DAY 2: Nothing can separate us from t he love of God

Reading: Romans 8:31-39
‘He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all’ v32

 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

 “For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither 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.

 Returning to our theme from yesterday, we reflect on the loving God
who did not withhold his own Son. Our starting point is to reflect
on our relationship with God. As children of God we are in a family
relationship with our loving, heavenly Father who did not spare
anything so that a saving relationship could be established. Therefore
as Paul says ‘will he not give us everything else?’ Our generous God
will open the heavens to bless us. It is not a case of giving because
we are compelled to; rather we give because we love God.
The context is our relationship with God and how He will bless us with
every spiritual blessing (see Ephesians 1). In the earlier part of the
chapter, Paul reminds us that we may find ourselves in exceptionally
testing situations, but even so, nothing can separate us from the love
of God in Christ Jesus. Indeed the deeper the testing, the closer we
could be drawn to God.

 For Further Reading: Isaiah 54:4-10 - God's unshakeable love, even when we face difficulties.
To ponder: What testing times have you experienced? How did you respond? When you emerged from that time how did it change your relationship with God?
To Pray: Loving God, nothing can separate me from your love. Help me to respond each day to the prompting of the Holy Spirit that in all things I may exercise a generous spirit to all. Amen.

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