Bible Study with Danelle

How amazing is it to know that THE GOD, the Father of Adam, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob has your back? Everyday He is rooting for you. He loves you more than your human brain can possibly comprehend. It is hard to believe sometimes, right?

As we look around and the evil going on in the world and listen to the news where every story is about another shooting, car jacking, war, etc. etc. etc. it can be hard sometimes to remember that God is here in the mists of all this suffering.

There may be suffering, grief, hardship in your own life. It can be overwhelming. I know in my own times of suffering, it felt like the weight of the whole world was upon me. It seemed so big that nothing else could compare.

Listen to what Paul tells us in the first sentence of this section.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18

As I read this, I am thinking about all those times of suffering and how big that seemed to me and realizing how small that must be in comparison to the gifts and blessings we will see when we spend eternity with God. My tiny human brain can not even comprehend.

Paul’s main goal in this section of the letter is to show that even though we have all these sufferings they do not compare and cannot separate us from Christ.

Paul acknowledges that since the beginning of the fall of creation, we have all been longing to be back with God again in the new heaven and new earth. I don’t know about you, but I am so ready for Jesus to come back and I know I am not alone in that feeling. The hopefulness of what is to come, even though we can’t see it brings me joy. And Paul reminds us that we must be patient. (8:25)

Paul talks more about the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. The Spirit intercedes for us. The Spirit knows the inner longing of our hearts and shares that with God when we may not have the words.

There are so many verses in this section of the letter that fill me with joy and hope.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

I firmly believe that God has a very well thought out plan for our lives. When we listen, He guides and directs. Sometimes I think He has to shake us in some way when He is ready for us to move in a direction for His purpose. Sometimes that shake is painful. Sometimes we don’t always understand what is happening or why. Lately, I have had to remind myself of this. When things don’t make any sense, I have to take a step back and go “there is a reason. I don’t understand it right now, but God will reveal it in His timing.”

It can be easy in this world to be the victim when life sufferings happen. We can feel like God is not there and He has forgotten us. But the last verses of this section are a great reminder:

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present or things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

I pray today that you remember that NOTHING in creation can separate you from the love of God. I pray that you remember that even during your darkest days, God’s love surrounds you. Your faith in Him is all you need. He will take care of the rest.