Progress Through Process: The Journey of Transformation
"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." (Psalm 42:1, NKJV)
Spiritual growth is rarely a straight line. The believer in the midst of being "processed" by God is also progressing—though it may not feel like it. This truth, drawn from Miles Stanford’s devotional insights in Abide Above, reminds us that our Father’s work in us is purposeful and transformative, even in the midst of difficulty.
1. The Longing That Drives Us
C. A. Coates declares, "If spiritual thirst is the language of your heart, there is great blessing in store for you."
As believers, we often find ourselves yearning for a deeper experience of God. This longing—the “panting” described in Psalm 42—is not merely a desire to escape life’s challenges but a thirst for the One who is our source of life.
Stanford reminds us, quoting J.B. Stoney, that God allows us to experience desolation to draw us to Himself. These moments expose how little we rely on Him and reveal our need for the fullness of Christ. When all else is stripped away, we discover that He is not only the source of relief but the complete resource for joy, peace, and strength.
2. The Necessity of the Process
C. A. Coates states,“We must travel through these processings, for the simple reason that if the Lord Jesus is to be everything, the [flesh] must be nothing.”
In our spiritual journey, the Lord often leads us through seasons of refinement. While the old man—our sinful nature—has been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), we still contend with the flesh: the residual patterns of living and thinking that were formed before we were made new in Him.
These fleshly patterns may manifest as self-reliance, pride, or even religious performance, and they must be exposed and surrendered. As Coates insightfully observes, this process can feel long and painful, marked by discouragement and disquiet. Yet the Father’s goal is clear: to replace our self-centered focus with Christ-centered dependence.
Unlike the old man, which has been dealt with through crucifixion, the flesh cannot be improved, refined, or rehabilitated. As G. Molloy puts it, "The [flesh] may appear cultured, refined, or religious, but it is unchanged and unimprovable." The remedy for the flesh is not better behavior but deeper surrender to Christ, who is our life.
3. From Flesh-Occupation to Christ-Occupation
J. B. Stoney writes, “He remaineth; and He leads us into experiences of desolation here… in order that we may turn to Him and find not only relief, but full resources in Himself.”
Romans 7:24 captures the cry of every believer who has come to the end of their own strength: "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" This cry reflects the struggle of dealing with the flesh—its inability to produce anything truly spiritual.
The answer to this cry is found in Romans 8:2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Through the indwelling Spirit, Christ is not just a deliverer but our very life. Transformation comes as we shift our focus from the flesh to Him, resting in His sufficiency and trusting His work within us.
4. The Joy of Progress
Progress often feels slow because God is not merely interested in changing our outward behavior; He is transforming the very core of our being. Stanford’s devotional reminds us that this journey, though difficult, leads to “inconceivable blessing.” When Christ becomes our full resource for living, we experience a joy and freedom that the flesh could never provide.
As the process continues, our spiritual thirst is satisfied not by what God gives but by who He is. This is the heart of abiding: learning to draw from His life within us, trusting Him to complete the work He has begun.
Reflection
Where are you in this process? Are you in a season of desolation, continually wrestling with the flesh? Or are you beginning to see Christ as your full resource and joy?
Take heart. The Father is faithful to complete His work in you. Even in the midst of difficulty, you are progressing, step by step, as He transforms you into the likeness of His Son.
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6, NKJV)
Closing Thoughts
Stanford’s Abide Above devotional reminds us that progress in the Christian life comes through process—a process that exposes the flesh’s insufficiency and draws us deeper into Christ’s life. As we reflect on these truths, let us press into the One who transforms us, trusting Him to lead us into “inconceivable blessing” as we abide in Him.