Pressed Beyond Ourselves, Held By Resurrection Life
A simple switch restored the light, a picture of returning to Jesus as our Source.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows, T. Austin-Sparks, “Explanation of the Nature and History of This Ministry”
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Some days sit heavy on the chest. Paul called it being burdened beyond measure, beyond strength, to the point of despair. Austin-Sparks reminds us that this is not failure, it is often the classroom where Jesus shows us what information alone could never give. We are brought to the end of self so we can discover, in real time, that the God who raises the dead is our only source.
Thank you, T. Austin-Sparks, for the clear witness. You point us back to Romans 6 where Jesus did not only take our sins, He took us. Our old life was included in His death, and His risen life is now our new address. That means my abilities and my limits are not the engine. Jesus is. Life becomes not what I can do for God, but what God does in me and through me as I trust Him.
This is not theory. It is the way Jesus Himself lived, doing nothing from Himself but everything from the Father. When our trying runs out, our trusting can begin. That is the doorway where many of us finally say, Lord, You are my life, not my assistant. From there, the weight shifts. We stop pushing the boulder of self-effort up the hill, and we let the risen Jesus carry us forward.
If you are in a tight place today, you are not disqualified. You are being invited. The end of your resources is not the end at all, it is the place where the Life of Jesus shows up as strength, peace, and steady love. He writes an end over self as source, then opens a beginning over everything that is done out from Him. Jesus lives, and that means real, present, boundless possibility.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am with you in the press, and I am not late. You came to the edge of yourself, and that was mercy. I turn you from self-trust to the God who raises the dead. Your old self in Adam was taken to the cross with Jesus, and you were brought into His death, so count it so. You are not trying to die, you are included in what has already been done. Now set your mind on the things above where your life is hidden with the risen Jesus.
I am the One who works in you to will and to do the Father’s good pleasure. I formed a new creation in you. Do not measure today by your natural strength. You carry this treasure in a jar of clay so that the surpassing power may be seen as Mine. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. I animate your steps, your words, your choices. Look to Me, not to your record. Yield, and I will express the life of Jesus in your body.
The Son on earth did nothing from Himself, He watched the Father, then He walked. This is your pattern in Him. Abide, and fruit will come. You have been raised with the Lord, seated with Him. I sanctify you wholly. I equip you with everything good to do His will as I work what is pleasing in His sight. Lift your eyes. I am faithful. I called you. I will surely do it.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a tripped circuit breaker. The room goes dark. You can stare at the lamp, shake it, or swap the bulb, but nothing changes until you return to the panel and reset the source. There is a small click, then light flows again. The lamp never became stronger. It simply received power from beyond itself.
When pressure builds today, instead of jiggling the lamp of self-effort, return to the Source. Quietly acknowledge, Lord, You are my life and my supply, live through me in this conversation right now. For a concrete example, imagine walking into a difficult meeting. Rather than rehearsing defenses, you turn your heart toward the Lord and say, Lord, express Your patience and clarity through me as I listen and speak. Then you step in, trusting His indwelling Spirit to carry the tone, the timing, and the truth.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that when Jesus died, I died, and when He rose, I rose in Him. Thank You that Jesus is my life, my wisdom, and my peace. Today I rest in what You have already given, union with Your Son and the presence of Your Spirit. I thank You that You work in me to will and to do what pleases You. I praise You that the power is Yours, not mine, and that every good thing that comes today is the risen life of Jesus expressed through me. Amen.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
2 Corinthians 1:8-9, Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 3:1-4, Philippians 2:13, 2 Corinthians 4:7, Romans 8:11, John 5:19, John 15:5, Ephesians 2:4-6, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Hebrews 13:20-21, Galatians 2:20