Cross Power, World Wisdom, and the Quiet Miracle of Yielding
The foolishness of the cross, God’s quiet power for those who trust Him.
Devotional Credit
Immeasurably More, by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit
Unsplash
The cross looks like nonsense to a watching world, yet it is the heartbeat of the gospel. Ray Stedman reminds us that Paul does not begin with a philosophy seminar, he starts with a bloody hill and a real crucifixion in real time. In a culture that prizes clever solutions and polished resumes, the cross slices through our self-confidence. It tells the truth about human righteousness, then opens a door to the life of Jesus in ordinary people who trust Him.
In the first century, the cross was not jewelry. It was a horror. Stedman helps us feel that jolt again, so we can hear the scandal and the mercy that meet there. When the best Man who ever lived takes our place and receives judgment, it exposes the bankruptcy of our own goodness. It is why proud hearts call the message foolish. No ladder is offered, no merit system is honored. The cross levels us, then lifts us by grace.
For those who are being saved, the cross is not only a historic event, it is God’s present power. Through the crucified and risen Jesus, the Spirit breaks the rule of sin, heals the inner person, and brings us into peace and joy that cannot be engineered. This is the life of abiding in Christ. Not God boosting our self-effort, but the risen Lord expressing His life through us.
Thank you, Pastor Stedman, for pressing this home. The cross is not decoration. It is deliverance. It is the end of self as source, and the beginning of Christ in you as life. When we live here, boasting fades, worship grows, and love starts to move through us in daily, quiet ways.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I draw you to the message of the cross, not to shame you, but to free you. The wisdom of this world cannot make you whole. I set aside the wisdom of the wise, and I delight to pour My power into those who come with empty hands. The word of the cross is My doorway into your moments, your thoughts, your reactions, your plans.
I united you with Jesus. You were crucified with Him, and you now live in Him. Sin’s claim is broken, your old way of self-rule has no authority, and a new life has begun. I dwell in you, the very life of Christ in your mortal body. When you face pressure, you do not need to manage an image or assemble a defense. Yield to Me. I will be your wisdom, your righteousness, your sanctification, and your redemption.
Do not measure yourself by accomplishments. Boast in the Lord. I am the One who works in you to will and to do what pleases the Father. Remain in the Son, present yourself to Me, and walk by Me, and love will rise like morning. Where your flesh reaches for control, reckon yourself alive to God. I will lead you into the simple obedience of faith. In weakness, I display power. In surrender, I form the likeness of Jesus.
I am not asking you to impress Me. I invite you to trust Me. Fix your attention on the crucified and risen Lord. Let the cross cancel your pride and your fear. As you abide, I will speak through you with gentleness, I will steady you with peace, and I will guide you into truth. This is not foolishness to you, this is the power of God at work within you.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of turning the key in your car on a cold morning. If the battery is dead, the dashboard lights flicker, the starter clicks, and nothing really changes. But when the battery is connected to real power, the engine catches, the car warms, and you move. Self-effort is the dead battery. The cross reconnects you to the true source, the risen Jesus, and by the Spirit the engine of your life comes alive.
A simple way to live this today. When a tense conversation appears on your schedule, pause at the doorframe and say, Lord, I rely on You, express Your patience and truth through me in this moment. Then step in. Trust the Holy Spirit to turn the key, to supply tone, timing, and tenderness. No checklist. Just connection that moves the moment.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I gladly thank You that the message of the cross is Your power to me. In Jesus, You exposed the emptiness of my self-made righteousness, and You united me with Your Son. I lack nothing in Him. Today I stand in Your grace, I reckon myself alive to You, and I present myself to Your Spirit. Thank You that Your wisdom, Your righteousness, and Your life are at work within me. I rest in the finished work of the cross and the present work of the Spirit, and I rejoice that Christ in me is enough for every conversation, every decision, and every step I take.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Isaiah 29:14, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Romans 6:1-14, Romans 8:9-11, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:16-18, Galatians 5:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:12-13, Philippians 3:3-9, Ephesians 2:8-9, Colossians 1:27, John 15:1-11