Month: May 2024

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 

As I am reading today’s scripture, I realize that *I* am the one who separates myself from the love of Christ at times. *I* am the one who allows trouble or hardship or persecution etc etc to separate me, to make me feel alone and isolated. God hasn’t moved. I’m the issue here.

Romans 8:36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

The good news is that if I’m the problem, I can absolutely be the solution. But I’ve got to change my default. My default in times of difficulty is to feel beleaguered and isolated. Poor me. Why me? But NOTHING can separate me from Christ’s love–except *me,* and I have a choice.

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

Precious Savior, I want to choose You always. Forgive me for the times when I separate myself from You, when I isolate myself and lick my wounds instead of coming to the foot of Your throne and finding rest. Help me to change my default of isolation and to come to You always. Help me to live as more than a conqueror through You alone. Amen.

Romans 8:38-39 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.

Have a blessed day.

Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

My daily devo this morning contained this gem: “Remember, I am a God of abundance.” That is so easy for me to forget this time of year. I’m in survival mode. The kids are in summer mode. The school days keep coming, and we’re all just hanging on, trying to make it to exams.

Romans 8:32 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? 

That mindset doesn’t feel very abundant, but today’s verse reminds me that it’s *my* mindset that has stifled God’s abundance. When I take the time to purposefully shift my perspective to focus on the good things, they *are* abundant. Counting those blessings can keep me busy for a very long time, but if I don’t take the time to manually shift my perspective, the soul-draining things are so large they are hard to see around.

Romans 8:33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 

Precious Savior, Thank You that You are a God of abundance, that even in our trials, You shower us with blessings. Help us to take the time, to expend the energy, to look for and see Your blessings always, even when we are exhausted and just trying to survive. Especially then. Amen.

Romans 8:34 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.

Have a blessed day.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

I have come to paraphrase this verse as “God can use all things for our good and His glory.” And I often whisper it to myself when things are going awry. “God can use this. He can use all things. And He can use this for my good and His glory.” It’s often a much needed reminder.

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 

It also reminds me of Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good….” God can use all things, all of them–even things that others meant for harm, for our good and His glory. I sincerely believe that. It gives me great hope, especially when life feels like it’s going sideways and there’s no way to stop it.

Romans 8:30a And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the hope that can only come from You. Thank You that You can and will and do use all things for our good and Your glory. Thank You that You can take what others intend for harm and use it for Your glory as well. Amen.

Romans 8:30b …those he justified, he also glorified.

Have a blessed day.

Romans 8:26a In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. 

Prayer is something that I often struggle with, even now. My prayers, like most of me, are very informal. I’m not a “kneel by the bed” type of gal (though I see nothing wrong if that’s your favorite prayer position). I often pray short “breath prayers” like “Jesus, please,” especially when my heart is hurting or I just don’t know what to pray.

Romans 8:26b We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 

 But verse 26 reminds me that “the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans,” which makes me feel much better about my breath prayers. The Spirit uses wordless groans, yet God knows our hearts. He knows what we need, even when we don’t know ourselves, even when we can’t articulate the words.

Romans 8:27a And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit… 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the power of prayer, for the ability to pray. Thank You that prayer is conversation with You, conversation that we can have any time, any where, in any way. Thank You that You know our hearts when our words fail. Amen.

Romans 8:27b …because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Have a blessed day.

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 

Life can sometimes be excruciating. Physical pain, mental pain, emotional pain–sometimes we feel them all at the same time. But this world is temporary. The pain and loss of this world will not be able to touch us when we reach our eternal glory.

Romans 8:19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.  

However, this world is currently all we know, so sometimes it’s hard to comprehend that those griefs that gut us so completely in this realm will not hold that same power once we reach our eternal glory. I can’t wrap my head around it, but I know in my bones that that is not how God’s eternal glory works.

Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope

Precious Savior, Life is hard. Grief is hard. Thank You for the hope “that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Thank You that this world is not our home, that these griefs and disappointments are not eternal. Help me to live hopefully, rooted in You. Amen.

Romans 8:21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

Have a blessed day.

Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 

As I was reading today’s verses, I thought, “I wish my default was trust in God. That would make life so much easier.” And while I do sincerely believe that, my immediate thought was, “The fact that I cannot let go of my fear and simply trust Him is what keeps coming back to Him, trying again and again and again. If it were easy to let go and trust, would I eventually lose God in the mix?”

Romans 8:15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 

The short answer is that I don’t know, but that’s a real danger. The longer answer is that because I cannot let go of fear, because trust is not a default but something I have to work on and fail at and work on some more, it will NOT become an unconscious default. I am keenly aware of my deep need for my Savior. There is joy in that deep need and that awareness. I cannot do life on my own and don’t want to.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 

Precious Savior, You recreated my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for who I am, even the bits that frustrate me. Thank You for my deep need for You. Draw me closer. Always. Amen.

Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Have a blessed day.