Choosing the Better, Greater, Brighter
The brighter light makes the shadows fade away.
Devotional Credit:
Abide Above – Miles Stanford
Photo Credit:
Unsplash
Miles Stanford’s writing today invites us to grow from early spiritual infatuation into a mature, bridal love for Jesus. He reminds us that the heart of the bride is naturally drawn upward toward her Bridegroom. In the same way, our Father orders our lives so that we are continually drawn away from the temporary and bound to the eternal. Every gift He gives is meant to loosen our grip on the world and lift our gaze toward the place where His love is fully known.
Stanford shares that even our trials have this upward pull. Difficult seasons are not punishments to push us down, but loving disciplines designed to free us from what holds us here and to attach us more deeply to Him. When we begin to see life from above, earthly losses no longer rob us. Instead, every circumstance becomes a stepping stone toward enjoying our heavenly portion.
He also draws a distinction between knowing Jesus as the One who has removed our burdens and knowing Him as the One who captivates our hearts. Relief is precious, but it is not the end goal. The true treasure is knowing Jesus Himself as our ongoing resource, the continual center of our affection.
Finally, he reminds us that the Christian life is not a game of endless self-denial, as though holiness is achieved by keeping a running list of things to give up. Instead, it is the joy of discovering that what we gain in Jesus is so much better, so much brighter, that lesser things simply fall away. When our hearts rest in the excellence of knowing Him, the rest is no sacrifice at all.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have drawn you to Myself, not to weigh you down, but to lift you into the life I have already given you. I have seated you with Me in the heavenly places, far above the pull of what is passing away. Set your mind there, for that is where your life is kept.
You have known Me as the One who carried your burdens. Now I call you to know Me as your treasure. I am not only your relief, I am your portion, your delight, your joy without measure. Let your affection be on the things above, not as an act of willpower, but because your heart finds Me more satisfying than anything you leave behind.
When you face trials, do not see them as weights to be thrown off by your own effort. See them as cords I lovingly loosen to free you for Myself. I am your life, and when you live from that truth, every circumstance becomes a thread in the tapestry of My good work in you.
Your calling is not to strip away joy, but to find joy in Me so completely that lesser joys fade. Count all things loss compared to the excellence of knowing Me. I am your life, your source, your sufficiency, and your endless reward.
Scripture References: Philippians 3:8–12, Song of Solomon 2:10, Colossians 3:1–4, Ephesians 2:6, Psalm 16:5–11, John 15:9–11, Hebrews 12:1–2
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine discovering a new favorite food that is so rich and satisfying you lose all craving for the snacks you once thought you could not do without. You are not forcing yourself to resist them; you simply prefer the better taste. This is how the life of abiding in Jesus works. The more we draw from Him, the more earthly distractions lose their grip.
Today, if something competes for your affection, you can quietly acknowledge it to Him and choose the better portion. You might say, “Lord, I trust You to fill my heart with what is truly satisfying so that my grip loosens on what is not.”
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that You have already given me a portion far greater than anything the world offers. You have set my heart in heavenly places with You, and I rejoice that every good gift You give draws me closer to You. I rest in knowing that Your life within me is more than enough to make the lesser things fall away. My joy is in knowing You, and in that joy I am free.