Today's Verse - Romans 8:38-39

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord.

—Romans 8:38-39

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Separation is a primal fear, whether it is separation from something we fear, whether it's separation from a child, a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, but especially separation from God is a deep fear for those of us who love him. Jesus endured separation from God by becoming a human and by going to the cross. As Paul put it so eloquently:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Because of Jesus' sacrifice, and our faith that he did it for us, we are in Christ. We know we'll never have to be separated from God's love. He bore the separation so we would never have to fear it. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Jesus!

My Prayer...

Gracious and loving Father of all peoples, thank you for loving us in Jesus and adopting us as your children in Christ to bring us close to you. Thank you for promising that nothing can separate us from your love. Use the Spirit to help us know, deep inside, making us experientially aware of your accompanying presence in our lives as you live with us, in us, and make your home with us as we live for you (John 14:19-23). We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - Romans 8:35-37

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

—Romans 8:35-37

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

We win! We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. When you open up the final book of the Bible, Revelation, that is the message: Christians win because Jesus is the one true and lasting conqueror. No matter how the battle is going for you right now - no matter how bad the trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword may be at the moment - we can remember that in the end, we win. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

My Prayer...

El Shaddai, God Almighty, we thank you for securing our ultimate victory by raising Jesus from the dead and promising to send him back for us as your Conquering King. We know he is coming with victory on the day you have determined. We pray that we will live victoriously for you until that day when we joyously sing:

Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. (Revelation 15:3-4)

Until that day, and in the name of our conquering King, Jesus our LORD, we pray. Amen.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - 1 John 3:11

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

—1 John 3:11

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The original message? Love one another. The enduring message? Love one another. The most convincing message? Love one another. The most difficult message? Love one another. The clearest message? Love one another.
This call to love one another reminds me of the convicting verse I once heard a preacher use about loving our brothers and sisters:

To dwell above with saints we love,
O that will be glory.
But to dwell below with saints we know,
Now that's another story.

But it's the story we're called to write with our lives. Love one another. It's Jesus' enduring message to us is clear: Love one another!

My Prayer...

Loving Father, I commit to you that I will intentionally show my love for your children in what I do and say. I do this trusting in your grace and the Holy Spirit to empower me to do more loving things and be more loving than I could be on my own. I want to obey my Lord's command to love others as he did. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.