Up the Quiet Stairs
The quiet stairs of love, hidden with Jesus, rising into clear light
Devotional Credit, Days of Heaven on Earth by A. B. Simpson
Photo Credit, Unsplash
Song of Songs 2:14 pictures a dove resting in the clefts of the rock, safe and seen. Simpson’s reflection invites us into that shelter, not as a retreat from real life, but as a higher place within it. Thank you, A. B. Simpson, for pointing us to the hidden life with Jesus that lifts our horizon and steadies our steps.
Early on, I chased public steps, more visibility, more output. Over time, the Spirit has been teaching me the quiet staircase of love, a steady ascent with moments of rest. Up there, the view widens. The heart grows content in the security of the Beloved. The work still matters, but source comes before motion, presence comes before productivity.
Simpson notes that some might mistake these hidden stairs as decline, as if drawing away from the scramble means losing ground. In reality, being with Jesus reorders everything. The Holy Spirit forms the manners of heaven in ordinary places, a patience that stays kind under pressure, a courage that tells the truth with tenderness, a joy that does not depend on applause.
When Simpson speaks of those who discover the secret places, we receive that through a corporate lens. In Jesus, God has chosen a people, and all who are in the Beloved share this invitation. No inner circle of spiritual elites, rather, the Body rising together as we set our minds on things above and behold the Lord with unveiled hearts. The climb is not a contest. It is a companionship with the One who already holds us.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I draw you into the clefts of the Rock, into the safety of My Son. I reveal His face, and as you behold Him with an unveiled heart, I transform you from glory to glory. I set your mind on things above where the Messiah is seated, and I remind you that your life is hidden with Him in Me. You died with Him, and you live with Him. Reckon this true, present yourself to Me, and I will express the life of Jesus in your mortal body.
I call you to abide in My Son, and as you remain in Him, fruit comes in season. I work in you to will and to do My good pleasure. I supply everything that pertains to life and godliness. I bless you in the Beloved with every spiritual blessing. I seat you with Him, not to escape the world, but to love within it with a clean heart and a steady hand.
I am forming a people, a living temple. Together you are My workmanship in Jesus for good works that I prepared beforehand. I complete what I begin. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Enter My rest, not by quitting life, but by trusting My presence as you step into life. I keep you, I establish you, and I make the fragrance of His knowledge evident through you in every place.
Real-Life Analogy
Picture a dimmer switch in a room at dusk. You can squint and strain, or you can slide the dimmer and the whole space clarifies. The indwelling Spirit of Jesus is that inner light source. Instead of forcing yourself to be nicer or tougher, you yield to Him, and He brightens what you cannot. The room did not move, the light changed.
A specific moment, an email arrives that could spark defensiveness. Rather than drafting a sharp reply in your own energy, turn inward and say, Lord, I trust You to shine Your wisdom and kindness through my words as I answer this note. Then write the response with a settled heart, confident that the Lord who lives in you is active as you type.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for placing me in Jesus and placing Your Spirit in me. Thank You for the secret places of ascent, the steady stairs where You grow Christlikeness within. I gratefully reckon myself alive to You in Jesus today. I present myself to You, trusting Your indwelling Spirit to express patience, truth, and love in the tasks before me. I rest in Your faithful presence and rejoice that You complete what You begin.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Song of Songs 2:14, 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, Colossians 3:1-4, Romans 6:6-14, Galatians 2:20, John 15:1-5, Philippians 2:12-13, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Ephesians 1:3, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 4:9-11, Romans 8:9-11, Colossians 1:27-29, Galatians 5:1, 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, Jude 24-25