Scripture of the Week
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8: 35-39 (King James Version)
"God loves you..."
I doubt there is a Biblical concept mentioned more often in the church today than this one - whether it is sung during worship, preached directly from the pulpit or proclaimed in conversation with other believers.
But if we were to be honest, most of us could admit that life can often make us feel disconnected from the love of our Heavenly Father.
At some point, all of us will have struggles with things like sickness, pain, death, depression or fear. We may face financial struggles, unemployment, loss of a loved one or marriage struggles. During those times, it's easy to wonder: "Does God really love me?" or "Does he really care about my problems?"
The Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Romans amidst a horrible time of persecution for the early church. Many of the first Christians - including Paul himself - were martyred, tortured and thrown in prison for trying to spread the Gospel.
Despite this, Paul remained confident of God's love for him. How could he do this?
For starters, he always kept his eyes on the cross and looked at the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't have to leave his heavenly throne to die a horrible death for a world of sinners. He did it because He loved us too much to allow us to perish in hell.
Second, Paul always kept his eye on the final prize. No matter the temporary pain and sacrifice he endured in his life, he realized that one day it would all be worth it. One day, he would be able to stand in heaven before his Lord and Savior, knowing he remained faithful and would receive his eternal reward.
We always need to remember that our suffering is the result of living in a sinful world - not because God is punishing us or ignoring our prayers. Sometimes, He steps into our situation and saves us from the suffering. Sometimes He doesn't.
In the end, we should realize that God's perfect love was demonstrated by sending Jesus to die for our sins, providing hope for us beyond this fallen world. For those who are saved by His grace, nothing will be able to separate us from experiencing this incredible love. Not another human being. Not a devil, demon or spiritual force. Not even death itself.
Daily Reading
Sunday, May 1: 1 Chronicles, Chapters 3-5
Monday, May 2: 1 Chronicles, Chapter 6
Tuesday, May 3: 1 Chronicles, Chapters 7-8
Wednesday, May 4: 1 Chronicles, Chapters 9-11
Thursday, May 5: 1 Chronicles, Chapters 12-14
Friday, May 6: 1 Chronicles, Chapters 15-17
Saturday, May 7: 1 Chronicles, Chapters 18-21
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