Nothing Can Separate
Romans 8:38-40 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Those words, "Nothing can separate," came to mind this morning. I was making the bed, but preoccupied by a hurt when I thought about them--these words that are a great comfort when it comes to our relationship with God.
"We are fearfully and wonderfully made," says Psalm 139, but sometimes I wonder at the capacity for complexity that God built into us when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Sometimes I would like to be a more simple soul, but then a voice warns me, "Be careful what you wish for," and I stop with a smile--that time may come soon enough. For now I'd better rejoice in the gift of knowing and being known--and I do.
"Nothing can separate;" I heard God's voice, loud and clear saying, "These words don't just apply to me, but to my children." Well, I think it was God; it sounded like him. I'd never thought of the words being applied to human relationships before and if he is our pattern, if we are being conformed to his image, shouldn't they?
Walls of self protection arise in me when someone hurts me; and ever so slight distance, that I allow to swirl up around me like a gauzy veil.
Yet I'm reminded by the words from Romans 8 that God values community to the highest possible degree and so then, must we. I must allow nothing to separate my brother or sister from my love. Nursing a hurt is nursing an enemy dart that I have allowed to lodge in my heart. I need to either deal with it or evict it from its lodging place. I have only these choices and no ruminating, no walls of protection or gauzy veils of distance allowed.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Those words, "Nothing can separate," came to mind this morning. I was making the bed, but preoccupied by a hurt when I thought about them--these words that are a great comfort when it comes to our relationship with God.
"We are fearfully and wonderfully made," says Psalm 139, but sometimes I wonder at the capacity for complexity that God built into us when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Sometimes I would like to be a more simple soul, but then a voice warns me, "Be careful what you wish for," and I stop with a smile--that time may come soon enough. For now I'd better rejoice in the gift of knowing and being known--and I do.
"Nothing can separate;" I heard God's voice, loud and clear saying, "These words don't just apply to me, but to my children." Well, I think it was God; it sounded like him. I'd never thought of the words being applied to human relationships before and if he is our pattern, if we are being conformed to his image, shouldn't they?
Walls of self protection arise in me when someone hurts me; and ever so slight distance, that I allow to swirl up around me like a gauzy veil.
Yet I'm reminded by the words from Romans 8 that God values community to the highest possible degree and so then, must we. I must allow nothing to separate my brother or sister from my love. Nursing a hurt is nursing an enemy dart that I have allowed to lodge in my heart. I need to either deal with it or evict it from its lodging place. I have only these choices and no ruminating, no walls of protection or gauzy veils of distance allowed.
Comments
The first time he talked to me I don't remember it happening, but my mum tells me I came inside when I was about 3 or 4 and said I'd been talking to Jesus. I know that really you asked about him talking to me, but I have a feeling that it was a two way conversation.
Thank you for asking the questions whether you were really serious or not. It's nice to know that someone out there cared to read and comment. God bless you.
I hear God's voice in different ways:
Sometimes when I'm reading the Bible, what I'm reading--and have read many times before--may come alive with an intensity of meaning that I haven't noticed quite that way before--and that's God speaking to me.
I may have a very strong inner prompt to do something or say something to someone--I always follow it, even if it makes no sense to me or takes me out of my comfort zone--and that's God speaking to me. That doesn't happen very often, but every time it has, it has touched the life of the person involved in a pretty dramatic way. I was just the messenger.
Sometimes I've had an inner conflict or a perplexing problem. I've prayed about it and as I prayed, God has revealed some insight or solution that I didn't see before. And that's God speaking to me.
He's also spoken to me in a dream. It was a dream that was so strange that I knew it had to have a meaning. The next day I prayed that he would reveal the meaning to me and he did. He used the dream to show me something I had not realized. That was God speaking to me.
If you haven't heard him speaking to you before but you want to learn to hear his voice, one thing I've learned is that he will confirm what he says to you in more than one way. You might find he says the same thing to you in different ways over a couple of days. You may read a verse that jumps out, then go to church and hear the pastor preach on the same theme, then a Christian friend may tell you something that confirms that God is really trying to get something across to you.
When you have a friend you spend a lot of time with, you learn to know their voice and that's how it is with God. You get to know him through his Word, the Bible, and spending time in his Presence. Then when you think you hear his voice, it will sound "like him." Even then I've found it's a good thing to bounce what I think I've heard off my husband, or a Christian friend, especially if it's a radical thought. It's possible to get it wrong and there is safety in checking with trustworthy people.
God bless you. I'm praying that he speaks to you. In fact, I think he is.
Keep asking, seeking and knocking. You'll find the answers! :)