The First Step Is the Miracle
The moment you yield in trust, the Spirit’s life within you roars to life.
📚 Devotional Credit:
Excerpt from Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
📷 Photo Credit:
Image from Unsplash
God's ways often defy our need for strategy. Paul and Barnabas didn’t enter Lystra with a game plan, a mapped-out outreach strategy, or a scheduled campaign. They simply showed up and preached Jesus. As they obeyed, the Lord moved—already having prepared a man in the crowd, lame from birth, to receive faith through the message. Paul saw the readiness in his eyes. And in that sacred collision of faith and obedience, the impossible happened. The man stood. He didn’t just stumble—he jumped up and walked.
Ray Stedman invites us to see this miracle not only as a physical healing but as a vivid parable. It shows how the gospel unlocks what once bound us—emotionally, spiritually, even behaviorally—not when we wait for proof, but when we respond to God’s Word with trusting obedience. The man didn’t argue, bargain, or ask for confirmation. He simply tried. And in the trying, power rushed in.
This is the rhythm of the abiding life. Not striving for results, not demanding signs, but hearing the Word, trusting it is already alive, and yielding to it—however small the step may seem. And as we obey, we find the power to do what once felt impossible. The miracle isn’t in waiting until we’re ready—it’s in the moment we step in faith, discovering we’ve already been made ready in Christ.
So many of us delay obedience, hoping for more strength, more certainty, more assurance. But faith doesn't begin with sight. It begins with Jesus already present, already willing, already sufficient. And when we lean forward into that truth, life flows. Doors open. Healing comes. Not before obedience—but in it.
📓 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture:
My beloved, My Word is not dormant—it is living. And when you receive it with faith, you are not waiting on Me to move; you are stepping into what I’ve already finished. I am the One who opens the ear, kindles the spark of faith, and bids you rise. The moment you respond, I manifest the strength that has always been yours in Me.
You are not lame—not anymore. In Me, you are whole. Your past cannot hold you, and your weakness cannot bind you. I do not wait for you to muster courage or gather your thoughts. I simply invite you to believe. Step forward. And as you do, you’ll see: the very obedience I call for is the very obedience I empower.
I have placed My Spirit within you. He is the One who leads you into freedom—not after the fact, but in real time. Don’t wait to feel able. Trust that I Am. Whether the chain is fear, apathy, addiction, or doubt—it will snap not because you try harder, but because you trust Me in the trying.
Let My Word dwell richly in you. Let it stir movement, even if all you can manage today is one small act of trust. Because in that single act, I will show Myself faithful.
Scripture References: Acts 14:8–10; Romans 1:16–17; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4–13; John 15:4–5; Philippians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:11
🪞Real-Life Analogy:
It’s like pressing the ignition in a car you haven’t driven in years. The keys are already in your hand. The fuel has been there, waiting. All that’s required is the motion—just the simple push of a button. And suddenly, everything inside comes alive, ready to move you forward.
In the same way, faith doesn’t wait until we feel confident. The Spirit of Christ is already in us, ready to act. When we yield and trust Him—even in a whisper of obedience—He brings His life into motion. Whether it's forgiving someone we thought we couldn’t, or taking a risk we’ve been avoiding, the ignition of trust releases His power to live His life in and through us today.
Maybe that step is speaking truth in love, or walking away from a temptation, or showing up in quiet surrender. Whatever it is, say to Him, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life in me and through me in this moment,” and watch the impossible become reality.
🙏 Prayer of Confidence:
Father, thank You that I don’t need to wait for the power to obey. You’ve already provided everything in Christ. I don’t have to beg for strength or clarity—You have made me alive with Christ and placed Your Spirit within me. Today, I trust You in the stepping. I thank You that every act of obedience is already backed by Your grace. Even when it feels small or uncertain, I rejoice that You move in it. I walk in freedom because You walk in me.