light in you. But rejoice—you belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
So live as one unreckoned. Walk not as citizens of this age, but as those already claimed by eternity. Let them see Christ, not compromise. Let the Church rise from the dust of respectability into the purity of a separated, Spirit-filled witness.
Scriptures referenced: Numbers 23:9; John 15:18–19; Colossians 3:1–3; Ephesians 2:6; Hebrews 12:28; 1 Peter 2:9–11
🧺 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like using a magnet near a compass. The moment the magnet gets close, the compass needle shifts and loses its true north. The more it tries to stay close to what attracts it, the more it spins in confusion. But when the magnet is removed, the needle steadies and points heavenward again. That’s what happens when we stop trying to be accepted by the world—we find our direction in Christ once more.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I am already seated with Christ, already accepted in the Beloved, already set apart for Your glory. I don’t need the world’s approval—I have Your eternal affirmation. I rest in the joy of belonging to a kingdom not of this world, and I rejoice that You have made me unreckonable among the nations. Keep me hidden in Christ today, not to escape the world, but to bear witness to a better one. May the life of Your Son be the only thing I am known for.