Today I am reposting a Devotion I shared earlier this weekend because I felt it was more appropriate a few days ago. But it is such a good group of verses that I wanted us to look at them again.
June 9
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
These words here by Paul are the greatest truth that we must all hold onto as we navigate our earthly lives. There are many struggles we will face in our lives, some small, some so great and unexpected that it seems like a tidal wave we will never be able to swim out of. But every wave breaks. Every wave breaks to a gentle roll across the sand. We just have to stand strong in the wake of these powerful waves. And what gives us strength is the truth of the greatness of God’s love. God loves us and cherishes us so much that nothing in existence, nothing, can ever separate us from God’s love. God created us. God loved us so much He sent Jesus to suffer and die for our freedom.
This sounds good to hear, but at times of unexpected loss, how much weight do words like these really hold? Well, they hold the weight of the world, because without holding onto the truth, there is no hope. And that is why the Bible is so important. Why verses like the ones above have such great meaning. Jesus loves the broken, lonely, hurt, sick. He stands with them through their battles. He comforts them in their storms. When the world tries its best to separate us from God, Jesus is there to give us our strength. And in those moments when darkness may briefly overcome the light, Jesus is there, ready to usher the lost back into the light and eternal glory. We are never alone, there is a heavenly host always watching out for us, and there is Jesus, who was and is and will always be.
Reading plan: Romans 9
Deeper reading plan: Psalms 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89
Prayer and meditation: Pray for our country. Pray for love to conquer all. Pray that Christ infects our hearts and ignites a final fire of revival to sweep this land.
Fitness challenge: Sprint work. The dreaded 400 meter. If you can access a track, it’s the perfect place to work on this sprint ladder. The 400 is the longest “sprint.” The goal is to try to run the entire lap as fast as you can. But it’s so long, you will have to pace yourself. Break it up into four 100 meters, building up speed so your last 100 is the fastest. Here’s the workout:
½ mile warm-up
200, 300, 400, 400, 400, 300, 200
½ mile cool-down
Common Sense Reborn 