Tweleve years ago, as I faced the last days before college graduation, I began to pray a prayer that has lasted years: “God, make me certain in uncertainty.” This prayer was a desire to lean on Him through everything I would face next. I knew if I could just walk with Him throught the waves of whatever He might bring next, things would be okay.

And wow, there has been a lot of uncertainty since then! Now, more than ever we need that kind of prayer that draws us all nearer to the heart of God, who loves us, gave His life for us, and is intimately aquainted with our every situation!

As our nation shifts out of this shelter-in-place in phases, there are a variety of strong opinions and motivations. We hear divided news, divided statistics, divisive speech. And all this, while facing the vast uncertainty of our new post-pandemic reality.

This morning, I began to read the last verses of Romans 8, and it became a powerful antidote to the swelling uncertainty. Take a look:

In the midst of uncertainty and division, there is ONE thing that remains constant: the endless, overflowing, personal love of God for each person. Now, this verse is speaking specifically to those who walk in personal, faith-based, relationship with Jesus, but the posture of love is true of God’s heart toward all who would come to Him. Let’s break this down a bit:

“Nothing Can Separate”

If nothing can separate us from God’s love, then what is our status with God right now? Connected. Not divided. In relationship. This is reality for Him, whether You feel it or not. You’re body and soul are made to be united with God! It’s the most natural state for you because of what Jesus did. Maybe, lean-into this for a moment and ask God to refresh your awareness of that crucial connection.

Question: What area right now do you need know that God is connected with you ?

“Neither Our Fears for Today, Nor Our Worries of Tomorrow”

What a needed reminder! Our fears for today cannot separate us from God’s love. What are you fears for today? Mine have to do with time, productivity, tasks, and, underneath there, identity and trust. What about you your fears you’re facing today? More so, God’s love calms, comforts, and controls the worries of tomorrow. Sometimes we can’t even address the needs and concerns of today, nor be “present unto” the ever-present love of God, when our mind is running ahead of us. Remember, when we imagine our future, we need to imagine God involved in it. How often are we really imaging the same future God already knows? Rarely. So submit those future-worries to Him, and spend some time being present to His love today.

Question: What would it be like to allow your connectedness to God to be louder than the voices and news surrounding? How could allow His love to effect you change these worries and fears?

“Neither Death, Nor Life”

Okay, this is a powerful shift. We often regard physical death as the worst possibility and physical life as the best gift. But in reality, neither death nor life can separate us from God. That’s the truth of what Jesus has done for those who love Him. We face uncertain days, even life itself can seem to cut us off from God. But even then God is not cut off from us. We face loss and grieve, but because we have everlasting, overflowing life through Jesus, even physical death is not the end of our story.

There’s something deeper than the physcial realm, when we live in relationship with God. When we give our lives to God, God’s relational life actually undergirds our physical life with spiritual power, strengthens us in the threat of death, and endures beyond the grave. God acutally returns to us the spiritual life that Adam and Eve lost in the Garden. And because of Jesus, we can return and remain in that secure relational connection with God, which always endures.

Question: As you face overwhelming physical life or grevious physical separation, how are you needing God’s Spirit to come strengthen and comfort?

“Neither Angels, Nor Demons…Not Even the Powers of Hell Can Separate Us from God’s Love”

Wow, really? Even the spiritual conflict, the daily battles, the warfare we face, won’t separate us from God? Even the temptations, the confusion, the daily grid, the loss, the fear, etc., can separate us from God? Even our unbelief, our division, our mixed influence from walking in any other authority than God? Not even the powers of hell can separate us from the love of God? What! This is a major promise. There must be a massive potency in His love. Yes, His love is an overcoming, never-ending, invading power that moves His heart toward you. Even the enemy of our soul must bend the knee to His all-consuming love.

Question: What areas of conflict or struggle seem to cut you off from connecting with God? Talk with God about this for a moment. And let His unending lover reinterpret that area.

“Nothing in All Creation Will be Able to Separate Us”

God, the Father, is a relentless lover. He has pursued humanity for thousands of years. He loved Israel through drought, famine, disobedience, disease, fear, adultery, wars, division, exile, and more. And still, He never left and never gave up on them. For Israel, His love came in passionate connection, holy instructions, and, at times, specific discipline. For those who are saved by faith in Jesus, His discipline arrives most often through our personal realization of His goodness, faithfulness, and love in the middle of trials. In seasons like this, The book of Hebrew says our good Father-God is intentionally shaping our spirits and working towards our best:

What a good, good Father. He loves you. He is shaping you. He has drawn so close to you that nothing you can do, and nothing you can face can keep His love from you.

He loves you so, so much!

What if you took some time today, even five minutes, and just enjoyed His love?

This can look like journaling, playing guitar, sitting on the porch, taking a nap, talking to a friend, while being attentive to His perfect love for you!

Begin to let that shape your perspective.

Open your heart to recieve.

Place your faith in Jesus’s grace for you.

Let your heart rest in his unmoveable love.

Pray:

Jesus, I need You so much during this time of division and uncertainty, I’ve forgotten over these days of shelter-in-place how very near to me You promise to be, and how resting in Your love is my greatest strength.

I thank you that I can bring You my weaknesses and fears right now in prayer, and I open to Your vast love that is so, so present, and ask for You to invade every room of my heart with that love. I long to walk in this awareness with Your Holy Spirit. I pray this in the powerful Name of Jesus, who died so I could have this never-separate love from You, Father. Amen.