Weaned for Fullness
Just as a child is gently weaned from what once comforted, the Father leads us into greater fullness in Jesus.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above by Miles Stanford
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Miles Stanford draws us to Paul’s words in Philippians 3:7, where he declares that what once seemed valuable is now counted as loss compared to knowing Jesus. This is not a call to despise life’s blessings, but rather to see them in their proper place. When the Lord reveals Himself as our true life, our hearts begin to release their grip on things and hold fast to Him.
Stanford points out, with the help of earlier writers, that this process often comes through weaning. God gently removes our dependence on earthly props so that we might learn to rest in Him alone. The process is not without tears, for we grow attached to comforts and mercies. Yet this is not the act of a withholding Father, but of a loving One who longs for us to find satisfaction in Him alone.
The truth we learn in our minds must often be proved in the storms of life. When the winds rise and the waves crash, we discover whether the knowledge we carry has taken root in our hearts. In those moments, we realize that the Lord is not absent but present, showing us that He is enough. It is through trials, not apart from them, that He brings us into deeper conformity with His Son.
This is the pathway Paul describes: counting all things loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ. Stanford helps us see that this is no grim exchange, but the most glorious trade. To release the things that cannot last is to embrace the One who will never fail, and to find our lives hidden with Him in God.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, I am drawing you away from all that would keep you from resting in Me. Do not think that I withhold from you because I am against you. I gave My Son for you, and with Him I freely give you all things. Yet I know that your heart can cling to what is passing, so I lovingly wean you from those props so that you may know the joy of depending on Me alone.
You have learned much in your mind, but I lead you into proving My sufficiency in the trials you face. The storm is not to undo you but to reveal that I am with you. Do not measure My love by your circumstances, but by My presence and by the cross.
When you let go of what cannot satisfy, you discover that I am your true portion. As you yield to Me, the life of Jesus fills your vision, and your heart is conformed to Him. What once seemed loss becomes gain, for in Him you have found everything.
Scripture References: Philippians 3:7-8, John 15:2, Romans 8:32, Colossians 3:3, Hebrews 12:10-11, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Romans 5:3-5, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a child being weaned from a bottle. At first, there are tears and resistance because the bottle has always been a source of comfort. But the parent knows that greater nourishment awaits, and the child must grow beyond what once satisfied. Though the process is painful, it leads to strength and maturity.
In the same way, when something I once relied on is removed, I can choose to rest in the Lord’s love and say, “Lord, I trust You to live through me in this moment as I release what cannot sustain me and embrace Your fullness.” That is how dependence shifts from the temporary to the eternal.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that You lovingly lead me away from what cannot last and draw me into Your fullness. I rest in the truth that every loss becomes gain when I discover more of You. I rejoice that You are enough, and that through trials and weaning, You shape me into the likeness of Jesus. Today I live in confidence that You are my portion, my joy, and my life.