Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword.”
Dear God,
I thank You for keeping me in Your love, which endures forever. I am also very mindful of the fact that I live in a place of religious freedom, which is not the case for many of the earth’s inhabitants: and I therefore count it as a real privilege to be able to freely read the scriptures; to be blessed thereby and drawn closer to You at every reading. I better comprehend today, how much You love each of us; the magnitude of what it means to me and everyone, that Jesus Your Son, died in my stead and then arose from death; arising to live in heaven again. It is impossible to separate me or anyone from Your love and purpose for each one, which is – salvation from sin, followed by eternal life; reconciled to You through Jesus Christ, Your Son, now known as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Paul is full of joy and hope in Romans 8, as seen in sentence after sentence on the theme of the love of God, and the salvation plan implemented; for example, in V32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
With these truths in mind, I do not have to worry what anyone on earth may say about me or accuse me of, V33 “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” And Christ has already answered our need as seen in V34 “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
Christ Jesus, the Son of God, gave His own life, so that I and every person can choose Him and have eternal life. O, what a very deep and soul answering, reaffirming thought to have seeping into the very depths of my being again today!
I give thanks, dear God, for the words of Paul that come down to us through the ages, for they reaffirm for me, that I am forever and absolutely loved by Christ Jesus, who will also be with me and give me strength to return His love faithfully. Therefore I end my meditation and prayer, with more of Paul’s words, as found in V35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword.” No, it always we who would leave Jesus, for when we are afflicted, the pitying Saviour in His great love, comes even closer to me and teaches me to depend on Him more, strengthening my faith, as Paul says in, V37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Nothing will separate me from, V39”…..the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The word ‘nothing’ is so important for me to thoroughly internalize, and I pray again today, that by the power of the Spirit, I will by faith accept Your love, Jesus, in its entirety and it will be the sweet influence of my life in all circumstances.
Amen