Abide Above
I’m not flapping to stay aloft—I’m resting where I’ve been placed.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Miles Stanford’s reflection for today calls us to wake up to the reality of our present position in Christ—not just that our sins are forgiven, but that we have been raised and seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Many believers stop short at the Cross, gratefully acknowledging forgiveness but failing to step into the full implications of resurrection and ascension life. As a result, they continue to live tethered to the concerns and limitations of the earthly realm rather than enjoying their inheritance and fellowship in heaven.
The Cross cut us off from all that once held us in bondage—sin, the old man, the world, the law, and the devil. The resurrection joined us to Christ. And the ascension placed us in Him—hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). That is where our truest life now flows from.
To abide above is not escapism; it is realism. We are not ignoring our earthly responsibilities, but embracing them from a higher vantage point. We are free to walk through this world as those who belong to another, heavenly one. When we see ourselves seated with Christ in glory, we stop striving to earn acceptance or prove worth—we simply abide where we already are, and from that union flows peace, purpose, and power.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have placed you in the heavenlies. I have not just raised you from the dead—I have seated you with My Son. Your old life was crucified; your new life is hidden in Me. You are not striving to reach Me—I drew you near. You are not grasping for peace—I gave you Mine. You are not climbing some spiritual ladder—I carried you to the top and placed you beside Me.
Live from where you are. See with eyes that know your citizenship is not on earth but in heaven. I did not merely rescue you—I relocated you. The world may still speak loudly, but its cords no longer bind you. You are in Christ, and Christ is in Me, and that is your resting place.
Let your mind rise above your condition to your position. Let your thoughts dwell not on the dust of your trials but on the glory of your fellowship with Me. The more you behold where you are, the more you will walk as who you are.
I call you to abide—not to visit. To remain—not to imagine. This is your place, not your goal. Rest in Me, for faithful am I who called you, and I will also do it.
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:6, Romans 6:6–11, Galatians 6:14, Romans 7:4, Hebrews 2:14, Colossians 3:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Real-Life Analogy
It’s like sitting in a plane that has already taken off. At 35,000 feet, you don’t flap your arms to stay airborne—you trust the seat you're in and the power of the jet carrying you. Your environment has changed; you’re not bound to the traffic and noise below. You move through the skies while resting in your position. Likewise, you’re no longer tethered to earthly identity or effort. Christ has already lifted you. You are where He is. The journey continues, but your position is fixed.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that I have been raised with Christ and seated in the heavenly places. I do not need to strive for what You’ve already given. My life is not only forgiven—it is relocated. Thank You that I am hidden with Christ in You, that nothing of earth or hell has claim over me. I embrace this new reality, knowing that every moment I abide in Christ, I am resting where I truly belong. You’ve called me upward, and I delight in living from above.