Reliant Rest
The weight hasn’t changed—but now it’s being carried by hands that never let go.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reflection by Miles Stanford calls me to examine what it really means to live dependently upon God—not just in theory, but in moment-by-moment trust. It’s so natural to want to feel strong, to reach a place where I sense that I’m finally capable. But the paradox of the Christian life is that true strength begins not with a sense of capability, but with a deep recognition of weakness—a yielded posture that opens the door for the Spirit’s omnipotent power to operate freely.
J.N. Darby reminds us that even truths like our completeness in Christ can be twisted into self-sufficiency if we lose sight of our continual dependence. Completeness is not independence; it is union. And union is expressed through reliance. This devotional calls out two essential pillars of dependence: (1) a continual awareness that we can do nothing without Him, and (2) a settled confidence that He is for us. We do not rely on Him as a backup plan, but as the only source of life.
God never intended for us to walk in self-confidence. Nor did He intend for us to wallow in spiritual despair. Instead, He offers us a balanced soul—free from the pride of self-effort and the heaviness of defeat. As we lean only on His arm, we’re not lifted into emotional highs nor cast down into spiritual gloom. We’re kept—not by might, not by power—but by His Spirit.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
Child, rest your weight upon Me. I did not call you to strengthen yourself, but to abide in Me. You were never meant to live by the effort of your flesh. Even your good intentions, apart from Me, will bear no lasting fruit. It is My Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
In your weakness, I am your strength. I have not asked you to pretend you are capable—I have made Myself your capability. In Me, you are complete. But completeness in Me is not permission to live independently of Me. It is the invitation to draw from Me as your moment-by-moment supply.
Lean on Me—not sometimes, not just when the way is hard, but always. When you rely on Me, your soul will be steady. I guard you from the false energy of self-confidence and from the gloom that comes when you think you’ve failed. Both extremes are rooted in you looking at yourself instead of Me.
Dependence is not weakness—it is wisdom. It is the way of peace, the way of rest. I do not despise your neediness; I rejoice in it. For in that posture, you receive all that I have already given you in Christ Jesus. My power is made perfect in your surrender.
You were not created to be sufficient. You were created to be Mine.
Scriptures: Zechariah 4:6; Philippians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 12:9; John 15:5; Colossians 2:10; Romans 8:31; John 6:63
Real-Life Analogy
It’s like trying to carry a full grocery bag across a wet parking lot. You start off confident, arms loaded, thinking you’ve got it. But the weight begins to shift, the bag digs into your fingers, and one wrong step makes everything wobble. Just as the bottom begins to sag and tear, someone walks up beside you and gently takes the bag from your arms. The weight doesn’t change—but now it’s being carried by someone who never loses their grip. You walk beside them, unburdened and steady.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I don’t need to prove my strength to You—or to myself. You’ve never asked me to rely on what I can do, but to rest in what Christ has already done and continues to do in me by Your Spirit. I affirm today that without You, I can do nothing—and I rejoice in that reality because it means I no longer need to strain under the pressure of self-effort. Thank You for supplying all I need, not out of scarcity, but according to Your riches in glory. I am complete in Christ. I am carried by Your Spirit. I am safe in Your love.