Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?. . . yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord. ROMANS 8: 35, 37-3
God's love is the glue that holds our lives together and holds us close to him. It is the fuel that propels us confidently through life so we can celebrate the good times and endure the bad. It is the "JOY JUICE" that puts a shine on our hearts so we can radiate his love to others. It is the promise that guarantees us a heavenly future. And the best thing is. . . NOTHING can keep us from it. Not even death.
That fact was beautifully reinforced for me a few years ago when I attended the memorial service for a close friend. He had died at the peak of his career, and his memorial service was attended by hundreds of his friends who rejoiced at his entrance into heaven but were heartbroken that he would no longer be a part of our lives on earth.
Many of us were called upon to speak that day. We told of our friend's zany sense of humour, his wisdom in developing meaningful projects, and his enduring friendship and love. Then another friend stepped on the podium. Instead of sharing warm memories or offering her own words of comfort, she simply opened her bible to ROMANS 8:35 and began reading the ageless, empowering words of that passage in such a strong, defiant voice that we all suddenly seemed to sit up taller.
Her voice rang out with such confidence and power that we felt as though she were reminding all of us, maybe even reminding the devil himself, that our friend was with God, and so were we, and nothing could change that fact. We are his children, her stirring reading reminded us;
He holds us in his loving embrace, and nothing can come between us. Absolutely nothing. Not today; not tomorrow. Not in this life or the next. There are no words, no forces, no feelings, no actions. There is nothing that can separate us from his love. And securely embraced by that endless love, we can face any kind of hardship here on earth with courage and faith.
IN OUR EARTHLY LIVES, WE ARE LIKE A LITTLE BOY. ALONE WE CANNOT BEAR THE THE MONSTERS THAT RUMBLE THROUGH OUR DAYS, TERRIFYING US AND BREAKING OUR HEARTS. BUT NESTLED IN THE SECURITY OF THE FATHER'S LOVE, NOTHING CAN STOP US. NOT EVEN DEATH ITSELF.