Love Never Faith

Even in the desert, I walk with You—lacking nothing.

Devotional Credit: Abide Above
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Today’s devotional from Miles Stanford leads us into the loving paradox of divine discipline. Using the imagery of Israel’s desert journey, the message echoes the truth that God’s love never falters, even when the path He leads us on feels dry, barren, or full of affliction. The wilderness isn’t punishment—it’s preparation. It’s in these difficult places that God reveals both our need and His fullness, stripping us of the old nature that clings to self-effort so that Christ might be everything to us.

We are reminded that discipline is not contrary to love—it flows from it. The Lord brings us into the desert to uncover our weakness and display His sufficiency. In doing so, He gives us a place with Jesus, teaching us not merely to escape trials, but to discover intimacy and union with Christ within them. Deliverance may bring relief, but transformation comes through being lifted above the struggle—where Christ, not self, becomes the center of our affections.

This is not a life of merely surviving trials but of becoming spiritually fortified in them. God's hand never acts apart from His heart. And His heart is eternally, unwaveringly love.

✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

I brought you to Myself—not to isolate you in suffering, but to draw you deeper into My love. The desert is not your destination, but a doorway. It is where I reveal that you were never meant to live on what you bring, but on who I am.

I led Israel through the dry lands that they might drink from the Rock, and the Rock was Christ. I allowed the wilderness not to break them, but to bring them to a fullness only I could supply. So it is with you. The discomfort you experience is not punishment—it is the furrow I gently trace upon your heart so I might plant seeds of My glory within.

My love is the beginning of every discipline, and My fullness is the end. Though no chastening feels pleasant, it yields peace in those who yield to Me. I do not remove all hardships, for I would rather lift you above them. What seems grievous now is the sound of My workmanship, shaping you into one who rests more deeply in Christ.

Let Me wean your heart from self and root it in Me. Let your affections rise above the momentary trial and settle upon My Son, who is your life. You are not alone in the desert—you are with Me, and I am with you. I do not fail. My love cannot fail.

Scriptures referenced: Ephesians 3:19; 1 Corinthians 10:4; Romans 8:32; Hebrews 12:11; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3–4

🧺 Real-Life Analogy

It’s like walking barefoot across a sunbaked path—each step stings, and your instinct is to rush through or turn back. But then you notice someone walking just ahead, slowing down to match your pace, gently guiding you. They’re not rushing you out of the heat—they’re walking with you, carrying the shade. Eventually, you realize: you’re not being scorched—you’re being companioned.

🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence

Father, I thank You that the desert is never a sign of abandonment, but an invitation to deeper fellowship. You have already given me everything in Christ, and even in barren places, I lack nothing. I rest in Your perfect love and trust that every hardship is wrapped in Your goodness. You are not removing me from the desert, but raising me above it in Your Son. In Him, I have peace—even in the furrows. And in Him, I am filled with all the fullness of God.