The Descent That Raises Us
What yields to fire is shaped for glory.
Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reflection from A.B. Simpson calls us into the inner workings of God’s refining love. It’s not enough to simply acknowledge that we fall short—we’re invited to mourn over the presence of sin, to let the reality of it pierce us, and allow the weight of our need for Christ to sink in deeply. The poor in spirit recognize their spiritual bankruptcy, but those who mourn have come to feel the pain of that bankruptcy.
Yet this mourning is not unto despair. It is a holy grief—a Spirit-wrought sorrow that softens us, purifies us, and yields a pliable heart. God does not leave us in our sorrow but uses it to mold us like metal in fire. This loving refinement isn’t punitive; it’s purposeful. He humbles us not to humiliate but to prepare us for true meekness. And meekness is the soil in which Christ’s life begins to flourish through us.
Once we know we are accepted, once the fear of wrath is gone, God lovingly disciplines us as sons and daughters—not in punishment, but in preparation. He brings us low, not to crush us, but to create in us a readiness to say, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” And in that moment, heaven touches earth in the quiet heart of a yielded soul.
📖 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have drawn you with cords of lovingkindness, and I lead you not by shame, but by grace. When you first saw your poverty of spirit, that was My work in you—revealing the truth that apart from Me, you have nothing and are nothing. But now I take you deeper still, not to condemn you, but to conform you to the image of My Son.
Do not fear the sorrow that stirs your heart when sin is exposed. That mourning is sacred—it signals that your heart is alive and tender toward Me. I use that grief not to press you down, but to refine you like silver. When you feel undone, you are nearer to the place where I do My most beautiful work.
This is My discipline, not in wrath, but in love. You are My child, and I discipline you because you belong to Me. It is in these moments of humbling that you learn to trust, to yield, to whisper with open hands, “Lord, what would You have me do?” That is meekness. That is the fragrance of Christ rising from your life.
I emptied Myself and became obedient unto death so that you could walk in newness of life. Now I call you to yield, not as a servant in fear, but as one dearly loved. The lower you go in surrender, the clearer you will hear My voice. And there, in that place of brokenness, you will know the joy of My life rising in you.
Scriptures referenced: Philippians 2:8; Matthew 5:3–5; Hebrews 12:6–11; Romans 8:29; Hosea 11:4
🪞 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like warming wax to make a seal. When cold and firm, it resists any impression. But under gentle heat, it softens, becomes pliable, and receives the imprint of the seal with clarity. The heat wasn’t punishment—it was preparation for a mark that would last.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that the refining fire of Your love is not rejection, but preparation. I rejoice that I am accepted in Christ, and because of that, You gently form in me a meek and yielded heart. I welcome the work You do in my soul, knowing it is Your love that humbles me and Your Spirit who brings forth Your life in me. Today I rest in the beauty of surrender, confident that You are shaping me from the inside out.