Hidden in the Son, Held by the Father
Stepping through the door into a place already prepared, at home in the Son.
Devotional Credit
Abide Above by Miles J. Stanford, “The Heart of the Matter,” reflecting on Colossians 1:21 and 1:22
Photo Credit
Unsplash
The heart of today’s reading points us back to where the Father has placed us, not to what we were trying to repair in ourselves. In Jesus we have been reconciled, brought near, and located in a new place. The Father sees us there, in His Son, not in our former condition. That placement is not an idea for a journal margin, it is the living center of a new life.
Miles Stanford helps us lift our eyes from the ruts of self-inspection to the reality of union with Jesus. The Father’s love flows to us where we are, in the Son, and from there it flows through us. The focus is not my effort to make the old self behave, it is the Father presenting me in the risen One, holy and without blame, so I may live from a settled home rather than from a repair shop.
He also reminds us that intimacy with Jesus is not an accessory. It is the path and power of true devotion. As we stay occupied with Him, we learn to recognize His voice and gladly yield to His claim upon our hearts. The more we rest in Him, the less impressed we are by the world’s promises. Our new affections cannot be satisfied here, they are satisfied in the Father by way of His Son.
Thank you, Miles, for keeping our eyes on placement before performance. In a world that keeps asking us to measure up, this reading invites us to look up, to the Father who has already raised us with Jesus and given us every spiritual blessing in Him. That is not cold doctrine. That is a warm home for the soul.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I remind you that you were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing works that could never bring you near, yet now you are reconciled in the body of My Son by His death, that I might present you holy and blameless and above reproach in My sight. I placed you in Him, and I see you in Him. You died with Him, you were buried with Him, you were raised with Him, and your life is hidden with Him in Me. There is now no condemnation for you in My Son, for He is your wisdom, your righteousness, your sanctification, and your redemption.
Abide in Him. Apart from Him you can do nothing, yet in Him you bear fruit that remains. I have blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, I have seated you with Him, and I dwell in you to will and to work according to My good pleasure. Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, for the offering of My Son has perfected for all time those who are being made holy.
Fix your mind on the things above, where He is, for when He who is your life appears, you also will appear with Him in glory. I am able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless with great joy. I am faithful, I called you, and I will surely do it. Walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desire of the flesh. Offer your body as a living sacrifice, not to earn a place, but because you already live from the place I have given you in My Beloved Son.
Scripture references: Col 1:21–22, Rom 6:3–11, Col 3:1–4, Rom 8:1–4, 1 Cor 1:30, John 15:1–9, Eph 1:3–6, Eph 2:4–7, Phil 2:13, Heb 10:10, Heb 10:14, Heb 10:19–22, Jude 24–25, 1 Thess 5:23–24, Gal 5:16–25, Rom 12:1–2, 2 Cor 5:17, 2 Cor 5:21, John 14:20, John 17:22–23, Rom 5:1–2, Eph 3:16–19, Rom 8:31–39
Real-Life Analogy
Think of unlocking your front door at the end of the day. You do not jiggle the handle and try to force your way in. You place the key that matches the lock, turn it, and step into your home. Life in Jesus is like that. The Holy Spirit has placed the right key in your hand, union with the Son. You are not forcing entry into the Father’s favor, you are welcomed because you are already at home in the Son. Inside, the tone of the whole house meets you, peace replaces strain, and the day changes. In the same way, the Spirit of Jesus expresses His life through you from that place of belonging. You are not managing yourself with new rules, you are trusting the One who lives in you to be your patience, your honesty, and your courage in the moment.
A simple practice for today. When you step into a conversation that tempts you to defend yourself, pause at the threshold on the inside and pray, Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me right now, set my tone, choose my words, and love this person through me. Then proceed as one who is already inside the Father’s welcome, not standing outside trying to earn the right to speak.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that You have reconciled me in Jesus and placed me in Him. Thank You that You see me in Your Son, holy and without blame in Your sight. Thank You that Your Spirit lives in me so that I may live from union, not from strain. Today I receive the peace of being at home in the Son. I agree with Your verdict over my life, and I walk in it with gratitude and quiet confidence. Amen.