Resting On The Promise, Not Under The Bed
Stepping under His promise, we rest in what God has already said
Devotional Credit: His Victorious Indwelling, compiled by Nick Harrison. Selections from A. B. Simpson and John Hunter
Photo Credit: Unsplash
A. B. Simpson invites us to trust God’s promise the way Abraham did, not by straining, but by resting our whole weight on what God has said. He tells a tender story to show how easy it is to settle for less than love, like sleeping under the bed when a warm place has been prepared. In Jesus, the Father has already given us a place of welcome. Faith is not presumption. Faith is receiving what grace has laid out.
Simpson also names why we hesitate. We look at ourselves, we calculate what makes sense, and we start to crawl back under the bed of self protection. Yet the gospel calls us to take God at His word. If He says it, He means it. If He gives it, it is truly for us in Jesus. Strength comes as we glorify God by believing Him.
John Hunter adds a simple “yes.” Every promise of God finds its Yes in Christ. When a word of promise meets a trusting heart, the answer is settled in Him. Our part is not to make it true. Our part is to lean on the One who is Truth and to step forward as those already welcomed and supplied.
Thank you, A. B. Simpson and John Hunter, for pointing us to the bed the Father has made. We do not belong under the edges of grace. We belong in the center of His love, trusting that what He promises, He performs.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have given you My Son, and with Him I freely give you all things. My promises are Yes in Him, and through you the Amen rises to My glory. Do not waver through unbelief. Grow strong in faith as you give Me glory, fully convinced that what I promise, I am able to perform.
Remember who you are. You have died with Jesus, and you live to God in Him. Present yourself to Me as one alive from the dead. Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Walk by faith, not by sight. Hold fast the confession of your hope without wavering, for I am faithful.
Come to Me and find rest for your soul. Be anxious for nothing. With thanksgiving make your requests known, and My peace will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Do not throw away your confidence. It has a great reward. I supply every need of yours according to My riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Let the word of the Messiah dwell in you richly. Do not be sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. I am the God who calls into existence the things that do not exist. Nothing is too hard for Me.
Real-Life Analogy
Picture stepping out into a heavy rain with a sturdy umbrella. If you clutch the umbrella but stay to the side, you still get soaked. When you step under it, the downpour remains, but you are covered. The umbrella does the keeping. You simply stand where it works.
Trusting God’s promise is like stepping under the umbrella. The Holy Spirit draws you under the covering of what the Father has said in Jesus. If a medical result or an overdue bill starts to press on your chest, you might say, Lord, I place this fully in Your hands. Live Your calm assurance through me as I make the next phone call and take the next step. Then call, speak plainly, and move forward. Let Jesus in you do the keeping while you stand under what He has promised.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that every promise finds its Yes in Jesus. You have already given me a place of rest in Your love. I affirm that I am alive to You in Christ. I affirm that Your peace stands guard over my heart and mind. I affirm that You are faithful to perform what You have spoken.
Today I receive what You have provided. I step out of self reliance and I remain under Your word. I move through my tasks as one kept by Your faithfulness. I give You glory by trusting You, and I rejoice that Your promises are settled for me in Your Son. Amen.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Genesis 18:14; Habakkuk 2:3-4; Matthew 11:28-30; Mark 11:22-24; John 14:27; Romans 4:18-21; Romans 5:1-5; Romans 6:4-11; Romans 8:31-32; Romans 10:17; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 3:13-14; Philippians 4:6-7; Philippians 4:19; Colossians 3:15-16; Hebrews 4:1-3; Hebrews 6:11-12; Hebrews 10:23-24; Hebrews 11:1; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 12:1-3; James 1:5-8; James 1:17; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Jude 24-25