Daily Bread

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,

‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I led a funeral yesterday, and it wasn't the easiest one. It was for a long-standing member of the congregation who had died at the age of 97 and the reason it was difficult was that I felt like I had failed to connect with the congregation. The family sat (as is the custom here) and none of them joined in with singing the hymns, and many of those who stood didn't sing either, simply standing and staring. I guess 'church' just wasn't their thing. Anyway, I digress, but it came to mind because the last part of today's Bible reading was read (as it is at almost every funeral) because it is one of the set opening sentences of scripture — and it's one of my favourites.

Yesterday we reflected on how God chooses to love us, and today I would like us to think about the fact that God is for us. Have you ever considered that God is for you? This means God is rooting for you, cheering you on, and wants you to succeed in becoming the very best version of yourself. Many of you have not had that kind of encouragement from earthly parents or family, and you may feel awkward or unworthy thinking about such things, yet here it is, in black and white. God is for you.

If you are any doubt that God is for you, Paul reminds us that God gave everything for us, and the last and ultimate thing he had to give was himself, and he gave that up for us too. There is nothing more that God can do for us to convince us of his love. Oh yes, God is for you!

During Covid, the UK churches released a video version of the worship song, 'The Blessing'. It was beautifully produced, but the line that 'got' me was the repeated phrase:

He is for you,
He is for you
He is for you,
He is for you
He is for you,
He is for you

Sometimes we need to hear it spoken over us multiple times for it to sink in, and as I watched the video and listened to the song, I felt the tears well up inside me. So many times I had heard those words as a question: God is for me? God is for me? God is for me? Until it sunk in that God is for me. It was no longer a question but a statement of truth.

Dear friends, nothing can ever separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Nothing!

God is for you. He really is. x

Holy God
Thank you that you did
not withhold your own son
but gave him up for all of us.
Thank you that I am justified by you,
regarded as being without fault,
and that I do not stand condemned.
Thank you that nothing will
ever separate me from you love.