DEVOTION – DAY 284

Romans 8:38-39 “Nothing Can Separate Us”

 

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.”

 

Paul in writing these verses spoke from personal experience. He had faced multiple obstacles in his missionary journeys to many different places. In spite of oppositions, persecutions and difficulties, he persevered and he found success in sharing the gospel to many people. He was able to plant churches in nearly all the places he visited. Thus, he was convinced that no one was impossible for God to reach out to redeem from their sins. God’s love for the lost knows no limits.

 

This is encouraging because there are people in our lives that we think are unreachable. They could be Muslims who are opposed to Christians. They could be rich and influential people who are so busy with their businesses and making more money. They think they have no time for spiritual matters. There are also people who reject the idea that God exists at all. They call themselves free thinkers. Or, they could be just someone in our family who is deep into idol worship. We can share Paul’s conviction that nothing and no one can be prevented from hearing the gospel message – the good news of Jesus Christ. When they hear it, they will find God’s love for them.

 

We know someone whose mother was a temple medium. She was angry with her son when he converted to Christianity. She even “disowned” her son for some years when he became a Christian. But when her son was blessed with two children, this woman’s heart softened. She reconciled with her son and accepted her son’s choice of religion. She remained active in her role as temple medium. Then, one day, she fell ill. She cried out to her idols for healing but her condition remained unchanged. Her son offered to pray for her. Her son asked his church to pray for her. In desperation, she accepted their prayer support. She started to get better. When she recovered, she wanted to know more about her son’s powerful God. He quickly arranged for a pastor who could speak his mother’s dialect to share the gospel with her. She heard the gospel and said the sinners’ prayer after that. Nothing can separate anyone from the love of God.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, you are Almighty and All-Powerful Living God. Nothing can separate us from your great love for us. We pray that the gospel message will go out to the ends of the earth and may there be a great harvest of souls as people turn to the Lord Jesus as their Lord and savior. We pray this in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Questions

  1. Who do you consider to be unreachable for the Lord Jesus Christ? Why do you think so?
  2. How are some unreachable groups that you know are being exposed to the gospel message today? Discuss.
  3. How can you pray for those that you think are unreachable in your family, in your workplace, amongst your friends and contacts?