...and nothing shall separate us...

Romans 8: 35 (KJV throughout) "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" Chapter 8:37-39, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In reading this morning, I came to Romans 8:38-39 and was once again overwhelmed with the vastness and the power of the love of God. As I sat meditating on these two verses and the magnitude of the love God for each one of us, I wondered how anyone could possible want to live for self instead of for such a generous and present God. I know that it is difficult to believe in this kind of love when you have only ever known conditional love. When we experience the pain and confusion of problems and trials that only seem to become bigger and more intense we can know He is there (Deuteronomy 31:8). It is not for a lack of love that God allows these things into our lives. Sometimes we create them ourselves by living for our own selfish desires, and goals. He still will work through them to show us the person He wants us to be in Him, if we seek Him and follow His ways. Psalms 32:8 tells us “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye." According to Strong's Concordance, the Hebrew transcript says “I will counsel thee and mine eye shall be upon thee.”

As I read the former part of this chapter, I see the doctrine of the necessity of personal holiness clearly and strongly laid out. I have found that the presence of the problems and trials that seem to cut me to the core are the very things that bring me to the refining power of God. Why? It can only be because of His undeserved love for me. He steps in and through His holy Spirit teaches me who I was created to be. As I learn to live for Him and worship Him in the manner He desires for me to, I begin the refining process and take one step closer to who I was created to be and to attaining the personal holiness so important to God -"...Be ye holy for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16).

Being held to the flame I find is a difficult, painful process. But I am not alone in it. I am held, guided, watched over carefully, and strengthened with His presence and His power. He gives me His inspired words throughout the Bible to teach me, uphold me and to reassure my human and needy heart that He is there, He will never leave me nor forsake me, and nothing can separate me from His love unless I allow myself to be separated. And that, my friend, brings the most unbelievable joy and peace anyone could bask in.