Joy That Survives the Fire
Sunlight that reveals what is already there, a picture of His holy light that shows what lasts.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit: Unsplash
We are all building something. Ray Stedman reminds us that the foundation is already set in Jesus, and the materials we choose flow from the life we are depending on. Some choices echo the Spirit, like gold, silver, and precious stones. Other choices follow the mood of the age, like wood, hay, and stubble. The day of evaluation is not about whether we belong to the Lord. It is about what of our life together with Him will endure when His holy gaze tests it. Thank you, Pastor Stedman, for pointing us back to the joy of a life that truly counts.
This is not a message of anxiety. It is a word of relief for the believer who is already secure in Jesus. Stedman helps us see that the fire reveals, it does not revoke. Salvation is settled in Christ. The testing simply shows what was born of the Spirit versus what was born of self-effort. Wherever Jesus was trusted, something lasting remains. Wherever we were managing outcomes from the flesh, it fades.
Read this through a grace lens and through our corporate salvation lens. We appear before the Lord as His people who are united to the Son. The rewards imagery speaks of shared joy in what Jesus has done through His body, not private trophies or private merit. He prepared good works for us together. We walk in them as branches drawing on the life of the Vine, and as living stones joined into a house that He indwells. The point is participation, not performance.
So we can face that day with confidence. Jesus is not searching for reasons to shame His own. He is unveiling what is truly of Himself. Where we yielded to His indwelling life, there will be a bright and weighty gladness. Where we trusted our own cleverness, there will be loss, yet the person is still saved. This frees us right now to rest in Him, to present ourselves to God, and to let the Spirit shape what we build today.
Journal Entry - Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I laid the only foundation in your life, Jesus Christ. I dwell in you and I call you to build in step with Me. As you remain in Me, I form your work with what endures. Gold where you depend on My wisdom. Silver where you entrust outcomes to My care. Precious stones where love acts through you for the good of others.
I will bring to light what is from Me and I will disclose the purposes of the heart. This judgment is the family evaluation of a Father who has already removed condemnation in Christ Jesus. I refine your faith like gold so that what remains will result in praise, glory, and honor when I reveal My Son. Do not fear the fire. The fire proves what I authored.
You are My workmanship. I prepared good works for you to walk in, and I work in you to will and to do what pleases Me. Present yourself to Me. Abide in My Son. Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Me. Keep in step with Me and I will express the life of Jesus in your mortal body. I will transform you from one degree of glory to another as you look to Me.
Set your eyes on the One whose eyes are like a flame of fire. I see reality as it is, and I keep you secure. Your joy will be the people and moments in which My life flowed through you. Your crown is the rejoicing of shared life in Christ. So build today with Me. I am faithful, and I will do it.
Real-Life Analogy
Think about sunlight pouring through a kitchen window in late afternoon. The room looked clean at first, then that clear light reveals fine dust on the counter and a few streaks on the glass. The light did not create the mess. It simply showed what was already there so you could wipe what needs wiping and enjoy what is already clean.
Life with Jesus works like that. His light reveals what comes from His Spirit and what comes from hurried self-management. Today, when you feel the pull to impress in a meeting or on a call, pause the inner scramble and lean into Him. You might quietly serve a teammate, give credit away, or choose patient listening instead of pushing your point. Simply say, Lord, I trust You to express Your wisdom and kindness through me right now, and let Him carry the moment.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that my foundation is Jesus. Thank You that there is no condemnation in Him and that Your evaluation purifies what You have already begun. Thank You that I am Your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that You prepared beforehand. Thank You that Your Spirit lives in me, willing and doing Your good pleasure, and that what is of Jesus in me will endure. I rejoice that my future is joy with You and with the people You loved through me. Today, I rest in Your complete provision and walk in what You have already made ready.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
1 Corinthians 3:10-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 1:14, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 1 Peter 1:7, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 2:13, Romans 8:1-4, John 15:1-11, Romans 6:6-14, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:25, Romans 12:1, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 1:27, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Jude 24