"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."
Romans 8:38-39
I really like this. A couple of verses earlier, Paul mentions other things: persecution, tribulation, distress, famine, peril, etc. He continues his list here, I think trying to make the point that nothing at all external can do it. No government or weapon or force or fear. The only thing that can separate us from God is internal. We can choose to do that. ... And even then, in God's infinite mercy, if we want to change our minds (and hearts) and not be separated, he is still there, reaching out to us. We made that separation choice... he didn't, and he won't.
I think sometimes we forget this truth, and we think that we can't talk to God because of one thing or another. Because of sin, or the past, or the situation, or because someone else won't like it or approve of it... or maybe we're lost, alone, away from everything we know, and we feel like we can't get through... prayers bouncing off the ceilings. But God is there in every moment of our lives. In the hallway and the car and out in the yard. In the crowd and in whatever country or house or situation. Sometimes people say that the spirit goes to bed at midnight or that we lose the spirit by going into a place we shouldn't be. And people say things like that to warn us and protect us... and indeed, it is very much harder to communicate with God in some situations. But really, the spirit doesn't have a bedtime, and God is accessible *everywhere.* He never abandons us or leaves us alone, and he will *always* be there if we reach out to him.
I know that sometimes it doesn't feel like he is there... that we're talking, but not making a connection. In those cases, I think what is going on is not some voicemail message from God saying he is out, but again, an internal block. It's happened to me before when I wasn't willing to actually listen to or do what God asked, and getting through that block required some work on my part... sitting down and really thinking through what I was saying and realizing that I wasn't asking, I was telling. And even in that, God helped me figure it out... I think I was just blocking myself from feeling close to him. I know that it has happened to me other times, and that it happens to all of us occasionally. But instead of giving up in those situations, if we take a step back and reexamine our motivations, focus, and take the time to listen without distractions, we can find the connection again, even through our considerable mental static. :) God's love is what our lives are missing when we feel empty. God's love is what heals the wounded soul. God's love is incomparable. Let's tune in to that today. Let's remove darkness and distraction from our lives and get the clearest signal possible.
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."
Romans 8:38-39
I really like this. A couple of verses earlier, Paul mentions other things: persecution, tribulation, distress, famine, peril, etc. He continues his list here, I think trying to make the point that nothing at all external can do it. No government or weapon or force or fear. The only thing that can separate us from God is internal. We can choose to do that. ... And even then, in God's infinite mercy, if we want to change our minds (and hearts) and not be separated, he is still there, reaching out to us. We made that separation choice... he didn't, and he won't.
I think sometimes we forget this truth, and we think that we can't talk to God because of one thing or another. Because of sin, or the past, or the situation, or because someone else won't like it or approve of it... or maybe we're lost, alone, away from everything we know, and we feel like we can't get through... prayers bouncing off the ceilings. But God is there in every moment of our lives. In the hallway and the car and out in the yard. In the crowd and in whatever country or house or situation. Sometimes people say that the spirit goes to bed at midnight or that we lose the spirit by going into a place we shouldn't be. And people say things like that to warn us and protect us... and indeed, it is very much harder to communicate with God in some situations. But really, the spirit doesn't have a bedtime, and God is accessible *everywhere.* He never abandons us or leaves us alone, and he will *always* be there if we reach out to him.
I know that sometimes it doesn't feel like he is there... that we're talking, but not making a connection. In those cases, I think what is going on is not some voicemail message from God saying he is out, but again, an internal block. It's happened to me before when I wasn't willing to actually listen to or do what God asked, and getting through that block required some work on my part... sitting down and really thinking through what I was saying and realizing that I wasn't asking, I was telling. And even in that, God helped me figure it out... I think I was just blocking myself from feeling close to him. I know that it has happened to me other times, and that it happens to all of us occasionally. But instead of giving up in those situations, if we take a step back and reexamine our motivations, focus, and take the time to listen without distractions, we can find the connection again, even through our considerable mental static. :) God's love is what our lives are missing when we feel empty. God's love is what heals the wounded soul. God's love is incomparable. Let's tune in to that today. Let's remove darkness and distraction from our lives and get the clearest signal possible.
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