Carried by the Same Promise That Birthed Us
Children of promise draw life from their source, not their own effort.”
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reading from Bob Hoekstra reminds us that the Christian life begins and continues by faith in God's promises, not by human effort. Just as Isaac’s birth came through God's declared promise rather than Abraham’s ingenuity, so our new birth in Christ was born out of God’s grace, not our striving. We are children of promise, not children of flesh.
This is not only how we enter the family of God. It is how we live as His children. Paul’s words in Colossians 2:6 are clear. The same way we received Christ, by faith, is the way we are to walk in Him. That means daily living is not fueled by performance but by trusting the One who gave us life in the first place.
The promises of God did not end at our salvation. They are the river from which we draw life every day. From start to finish, it is His doing. We did not begin with Christ in faith only to finish the race by self-effort. The life that flows through us flows from Him, and His promises are the pipeline.
Just as Sarah’s barren womb brought forth life in response to God's word, so too does the spiritual fruit in us come through the promises of God believed and received. This is the only way we became His children. It is also the only way we walk as His children.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, I brought you into My family through promise. You belong to Me, not because of your effort or resolve, but because I made you Mine. Just as I brought forth Isaac in Sarah’s barrenness, so I brought forth new life in you by My Word.
You are not born of the flesh or by the will of man. You are born of Me. Your life did not begin by your plan, and it is not sustained by your willpower. I am the One who called you, saved you, and made you new. I have given you My Spirit, and He is your source for living.
You walk with Me today in the same way you first came to Me, by trusting My promises. Let Me lead you with My Word. Let My promises anchor your heart. As you rest in Me, My life will flow from you like living water. I am not asking you to perform. I am asking you to trust.
Let the same faith that welcomed you into My family now carry you forward. You are not alone. You are not left to your own devices. I am with you. I am in you. I am for you. Trust Me to express My life through you. That is what it means to walk in promise.
Scripture References: Romans 9:8–9, Galatians 4:28, Colossians 2:6, John 1:12–13, 1 John 2:25, John 7:38, James 1:18, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4, Ephesians 2:8–9, Philippians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a rechargeable battery that draws power from a charging base. It doesn’t create energy on its own. As long as it remains connected, it functions exactly as designed. But when it tries to operate apart from its source, it drains quickly and becomes ineffective.
In your daily life, you do not have to produce the energy to be godly. Whether you're facing a conversation that normally triggers fear, or entering a situation that calls for patience, pause and say, “Jesus, You are my source in this moment. I trust You to express Your love and peace through me right now.” Rest in Him as your power supply, knowing He never asks you to generate what He alone gives.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I am not a child of effort or of striving. I am Your child by promise. What You have begun in me, You will carry to completion. I do not walk alone or by my own strength. I walk in the light of Your Word and by the life of Your Spirit within me. I trust that as I rest in You, Your promises are being fulfilled in me, one moment at a time. Amen.