At His Feet, From His Life
Sitting at His feet, letting His life steep into mine.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above, Miles Stanford, selection titled PERSONAL CHRISTIANITY, reflecting on Philippians 3:10
Photo Credit: Unsplash
There is a sweetness in today’s reading that invites us to come closer, not to work harder. Miles Stanford points us to the center of the Christian life, knowing Jesus and sharing His life, not as a set of ideas, but as a living relationship. He contrasts Martha’s busy serving with Mary’s quiet listening, and he honors the posture that most honors the Lord, a heart that receives from Him before doing for Him.
Stanford’s counsel is simple and freeing. Fellowship with the written Word lays the foundation, fellowship with the living Word, Jesus Himself, becomes the house where we dwell. Orthodoxy matters, but communion with the Lord is the warmth in the room. Principles are good, but a Person is better. He is the One who fills the truth with light and love.
He also reminds us that Christianity is not a badge to wear, but a life that shows up in ordinary moments, in the kitchen, at the desk, on the commute. The life of Jesus shapes our tone, our reactions, our choices. This is not the result of straining. It is the fruit of sitting at His feet, then walking in step with His Spirit.
So today we say thank you to Miles Stanford for steering us to the better portion. We begin again at His feet, with open Bibles and open hearts, confident that the same Jesus who speaks to us also lives in us, and He is able to express His life through us in each small corner of the day.
Journal Entry, Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I draw you near, not to burden you, but to share My Son’s life with you. You have been united with Him. You died with Him, you were raised with Him, and your life is now hidden with Him in God. I bring you from information to communion, from hearing to abiding, from motion to fellowship, so that His life becomes the source and the shape of yours.
I guide you to the Scriptures because they bear witness to Him, and I open your heart to understand. As you behold the Lord, you are changed from one degree of glory to another. This is My work within you. I renew your mind, I anchor your affections above, I make His words dwell richly in you, and I form the mind of Jesus in your ordinary moments.
I am not asking you to polish yourself to a shine. I am inviting you to remain in the Vine. Rest your weight on Jesus. Yield the day’s conversations and interruptions to Me. I work in you to will and to do, and I bring forth His patience, His courage, His kindness. What you could not manufacture, I supply as Christ lives in you.
Sit at His feet and listen. Rise with Him and walk. What you receive from Him becomes what flows through you to others. This is Christianity, not a cold creed, but a warm communion that quietly governs your words, your choices, your relationships. I am faithful to complete this good work, and I rejoice to show Jesus through you.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of making tea. You do not wring flavor from the leaves by squeezing them. You place them in hot water and let them steep. The water draws out what is within the leaves, and in time the cup is transformed. In the same way, as you linger with Jesus and yield to the Holy Spirit within, His life infuses your moments. You are not squeezing out virtue. You are steeping in His presence, and His patience, honesty, and gentleness come through.
Try this today when a tense email lands in your inbox. Before typing, pause your hurried reaction and quietly turn to the Lord within. You might pray, Lord, I trust You to speak Your wisdom through me in this reply. Then write with a calm, truthful tone, confident that Jesus is expressing His life through your words.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for giving me Your Son as my very life. Thank You for uniting me with Jesus in His death and resurrection. Thank You for Your Spirit who indwells me, renews my mind, and reveals Your Word. I receive the better portion today, to sit at the feet of Jesus and then to walk in step with the Spirit. I praise You that everything I need for life and godliness is already mine in Christ. I rest in Your sufficiency, and I welcome the life of Jesus to be seen in me for Your glory and for the good of those around me. Amen.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Philippians 3:10, Luke 10:38-42, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6-11, Colossians 3:1-4, John 15:1-5, John 5:39, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Ephesians 3:16-19, Philippians 2:12-13, Colossians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 4:10-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, 2 Peter 1:3, John 1:1, John 1:14, Hebrews 4:12