Today's Meditation - Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Today's Meditation

Read Romans 8:31-39

³¹What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³²He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? ³³Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. ³⁵Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor 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.

     Another of my top 5 Scripture passages is listed today as the daily lectionary reading.  I find this passage singularly unique in the way the author of Romans describes God's love for us.  It is a love like no other.  God is our cheerleader - God wants the very best for us in every matter and in every way.  And when we mess up, God is also there to be our judge.  But, since this God is a merciful and just God, the charge against us will be brought with all the condemnation and empowerment that come from a God who loves us beyond all things.  That doesn't mean that "we can get away with everything".  That's not love.  Punishment can and does include learning some rather harsh realities.  God's love comes with a balanced measure of justice.

    And when we think that this "tough love" perhaps comes too harshly, the author of Romans lays down the ultimate lesson.  No matter what, NOTHING - "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation" can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus. 

     That's pretty amazing, if you ask me.

Broken Vessels