The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Saturday, 24 January 2015 “Nothing, bearable or unbearable, can separate us from God’s love”Daily Scripture: Romans 8:35 Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? 36 It is exactly as the Scriptures say, “For you we face death
all day long.
We are like sheep
on their way
to be butchered.”
37 In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Reflection Questions:
Moses, Jeremiah, Paul (and millions more of God’s people) found that even trials they could not handle on their own could not separate them from God’s steadfast love. Paul wrote, “We are experiencing all kinds of trouble, but we aren’t crushed. We are confused, but we aren’t depressed. We are harassed, but we aren’t abandoned. We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). He knew all about “trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword” (verse 35). Those are the parts of life we often cannot handle. God allows us to face them, but God never leaves us while we face them. They may go way beyond our strength—but they cannot separate us from God’s love. That is always with us.
• Review Paul’s list of life’s obstacles—“trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword.” Which of those most often leave you feeling overwhelmed, not sure you can handle them? When you face something you cannot handle, what difference can it make to your frame of mind to know that God’s steady, unfailing love continues to enfold you at those times? How can you keep building your confidence in that love, a love that never lets you go?
Prayer: All-powerful God, whatever comes my way, hold me close in the shelter of your love. Thank you that even when I’m overwhelmed, you can win a sweeping victory through me in “all these things.” Amen.
Family Activity:
As a family, discuss how you prepare for events. Do you save money for a vacation, study for a test or walk often to build stronger muscles? Typically when we prepare, we are able to handle the event or activity in a more healthy and helpful way. Since life will bring about times of struggle and challenge, we can prepare now by growing stronger in our faith. Talk about how you might do this together (consider learning Scripture, being in prayer, serving others, being in worship and sharing in Christian community). Then choose one or two ways to build your “family faith muscles” over this next year. Ask God to give you strength. Remember, God is always with you!
Prayer Requests:
Prayers for Health and Healing: Debbie Berg, Cynda Summers, Helen Fahler, Payton Thielmann, Greg Wilson, Doug Curts, Rob McGregor, Barb Starr, Stephanie Ward
Praise for the Birth of: Scarlett Ann Paradise, 12/5
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Melody Aldrich, Arika Ledom, and Ashley Elston and families following the death of Melody’s father, Arika and Ashley’s grandfather, Leslie Millick, 12/19
• Trish Frederiksen and family following the death of her mother, Marilyn Sandholm, 1/10
• Tom Gorman and family following the death of his brother, Rev. Bill Gorman, 1/7
• Mike Gunter and family following the death of his father, Robert “Bob” Gunter, 1/9
• Michael Hutchison, Kim Hoffman and family following the death of his mother, Nada Hutchison, 1/4
• Shirley Ricketts, Kathy Kephart and families following the death of their father, Robert Priddy, 1/6
• Kay Thompson and family following the death of her father, Howard Leland Thompson, 1/4
Insight from Megan O’Neill
Megan O’Neill is the Learn Events Coordinating Assistant at Resurrection.
I am convinced it is no accident that Romans 8:35-40 has bubbled up all around me very recently. I have found it in this week’s: sermon, Women’s Bible study, Jesus Calling entry, and in today’s GPS. I think God is trying to say something, don’t you?
Lately, my heart has been broken with news of the floods in Malawi. You see, this past June I traveled to “The Warm Heart of Africa” with my eight teammates for a mission trip with Resurrection. We had the honor of witnessing the hard work the Malawians put into building their lives; their homes, families, villages, businesses, and farms. Compared to America, the minimal resources they have are incredibly scarce, yet they figure out a way and make it work.
The places we visited in Malawi receive financial and relational support from Resurrection, but many areas of Malawi do not have this kind of support. My heart especially breaks not only with the worry of disease outbreak, but also for those that have worked so hard on their own to create a life, which has now been washed away.
Do I think God sent the floods to punish the Malawians? No.
Do I think Malawi will bounce back from this devastation? Yes. Certainly with time.
Why? Because there’s one thing they have plenty of: faith. They have community. They have determination to do the best they can to live a life for God. You want to know the best part? They will continue to have the love of Jesus Christ who will never, ever, ever leave them and who will always fight for them.
Let me break down this concept for you:
Does it mean God no longer loves us if these things surround us? – trouble | disaster | persecution | hunger | destitute | danger | helplessness
Answer: No way! Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, wholoves us. (Romans 8:35, 37 – paraphrase and emphasis mine)
Does it mean that God no longer loves a woman who had a miscarriage? Or the husband who breaks the covenant of his marriage? Or the mom who cannot catch up on the endless demands of daily tasks? Or the family who suddenly lost their brother in a car accident?
Answer: No way! Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, wholoves us.
I leave you with a couple of lyrics from a song that has spoken a lot of truth to me lately – “More Than Conquerors” by Rend Collective:
We will not bow down to sin or to shame, we are defiant in Your Name! Nothing is impossible, every chain is breakable. With You, we are victorious!
____________________________
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