Made for the Spirit’s Home
Just as a lamp cannot shine without connection, so we live by the power of the indwelling Spirit.
Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven on Earth by A.B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional from A.B. Simpson draws from Romans 8:9 and reminds us that being spiritual is not a matter of personality or discipline. True spirituality is not found in how deeply reflective or zealous we appear. It is about whether the Spirit of God lives in us. Scripture declares plainly that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Him. This isn’t meant to discourage but to clarify. The mark of belonging is not performance. It is presence; the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The beautiful reality of the new creation is not that it makes us merely improved versions of our old selves. Rather, it makes us into vessels prepared for God Himself to dwell within. Just as a child looks to a parent for strength and direction, so the believer lives in utter dependence on the Spirit within. This dependence is not weakness. It is the very definition of spiritual maturity.
The devotional highlights how deeply personal this indwelling is. When Jesus breathed on His disciples and gave them His Spirit, it was not merely symbolic. It was a revelation of divine intimacy. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us. That truth transforms our entire orientation in life. We do not strive to become spiritual people. We trust the One who already lives within us.
In this light, the most spiritual people are not necessarily the most knowledgeable, expressive, or disciplined. They are the most yielded. The most filled. The most dependent.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, I live in you. You are Mine, and My Spirit has made His home in you. Not because you were strong or wise, but because you trusted Me. The life you now live is not your own. It is Mine, lived through you by faith.
You are not in the flesh. You are in the Spirit, because I dwell in you. My presence is not partial. I have filled you completely. I do not drift in and out. I abide. I have sealed you for the day of redemption, and I am forming in you the likeness of My Son.
You were not saved to strive but to receive. You were not born again to become self-reliant but to be Spirit-dependent. You were made new so that I might fill you, lead you, and express My life through you. Rest in Me, for I work in you to will and to do according to My good pleasure.
You belong to Jesus, and I belong to you. Nothing can separate you from My presence. I am not a visitor. I am home.
Scripture References: Romans 8:9–11, Galatians 2:20, John 20:22, Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 1:13–14, Titus 3:5–6, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 14:16–17, Romans 5:5, Colossians 1:27
Real-Life Analogy
Think of plugging in a lamp. The bulb might be beautiful and the design intricate, but it cannot light up until it is connected to power. It is the current that makes the lamp function, not the lamp itself.
In the same way, your life in Jesus is not about trying harder to shine. It is about yielding to the indwelling Spirit who is already present. Today, when you are faced with a situation that normally triggers anxiety, frustration, or self-effort, pause for a moment. Say to the Lord, “I trust You to be the One living through me right now. Let Your peace, not my striving, define this moment.” That is what it means to live by the Spirit, not by the flesh.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that I am no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit because You live in me. I am Yours, and You have made Your home in my heart. I do not need to reach for more of You. You are fully present. I simply yield and receive.
Thank You for filling every part of me. Thank You that my spiritual life is not based on how I perform but on who dwells in me. I rest in Your presence. I trust You to live through me, moment by moment, with all that I need already provided in Jesus.