A Promise that Encourages the Believer
“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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, NKJV)
This last week has been a trying week. We have had snow storms, extremely dangerous wind chills, cars that didn’t start, and then we had two unexpected deaths. One person had reached a good old age but seemed to be in good health. The other person was relatively young and we are waiting on the details as to what caused her untimely death. While thinking about these deaths this last week, the above two verses keep coming to my mind. The verses are a comfort for true believers who have been saved or born again. For those who are not saved, the Bible says that they have “no hope”, that is they have nothing good to anticipate. The apostle Paul says, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13, NKJV).” Falling asleep is the way the Bible describes death for a true believer. Everyone wants a good night’s sleep but we also look forward to waking up refreshed. That is the situation for a true believer. The unbeliever’s sorrow is different because their destiny is different.
Death
I notice that in our verse for today, death is mentioned first. I suppose that is because none of us look forward to the process of dying. When friends die, particularly when they die unexpectedly, many of us wonder if we will be next. We need to be reminded that the Lord loves us when we die. He proved that with His friend Lazarus in John 11. He wept at his grave.
Life
Life is mentioned next. Life isn’t always pleasant, and it can be a challenge. I suppose we all wonder what the future holds for us and our families. Believers are having their loved ones killed in wars in the middle east. They are suffering from cancer and other diseases in many cases. Some are having accidents. We all seem to wonder whether we will experience these problems in life. But if we do, the Lord says that He loves us.
The Unseen Forces
Apparently angels and principalities and powers are interested in our lives and take an active interest in making sure we are discouraged. I realize that there are angels that protect us; but, in this verse, that doesn’t seem to be the sense of their activity. But even when unseen powers are resisting us, we need to remember that the Lord says He loves us.
Circumstances
Then there are things present and things to come that could cause us distress. There are also heights and depths; and, if that isn’t enough, there are other things that God created that scare us. But we are reminded that we cannot be separated from the love of God which is seen in the Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Attacks Come
I am trying to commit this verse to memory so that when the attacks come (and they will), I can remind myself that while God may allow the attacks, He is not causing them. He loves the believer. He even loves me!
The unbeliever, not so much!
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the weeks of January 14 and 21, 2023
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