Daily Devotional: What Flows Through Me

David A. Case
Jan 2
3 min read

By David A. Case

Life Sayings:

What flows through me, sticks to me.
When I change, my situation changes.

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:37–38, NKJV)

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly,But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24, NKJV)

God designed me for spiritual flow. Blood flow keeps the body alive by transporting oxygen and nutrients. In a similar way, my spirit was designed to connect with the presence of God and the Word of God. Those are my spiritual oxygen and my spiritual food. Spiritual life depends on spiritual flow.

This design cuts both ways. Blood does not stop flowing when it becomes infected. The same system meant to bring life can carry sickness throughout the body. The spirit works the same way. Whatever I connect with spiritually spills over into my thoughts, my emotions, and my actions. Proverbs speaks of the spirit of man as “the lamp of the Lord,” searching the inner depths (Proverbs 20:27, NKJV). What is being carried in my spirit reveals far more than the image I try to present.

Luke 6:37–38 lays down a spiritual principle that is both sobering and hopeful. Judgment flows outward. Forgiveness flows outward. Generosity flows outward. Those flows do not merely affect other people. They shape me as they pass through me. Harshness hardens the heart that carries it. Mercy softens the heart that releases it. The words I speak touch me first. My spirit becomes familiar with whatever I practice.

Scripture also shows a second layer: what I release tends to return. Jesus describes a “good measure” that comes back pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Condemnation has a harvest. Forgiveness has a harvest. Kindness has a harvest. A man who wants friends must be friendly (Proverbs 18:24, NKJV). Friendly is not a strategy. Friendly is a heart flow. The heart is always telling the truth, even when the lips try to curate an image.

This is where many people get stuck. Life brings unfair moments to everyone. Offenses do come. Rain falls on the just and the unjust. Some outcomes in life are shared with our families, our workplaces, our communities, and our key relationships. Even so, the most consistent outcomes of my life are tied to what is consistently flowing through my heart.

A victim mindset feels powerless, so it tends to produce flows like hopelessness and self-pity. Those flows create predictable outcomes. God offers a different path. Philippians 4:13 does not call me to denial. It calls me to connection: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV). When Christ strengthens me, my heart flows change. When my heart flows change, my outcomes begin to change over time.

Heart change is practical. The question is not only what happened to me. The deeper question is what I am letting run through my inner life each day. God is ready to flow His life through me. Humility makes room for that flow.

Reflection Question

What has been flowing through my heart lately, and what kind of harvest have I been seeing from it?

Prayer

Father, You designed me for Your life to flow through me. Shine Your light on what has been moving through my heart, especially the places where judgment, bitterness, fear, or self-pity have taken up space. Teach me to release forgiveness where I have been holding condemnation. Teach me to give what I want to receive. Strengthen me through Christ so that what flows through me becomes life-giving, not toxic. Amen.

Today’s Step of Obedience

Take five minutes to name the strongest heart flow you have been carrying lately (judgment, gratitude, bitterness, peace, fear, mercy, or something else). Write one sentence describing the harvest it tends to produce in your relationships. Ask God to replace it with one Christlike flow, then act on it today by speaking one specific word of blessing or forgiveness to someone God brings to mind.

Get the Heart Change Handbook

If this principle resonates with you, I encourage you to explore it more fully through The Heart Change Handbook. It offers a practical, biblical pathway for understanding heart flows and experiencing real spiritual growth. This resource is well suited for personal study and for use in church small groups or faith-based recovery communities. Consider getting a copy for yourself and sharing it with others who are seeking lasting heart change.