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I hope everyone is having a nice morning so far. Does anybody have some fun plans for this weekend? We have grandparents coming into town to get some lovin' from the girls. Just wanted to let y'all know that this post is a new type of post for me, and I am excited to share it. I am participating in a Group Writing Project hosted by Faithful Bloggers and the topic is called Romans Road. Once everyone submits their post, the host is going to compile them all into an online book that we can share with all of you. We were able to pick from a variety of versus in Romans and I chose Romans 8:38-39. Enjoy!
In this life, we will all face different forces to be reckoned with. Those forces take shape in a variety of forms such as daily trials, disease, and death. When we are in these circumstances we ask why God is allowing these things to happen to us. We can't wrap our heads around why bad things happen to good people. Often, instead of drawing closer to God we drift farther away because we are angry, sad, and confused about our present suffering. In Romans 8:38-39 the apostle Paul states, "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." Paul is telling us that suffering does not separate believers from Christ but it actually is meant for us to draw closer to His love.
Recently, I experienced first hand the power of God's love. My husband and I were expecting identical twin girls and were absolutely thrilled. As we happily attended baby showers, bought new clothes, and decorated the nursery we were filled each day with bliss. Every doctor appointment showed that the girls were growing and were developing on schedule. Around 27 weeks, I woke up with a sharp pain in my stomach. As the morning continued, the pain became more persistent so my husband rushed me to the hospital. Within minutes we discovered that I was fully dilated and I would have to undergo an emergency C-section. Throughout the surgery I was so scared and fearful for my babies. The girls were born weighing two pounds and were rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Later that day, we learned that both girls had to rely on a ventilator for their breathing and they were in a very critical state. Our physician told us that we faced a long road ahead of us that would be filled with many ups and downs. As time continued, the girls battled several infections that made me fear for their lives. Watching my little girls fight death, I felt hopeless and became very fearful for their lives. Over the course of our 81 days in the NICU, Satan used my fear of them dying to manipulate my mind.
In Romans 8:38, one of the first items that Paul states is that death shall not be able to separate us from the love of God. Instead of distancing ourselves from God's love when we are suffering, we should desperately cling to Him. When He is holding us in His arms, the power of the Holy Spirit gives us strength to fight death or any other trial that we are presently facing. This verse states that 'nor height, nor depth' shall separate us from the love of God. This shows that it is impossible for us to get beyond God's loving reach. His arms will always hold us tightly if we choose Him instead of asking why we are suffering. Bad things happen to good people so those believers in Christ can use their experience to glorify the name of God. When we turn to Christ in our darkest hours, the veil is removed from our eyes and we witness his uncontainable love for us. Psalm 18:22 beautifully says, "But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone."
Friends, seek refuge in Christ during your times of suffering. His love for us is greater than anything else in this world because He gave us the ultimate sacrifice of Christ Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. God is love and we were created by Him to love Him. When we give ourselves to Christ, we know that His love will get us through anything that we face in this life.
Prayer: God, please take away my fear of death. Please hold me in your arms so I can feel your love. I pray for the Holy Spirit to come inside of me and give me strength to fight this battle. Thank you for sacrificing your son for my sins. Thank you for being my help and my shield. I am putting my hope in you alone. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Till next time, let your light shine!
Blessings, christen
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