Grace Crown
Just as the soil is cleared to breathe again, God’s grace unearths the old to make room for the new.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above
Photo Credit: Unsplash
God, in His perfect love, calls us not to ease, but to maturity. Peter’s words in 1 Peter 5:10 are both sobering and comforting. There is a “while” of suffering, but it is framed by grace — “the God of all grace” is the One who oversees our refining. He permits difficulty not to crush us, but to settle us. The shaking of our souls has a purpose: to reveal what is unshakable — Christ in us.
At the beginning of our spiritual journey, we are often unaware of the depths of the flesh. God, in His mercy, veils the full extent of it until we are grounded enough in grace to bear the sight. If we saw it too soon, we would despair. So, He takes us the long way — not to delay us, but to develop us. Like Israel being led the long way through the wilderness, He protects us from battles we're not yet prepared to face, all while deepening our capacity to know and rest in His grace.
Job’s story reminds us that even the most faithful may need to see what lies hidden within. Not for condemnation, but for transformation. God is committed to revealing everything in us that is contrary to Christ — not because He is disappointed, but because He delights in shaping us into His image. This is grace: not merely forgiveness, but formation — a crown placed upon the humble who have walked through fire only to reflect His glory.
Personalized Journal Entry — Voice of the Holy Spirit
You are not called to pretend the flesh isn’t there — you are invited to reckon it dead. I have not shown you these fleshly patterns to shame you, but to anchor you in the truth that your old self was crucified with Christ. You are not what you once were. The old man is gone — condemned at the Cross, never to rise again. What remains is the residue of the flesh, still seeking expression through self-effort, but powerless when you walk by My life in you.
Your journey has not been aimless. I have led you through shadows, not to leave you there, but to show you how My grace abounds in every valley. Every trial has loosened your grip on your own strength and placed it more firmly in Me. And yes, I am still exposing the hidden places where the flesh once ruled — not to discourage you, but so that My Son’s image might emerge more clearly.
You are under My mighty hand — not to be pressed down, but to be raised in due time. Rest in the assurance that I care for you. I am not indifferent to your sorrow, nor unfeeling toward your questions. I am near, always shaping, always loving, always settling you more deeply into the truth of your union with Christ.
Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:6–7, 1 Peter 5:10, Romans 6:6, Romans 6:11, Colossians 3:9–10
Real-Life Analogy
It’s like pulling weeds from a garden bed that hasn’t been disturbed in years. At first glance, it looks manageable — maybe even beautiful in spots. But once you begin, you realize how deep the roots go. Some break off, others come up with effort. It takes time. But as each root is drawn out, the soil breathes. New space opens. That’s what the Holy Spirit is doing in you — not exposing to shame, but to clear the way for flourishing.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rest in the certainty that nothing touches me apart from Your gracious intention. Thank You that You have already placed the life of Christ within me, not as a goal to reach, but as a present reality to walk in. You are not refining me to become something I am not — You are revealing who I already am in Him. The old man is gone, crucified with Christ, and I now live by the life of Your Son. Every trial becomes a platform to draw from that life, and every uncovering of the flesh is an invitation to abide more deeply in grace. I cast every care into Your loving hands, knowing I am kept, shaped, and lifted by You — all for the display of Your glory through Christ in me.