Today’s devotional takes us into the deep rest of faith—not as emotional hype or mental effort—but as quiet assurance that God’s promises are already settled in heaven. Faith is not a gamble or a hope-for-the-best attitude. It is the echo of God’s own voice within us affirming what He has already declared.

In today’s reading, Bob Hoekstra draws our eyes toward the radical transformation that happens when we are brought into union with Christ. The old distinctions—heritage, upbringing, religious background—are rendered meaningless in the eyes of God when compared to what He has done in us through the new birth. In Adam, we were defined by human traits and categories. But in Christ, we are no longer defined by what we once were. We are made entirely new—born again into a spiritual family where Christ is all and in all.

Oswald Chambers pulls back the curtain on a subtle danger in the Christian life: turning Spirit-given discernment into flesh-driven criticism. He warns that when we see someone struggling and do not rightly discern the purpose of that revelation, we can fall into the trap of spiritual hypocrisy. Instead of moving toward intercession, we become judgmental. Instead of forming the mind of Christ regarding others, we mistakenly inject our own opinions into situations that call for prayerful compassion.

Today's Abide Above devotional draws a critical distinction between being dead to sin (Romans 6) and being dead to the law (Romans 7). Many believers embrace the freedom from sin, yet remain entangled in a law-based mindset, believing that God's acceptance is still tied to their performance. The devotional warns that even the beautiful life and love of Christ can be subtly turned into law if we approach them as standards we must measure up to, rather than life we receive. This turns grace into burden and liberty into bondage.

Genesis 37:6–7, 9 — “There we were, binding sheaves in the field... and then your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf... Now I have had another dream: There were the sun and the moon and eleven stars, bowing down to me.”

Today’s eManna devotional offers a striking contrast between how we tend to see ourselves—or others—and how God sees us. Joseph’s brothers were deeply flawed. By any human standard, their behavior was worthy of rejection. But when God gave Joseph a glimpse of their spiritual identity, He showed them not as thorns or thieves, but as sheaves—gathered grain, full of life—and as stars—heavenly lights, radiant with glory.

A dear brother in Christ recently asked which Scriptures I turn to for my understanding that our spirits are already in heaven. He shared that a friend of his was curious, having never encountered this idea before. In my experience, when someone runs into a biblical truth they’ve never heard, it often marks the beginning of a deeper unveiling—and I believe this may be one of those beautiful moments. While the thought may sound unusual at first, especially for those taught to see salvation primarily as a future hope, a careful look at the grammar, context, and doctrinal development of the New Testament reveals that this is not speculation—it is the unveiled reality of our present union with Christ.

📖 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes... For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16–17)

In the exchanged life, we speak often of living by faith—not merely believing truths about God but yielding to Christ as our indwelling Life. Romans 1:16–17 presents faith as the ongoing conduit by which the righteousness of God is revealed. Not from works to works. Not even from effort to effort. But from faith to faith.

In Galatians 4, Paul draws a striking contrast between life under the Mosaic Law and the freedom found in Christ. He begins by showing that although heirs technically own everything, they remain under guardianship until the appointed time—just like Israel under the Law. But when Christ came, He redeemed those under the Law so they could be adopted as full sons and daughters of God. Adoption in Greco-Roman culture wasn’t just sentimental—it granted full legal rights and inheritance. Paul says that believers now have the Spirit of Christ in them, crying out “Abba, Father,” testifying to the intimacy of this new relationship.

The third chapter of John unfolds one of the most memorable conversations in all of Scripture—the nighttime meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus, a respected religious teacher and Pharisee, came in sincerity but with insufficient understanding. Despite his religious knowledge and moral efforts, he still needed to be “born again”—or more accurately, born from above. Jesus explained that natural birth alone does not grant entrance into the kingdom of God; one must be born of water and the Spirit, pointing to the spiritual cleansing and inner renewal prophesied in Ezekiel. The Spirit, like the wind, moves freely and invisibly but leaves clear evidence of its presence in a transformed life.

“He is not safe, but He is good. He is the King, I tell you.”

Today’s reading from In Christ reflects on something most Christians sense but rarely know how to put into words: that Jesus is both the final revelation of God and, at the same time, the ever-unfolding Word we’ll never fully comprehend. E. Stanley Jones affirms that the Incarnation—God becoming man in Christ—is once for all time, never to be repeated. Jesus is the final Word, the fulfillment after centuries of prophets. But His meaning isn’t something to be boxed up and labeled. His person and purpose continue to unfold by the Spirit.

Ray Stedman’s reflection today brings our attention to a kind of giving that goes far beyond budgets or bills—it goes straight to the heart of God. As Paul acknowledges the gifts he received from the Philippians, he’s not merely issuing a thank-you note. He’s revealing something eternal: that the joy in giving lies not in what the receiver gains but in what the giver receives.

3 John 1:2 — “Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also prospers.”

Today’s reflection from Days of Heaven on Earth invites us to consider the connection between spiritual alignment and well-being. A.B. Simpson draws our attention to a deeper kind of healing—one that begins in the soul and then permeates the body and circumstances. The verse from 3 John isn’t merely a kind wish for health and success—it’s a reminder that when our souls are prospering in righteousness, the rest of our lives come into alignment with God’s peace, power, and provision.

Today’s devotional from Day by Day by Grace is a fresh reminder of the immense contrast between the inheritance of Adam and the inheritance of Christ. Paul presents a before-and-after snapshot of humanity: on one side, the reign of death that spread to all through Adam’s sin; on the other, the reign of life available only through Christ.

1 Timothy 2:1 — “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”

Oswald Chambers reminds us today that true prayer isn’t sentimental, casual, or merely therapeutic—it’s intercession. It’s not about feeling better or sounding spiritual. It’s about entering into the very thoughts of God for others, worshiping Him, and aligning our desires with His heart.

Today’s Abide Above devotional emphasizes something essential yet often missed: the battle against sin is not won at the moment of temptation—it’s already won before the day begins. The writer wants us to see that Christ’s disposition, His settled mindset of surrender and suffering, is to be ours as well. We’re not meant to be reactive strugglers, constantly caught off-guard and scrambling to reckon ourselves dead to sin once the temptation is already staring us in the face.

Today’s devotional draws our focus to what Paul understood so clearly: the Scriptures are not merely about history, morality, or tradition—they are about Christ. Everything in the Old Testament—the deliverance from Egypt, the rise and fall of kings, the law, the prophecies, the poetry—all of it pointed to a person. But many missed Him.

T. Austin-Sparks speaks straight to the restless heart—the one that’s striving, searching, and stretching toward a deeper spiritual life, only to find itself weary and fruitless. His message is not an invitation to do more, but to know Christ more. Sparks reminds us that our longing for spiritual fullness will never be satisfied by technique, discipline, or intensity. The Lord gently redirects our gaze: “I am the way.”

I recently read an article on The “Victorious Life”: Studies in Perfectionism, vol. 2 by BB Warfield from 1918 as originally published in The Princeton Theological Review, and I want to say how grateful I am for the historical and theological care Warfield brought to this important discussion. Warfield is exactly right that theology must be anchored in Scripture, and his attention to doctrinal clarity and historical awareness is commendable. In that spirit, I offer a friendly, grace-filled perspective from within the tradition of the exchanged life—one that, while perhaps overlapping with some of the concerns raised in his article, offers a Christ-centered framework that avoids the extremes he rightly cautioned against.

Ezra 10 closes the book with raw repentance and a national turning back to God—though not without immense cost. Ezra’s heart-wrenching prayer in public stirred deep grief among the people, exposing how the entanglement with unbelieving spouses had opened doors to idolatrous compromise. This wasn’t merely a cultural issue—it was a matter of covenant fidelity.