The Faith That Flows From Him
As a branch bears fruit through its connection to the vine, faith and love flow through us by the life of Jesus within.
Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven by A. B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional reminds us of Jesus’ simple yet powerful words: “Have faith in God.” We often hear them quoted, yet the weight of those words reaches deeper than we may realize. A. B. Simpson points us to the truth that God calls us to a faith that is not partial, not wavering, but complete. The smallest thread of unbelief can undo the fabric of our trust, so our call is not to muster up stronger belief, but to rest in a faith far greater than our own.
Simpson draws our attention to the reality that such perfect faith is not possible in human strength. We cannot generate it by willpower or maintain it by discipline. It is possible only through the divine life of Jesus within us. He is both the author and the finisher of our faith. When we walk in union with Him, His very faith becomes ours, shaping how we believe, how we pray, and how we live.
This same principle extends to love. Jesus does not ask us to love as best we can in our natural capacity, nor does He call us back to Old Testament demands. Instead, He raises the bar with His new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” That standard would be impossible if it depended on us. But the secret is that our love is His love expressed through us. His Spirit within us makes His commandment possible, not by striving but by abiding.
The heart of today’s message is that our faith and our love are not sourced in ourselves. They are gifts of God, expressed through the indwelling life of His Son. This truth is freeing, because it reminds us that the Christian life is not about straining to be enough, but about resting in the One who is more than enough.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My beloved, I have not called you to produce faith on your own, for the life you live is by the faith of the Son of God. I am the one who authors faith in you, and I will also bring it to completion. As you abide in Me, My confidence becomes your confidence. My trust in the Father becomes the very trust that steadies your heart.
When I call you to love, I am not asking you to stretch your own capacity. I am pouring My love into your heart through the Spirit. As I have loved you, so you will love others, not by effort but by My life flowing through you. As I am, so are you in this world.
Do not look inward for adequacy, for there you will only find limitation. Look to Me, for I am your sufficiency. Rest in the truth that your faith and love are born of My Spirit. What is impossible in human nature is possible because of My divine nature within you.
Scripture References: Mark 11:22-24, Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 12:2, Romans 5:5, John 13:34, 1 John 4:17, Philippians 1:6, 2 Corinthians 3:5.
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine a branch trying to bear fruit by effort alone. It strains, it twists, and it shakes, but no fruit comes forth because the life is not in the branch itself. The life comes from the vine. Once connected, the fruit appears naturally, not from strain but from the flow of life.
In the same way, when I face a moment where faith feels weak or love seems beyond me, I can pause and whisper, “Lord, I trust You to live Your faith and Your love through me in this moment.” That is not a call to strain, but to yield, confident that His life is more than enough.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that faith is not my achievement but Your gift. I rejoice that You are the author and finisher of my faith, and that You live within me as my confidence. I rest in Your life as my sufficiency, and I yield to Your Spirit to love through me with the same love that carried You to the cross. Today I stand not in panic or effort, but in possibility, knowing that Your life in me makes all things possible.