Dwell on the Heights
“You were made for the depths, not the shallows—dwell in the heights where Christ is your anchor and your joy.”
Today’s entry from A.B. Simpson calls me upward—to lift my eyes and my life to the heights of God’s calling. The verse from Isaiah paints a picture of dwelling not in valleys of spiritual compromise, but on mountain heights where God Himself provides food, water, and refuge. Simpson urges me not to settle for shallow living—he compares it to the futility of a mighty steamship trying to operate in a shallow pond. The ship was made for the deep, not the shore. Likewise, I’ve been redeemed and sanctified—made new in Christ—and that new life cannot operate well in the lowlands of sin, selfishness, and worldly limitation. The Christian life isn’t stifled by its demands; it’s stifled when we try to mix resurrection life with earthly thinking. I wasn’t made to wade through shallow puddles of self-effort. I was designed to soar with Christ, to dwell where His Spirit leads, where His provision flows, and where my soul expands into its true inheritance as a child of God.
Simpson ends with a poetic invitation: to walk as royalty, as light-bearers, as children of the Most High—rising with Christ, lifted by resurrection power, and living not by sight but by love. This isn’t fantasy. This is the promise for every believer who dares to dwell in the heights with their risen Lord.
Personalized Journal Entry – The Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture
You are not meant for the lowlands. You were raised with Christ, so set your heart on things above where I dwell in glory. I’ve seated you with Me in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, far above all earthly striving and all the noise of temporary things. You are My workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for purposes that only unfold as you walk by faith, not by the flesh.
You may feel small when you dwell in lesser places—those places where self still whispers and the world still tempts. But even there, I remind you that your citizenship is not of this world. You belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken. You are a co-heir with Christ, and I have crowned you with favor and clothed you in righteousness.
Let go of that cramped life you sometimes return to, like a mighty vessel beached on the shore. You were made to move freely in the depths of My grace. Your soul breathes easiest when it lives in the awareness of union with Me. Don't drift back to shorelines of performance and anxiety; those shallow waters were never meant to carry the weight of glory I’ve placed within you.
In My presence is fullness of joy, and at My right hand are pleasures forevermore. Walk as children of light, not weighed down by darkness or old patterns. You are already light in the Lord. So ascend, beloved—rise in faith, dwell in hope, abide in My love. I have given you everything for life and godliness. Your food is assured, your thirst already quenched. You lack nothing in Me.
Scripture references: Colossians 3:1–2, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 3:20, Romans 8:17, Psalm 5:12, Isaiah 61:10, Psalm 16:11, Ephesians 5:8, 2 Peter 1:3
My Prayer
Father, thank You for drawing me upward today—not by demanding I climb, but by reminding me I’ve already been raised with Christ. I no longer have to fight to live a grander life; I already possess it in Him. My heart rests in the deep places of grace, where Your Spirit moves freely and my soul finds its rhythm in Your love. I trust that You are my fortress, my nourishment, and my refreshment. I reject the smallness of shallow living and embrace the vast inheritance You’ve already given me in Christ. Thank You for inviting me to dwell on the heights. I gladly walk in that place today.
Devotional Credit: A.B. Simpson, “Days of Heaven upon Earth”
Photo Credit: Unsplash