35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing Stops God’s Love
Do you ever have a good day? I mean a really good day? A day when everything is just perfect. Life seems good. It feels good. You’re happy, excited, full of energy. A day when everything just seems to fall your way. I’m sure all of us can say we’ve experienced days like that. Good days.
Do you thank God during those days? I do. I feel blessed, and I’ll tell him. Actually, I’ll often tell others how blessed I feel. On those good days, I can feel so connected to God. His love for me is evident and I feel it in ever fibre of my being. It’s awesome.
What about bad days? When nothing seems to go right. When I’m bombarded with issue after issue. Days when I just want to lock the door, close the curtains, and hide in the dark. The phone rings, and I’m afraid to answer it, because it’s likely someone else calling to complain. Ever have those days? Sure, most of us have them.
Do you thank God during those days as well? If I’m honest, it’s often difficult to connect with God during the really bad days. There’s a part of me that feels like I’m being punished for something. The guilt of my sin rises to the surface and I wonder if all the bad that is happening to me is God’s way of showing me that I’ve fallen into his bad books. In fact, sometimes, the feeling of God’s punishment can be overwhelming.
And yet, in today’s passage, Paul tells us that even in the midst of the worse kind of day, God loves us. In fact, no matter what we are experiencing – whether it’s a result of our own doing or something beyond our control – God’s absolute love for us is unrelenting. When he feels a million miles away, he’s actually right there with us in the midst of the trial.
A sign of spiritual maturity is being able to battle through the feeling of abandonment, and holding on by faith to the promise that is found in a passage like this one. Don’t allow yourself to lose sight of God’s love.
God is with you. Whatever you are facing today. Whether it’s a good day or a terrible day. God is with you. No matter what. And not only is he with you, he loves you. And nothing will ever change that. Nothing.
My prayer: Lord, forgive me when I doubt your love. When I wonder if you hate me because of what I’m facing. I know it’s not true. I know in my heart, deep down, that your love for me is unwavering. I read passages like this one and it excites me at the idea of knowing the intimacy of your love regardless of my circumstances. I make a choice today, Lord. I choose to walk by faith and not by sight. I choose to trust your promises rather than depend on my feelings. You promise that you will always be with me, and your love will never leave me. And so I believe you. Amen.
Until tomorrow.
