January 30, 2016

God Stands True

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- Romans 8:31-39

Every day I pray for guidance from God. One day recently I received this Scripture from two different devotionals. Yes, indeed, that was a sign.

It was what I needed even though I hadn’t asked the question. I know the answer. God loves me. I am grateful. I will never understand why. I certainly don’t deserve His love but He loves me anyway. God has stood by me. He has never given up on me -- even when I felt like giving up on Him. I am just so thankful!

Last year was hard. My foundation was shaken; the attacks unrelenting. Life will never be the same. When your greatest enemies are those closest to you, well, it’s hard to believe in or trust anyone ever again. Except God. He was there. He sent His angels to help me. He protected me. He comforted me.

There are those who wanted to make me doubt. Others who informed me that “God would not approve” of my actions. Funny how that came from someone who didn’t have a clue what was really going on and who is not a Christian. People tend to “know” God when it suits them and ignore Him when they’re living their daily lives.

My faith was strong. I cried out to God. I was so weak, so broken. God strengthened me. He sent people to hold me and Bible verses to soothe me. And one day I woke up and realized the storm had passed and somehow I had made it through.

I’ve got no illusions left at this point. There likely will be other storms down the stretch. Judgment is easy when you wear a different pair of shoes. But I have a solid rock to stand on, a faith that will hold me up. Nothing and no one can ever snatch me form His hand and that is the one thing I can hold on to during the storms of life.