Verse of the Day

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

At some point in life almost everyone faces some sort of hurt and rejection. During those times, if we are not strong in our relationship with Christ it can really affect us in many different adverse ways. Rejection is hard. It truly can play havoc with one's emotions. However, if we truly desire to live in Christ, and make that effort daily, we will realize the true value that we have in God's eyes. He loves us more than anyone could ever love us. He created us, and he desires to truly know all of us.

Verse of the Day

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20

One of the great and awesome things about Jesus is that He came for all of us. He is the great equalizer. In His eyes we are all the same. He stands and knocks at the door (the soul) of us all, and if allow it He will enter and fill us with the Holy Spirit. All we have to do is be willing to receive the gift that He died to give us.

Verse of the Day

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

These words were spoken by Jesus. He honestly gave such wisdom in the New Testament (if you have not had a chance to read the gospels, I suggest reading them sometime). Basically, though, Jesus helps to prepare us for the trials that we will face if we are believers. However, always keep in mind that He has overcome the world, so if you serve Him you serve someone greater than anything that can "hit you" from this world.

Verse of the Day

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Galatians 5:22

Love. Refer to 1 Corinthians Ch. 13 for the definition (no Webster here because the word defines love). We know that "love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things; endures all things" according to 1 Corinthians ch. 13

Joy is great happiness. Peace is the absence of hostility, the presence of good will and respect. Patience is to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. Kindness is the act of charitable behavior towards others. Goodness is really striving to do what is morally right. Faithfulness is loyalty.

I pray often that I will live a life that shows others the fruits of the Spirit in my life. God has truly given me a heart of empathy and love for people. My desire to is to live a life of unquestionable integrity that will show the love that my God has for everyone. I truly would grieve if I felt my actions or words brought pain to someone, and would have to make amends and make it right. By seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit we can live a life that exemplifies the fruits of the Spirit.

Verse of the Day

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

Grace, in a spiritual sense, literally means a state of sanctification through God. If we have faith, then God's grace will save us from our sins, and from the "reward" that we deserve. None of use could ever earn salvation, no matter how many good works we do. It is a gift. A priceless treasure that is obtained through faith in the Lord. In His grace and mercy He sent His only son to die for our sins so that we (all of us) could have salvation.

We just have to have faith, accept it, and truly try to live a Christ-like life.

Verse of the Day

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

Just a reminder that the Lord loves us with an everlasting love. It's a love that will not end, and transcends time and understanding. He loves all of us, and wants an intimate and personal relationship with each and everyone of us.

Verse of the Day

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

We totally live in a "me" society today. If someone makes us angry or hurts us by saying or doing something "out of line" we justify our anger and self righteous responses because that person is in the wrong. If we don't like the actions of someone, or their stance on something, we justify our actions and attitudes because we don't think they are "right". We judge without walking in their shoes. We try to remove the sawdust out of their eye without first removing the plank from our own eye.

What exactly does devotion me? It means to be dedicated to something. Who are we supposed to be dedicated to? One another-i.e. everyone. How are we supposed to be devoted? In brotherly love? We are brothers and sister in Christ. First and foremost we are to love each other in this manner. If we do not love our brother, whom we can see, how can we profess to love God, whom we cannot see?

How can we honor one another? What does that mean? It means we are to hold each other in high regard with high respect. Does that mean we have to respect everyone's choices and/or actions and agree with them? Absolutely not!! However, we do have to respect that each of us our God's children, and to hold each other in higher regard than ourselves. Sometimes that means just being o.k. with the fact that someone has done something that was not really right by us, but we love them anyway.

It does go against our "human" nature to put others above ourselves. However, we are called to be that way. If you have a situation where that is not the case, today would be a good day to make a new start with that situation, a good day to make a fresh start.

Verse of the Day

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

Where do your treasures lie? What do you truly value? What does it mean to have "this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us"?

So many people value money today. It is there treasure. They look for the next bigger and better house, the next expensive "toy", a more expensive car, electronics, etc. This is truly a "keeping up with the Jones" society. What do you truly value? Do you let these monetary things rule your life? Do you treasures lie in your family (spouse/children)? Do you value these things above God?

Imagine a clay jar for just a moment. Can you see through this jar? Can you tell from the outside what is on the inside just by looking? Absolutely not! We are the clay jars. The potter has molded us to perfectly, with a God shaped whole that can only be filled by the Holy Spirit. This gift, this treasure, is priceless. No money could replace it. No jewel. No material possession. No person could compare or love us, understand us or accept us like the Spirit.

Where do your treasures lie?

Verse of the Day

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Phillipians 4:8

Yesterday I touched on the concept of surrendering our thoughts to Christ. Today, I want to focus a little more on our "thought life". Our thoughts truly control us if we allow them to. I think the more strong willed a person is, the more intelligent a person is, the more that person may struggle to surrender their thoughts.

When I truly began to change, and I realized that I needed (notice that I do not say wanted) to change, the hardest concept for me to grasp was that my "brain" could be an enemy on occasion. God made me. He gave me my intelligence. Why would it get in the way? However, the more I read the Bible, the more I realize that part of me can easily be swayed by satan. The way he attacks is not physically, but spiritually, and Paul obviously realized that part of our vulnerability as believers was our "thoughts". He realized that is an area that we really need to guard and really need to protect ourselves.

This verse goes beyond just surrendering our thoughts, and really gives us guidance on what types of things to think about. Now, it's not always easy to control your thoughts, believe me, I know. However, when faced with not so good thoughts (happens multiple times daily for me)lol, I really try to make a concerted effort (sometimes visualizing things) of having my thoughts directed to a different path. Things that I know would be praiseworthy, or that come from God. This can be thinking about my blessings, thinking about the future (and what God has in store for me), thinking about my family or good friends. Regardless, I try to make sure that they are positive thoughts. I don't always succeed at this, and sometimes I forget and my thoughts "take me over for a while", but the Spirit always gently guides me back to where I need to be because ultimately I pray daily that my life is led by what God wants me to do. So, as you struggle with your thoughts, be cognizant of the desires of the Spirit, let that guide your thoughts, and you will have thoughts that are excellent and praiseworthy.

Verse of the Day

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Most days we all have thoughts which seem to come from out of nowhere, and they take us by surprise. We can be up one minute, and then be reminded of something/someone that has hurt us, made us angry, wronged us, etc. More often than not these thoughts can affect our mood to the point of completely changing it. Who has not been having a great day, and then has had a reminder out of the blue of something not so great. Talk about deflating a balloon.lol However, the great thing about this is that we can demolish every argument and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge God.

If we make a conscious decision to "take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ", then we have already won the battle. Don't rely on yourself to get those thoughts out of your mind. Surrender them to Christ. Literally. I find myself rebuking thoughts almost daily which would adversely affect my mood. Why? We are supposed to have joy in all things. That's what the word of God says. We have to realize that it's in God's hands, and that things happen for a reason, and that there is a season for all things. However, we really have to guard our thoughts. They can tempt us to do things that we know are not right. They can drive us to distraction when we are angry. They can lead us into depression when we are sad. However, if we truly surrender them to Christ, they can give us peace and joy no matter what the circumstance. Remember, this life is only the stepping stone for the next life.

Verse of the Day

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8

Well, it's just another manic Monday.lol Honestly, Monday morning can get the best of anyone. However, I really have been making a concerted effort to praise God int the morning. Rather than letting the long commute get to me, I turn on some really good Christian music and really listen to the words, and often times even pray them to the Lord. I also have been really trying to remember to dedicate each day to the Lord before I even leave my house, and I even try to remember to say "Thank you for this day, God. It's the beginning of the rest of my life, and I want to live my life for you".

By spending time with God in the morning, through prayer and conversation, and by praising Him through the music I listen to, it does help me to focus on Him, and to put my trust in Him. I truly pray for His will and His direction for my life everyday. I desire to live for Him, not for me. I want His will for my life, and I truly pray today that the Spirit will show me the way I should go.

Have a great week!

Verse of the Day

But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming. Romans 10:8

I read the Bible daily. I have to. For me, it is as important as eating food every day. It's my spiritual food. My lifeline to God.

I have always been an avid reader, although there may be months where I don't read due to lack of time or interest lack of interest for a while. I have the gift of being able to read very fast and comprehend what I read. I can read a book in a matter of hours (a good fiction book, that is)lol.

I like to evaluate myself on a regular basis. What can I do to improve myself as a person? It's a good thing to do, and it helps me to be real and honest with myself and keep myself in check, although it's not always an easy thing to do. I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday, and I was talking about reading the Bible, and I said "I read the Bible daily because it's the guidelines I should follow for living my life". Now, that sounds obvious. However, it really sank in when I said it yesterday.

Look at these verses. The word is IN you. It's in your mouth and your heart. Proverbs 4 refers to the heart as the wellspring of life. If you read the word as a book, you can gain knowledge. However, if it is a map for life, a tool that is necessary to insure your salvation, you will have the word in your heart and mouth. You will start to behave the way God would have you behave, versus what feels right according to the world. The word will inspire faith and will inspire integrity in you that extends beyond what you would ever be able to achieve on your own. Why is that? Well, the Spirit in you thrives off of the word, and absorbs it as a dry sponge absorbs water. According to Isaiah 55 the word does not return void. I am so grateful that I have my God, and that I have His word to sustain me.

Verse of the Day

8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:8-11

I really had a good talk with my mentor last night. It lasted a little longer than normal, but more "God time" is definitely good time. I have this deepening awareness (almost daily it grows) of Christ. Sometimes I am so awed by it all, at other times I feel humbled, and still at other times I am extremely excited to the point that I feel like running and shouting.lol

What I have discovered, though, and continue to discover, is that nothing else matters when it comes to Christ. Literally, everything else pales in comparison to the importance that He plays in my life. One of my comments last night was "I am just along for the ride and plan on enjoying it." Life is like a roller coaster-it has ups and downs, and will be over before you know it. However, I plan on enjoying it by trying to gain better understanding daily of what God has done for me. I truly long to understand what Christ did for me, so that I can fully understand what God wants from me.

Verse of the Day

19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

While reading these verses, I realize a few things. Our body's do not belong to us if we have truly surrendered our lives to living for Christ. We have Christ in us (the Holy Spirit), and therefore we are to treat our bodies as a temple. The price paid for us was something that I really will never be able to truly comprehend....the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for all of our sins.

How do we honor God with our body? The Bible is specific about a few things (sorry folks, there is no grey area in some things-the Bible is very specific). Below are a few ways that I feel we can honor God with our body:

1) Sexual purity-some of us know what we are missing if we abstain. However, the Bible is very specific in many areas regarding purity. We wait until we are married. Period. This is an area that is very hard to follow. Believe me, I know. However, we should all strive to do this, and not rely on our own strength when tempted, but call on Christ.
2) Eat healthy-we have Christ in us. We need to not only fill Spirit with reading the word and praying, but we should also make healthy eating choices when eating. It's o.k. to indulge occasionally, but in general we should really want to fill our "temple" with good things.
3) Eat in moderation-Americans eat way too much in general. Going out to eat can often times mean getting portions big enough for two, but the "clean your plate" mentality prompts us to finish everything. However, to go boxes are your friend. If you cannot take something to go, order smaller and lighter.
4) Alcohol-this is a touchy subject for a lot of Christians. Some denominations think it's wrong, other denominations think it's o.k. What the Bible says is do not be drunk with wine. It does not say do not drink wine, but do not be drunk with wine. In other words, when you lose control of your inhibitions (such as drinking a little too much), then it's wrong. A social drink (at least in my opinion) is o.k. Drugs-I really hope I don't have to say anything more other than wrong, wrong, wrong.
5) Exercise-get off the couch. T.V. is not your friend. Most of the shows are low in morality today, and I could not imagine sitting beside Jesus on the couch and saying, oooh, look, another underwear commercial. Well, Christ is in us (via the Holy Spirit), so what you see he sees. Exercise is great for you. No doctor will say "well, I think it's a bad idea if you try to exercise" (exceptions may be physical limitations). However, by exercising at least moderately, we are taking care of our "temple". There are some extremes, though. Exercise should not take priority over our relationship with God, though. That should always be number one in our lives.

There are more things I could write in regards to this subject, and who knows, maybe these verses will come up again someday on my blog. However, the bottom line is this-remember that we have been bought and paid for with a very dear price, and our lives (including what we do with our bodies) should honor that price.

Verse of the Day

Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me. Psalm 139:23

All of us have thoughts that are not pleasing to God. Daily. It's our human nature. These thoughts can creep in from problems at home, or on the job. They can be caused by the person who cuts you off on the road while driving to work, or the person who is short with you at the drive thru line. Friends or family can be short, sometimes mean and testy, or say hurtful things, and this can cause us to have the wrong thoughts.

Regardless of what faces us, we need to constantly try to surrender our thougths to the Lord daily. There have been multiple times where I say "I want my thoughts to be Christ like thoughts" when I am having a not so good day. That works, too. I pray it with a sincere heart, and peace will always come to me if I really let whatever is bothering me go.

In reality, I know that everyday I will be challenged with my thoughts. It's the one thing that attacks me in more ways than anything else. However, I do want God to search me daily, and to put me in check when my thoughts are not coming from Him. He knows my heart, but I truly open it wholy to Him because I want to be more like Christ in my daily walk with life. I have no desire to try to hide anything from Him (even if I could).

Verse of the Day

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11

I am an "outdoorsy" person. By this, I mean if the weather is nice, I typically want to be doing something outside rather than inside. This past weekend was a gorgeous weekend, so of course I wanted to spend time outside.

I actually saw the cicadas (a bunch of them) on Saturday. I visited an arboretum. They were pretty ugly, and extremely loud.lol They were actually swarming some trees, and it was kind of freaky.lol Guess you had to be there.

While walking around and enjoying the outdoors, I truly reflected on God. There were so many different types of a plants, animials and insects, that I truly have to wonder how anyone cannot believe in the majesty of God. I actually was closer to a deer in the wild than I have ever been. He was young (maybe in his second season), and it was really incredible. He was curious, yet timid. His eyes still relfected his youth, yet he had not learned to completely run away from humans. It was pretty amazing.

There were small (and huge) fish. A squirrel was brave enough to be relatively close at one point, and there were lots of insects (and turtles), too.lol There were butterflies and dragonflies that were so colorful, and constantly darting to and fro in search of the next bit of nectar. I must admit that I threw a couple of cicadas to the fish, and they did not last too long once they landed on the water.

All in all the weekend was good, and like always I found ways to strengthen my belief in the Lord.

Verse of the Day

There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
1 Corinthians 12:6

Despite the fact that sometimes it seems like none of us are on the same page, it's comforting to know that God's page is the only one that matters. God is so awesome, and the God that listens to me and counsels me is the same God that is there for you if you just let him be there for you.

He created us, and He knows our differences. He knows that each of us need different things in our lives. Just remember, that all good things that come into our lives come from God. He is that awesome!

At times, especially with men and women, who often times can be on different planets (forget about being on the same page)lol, it is difficult to believe that God is really understanding all perspectives. However, the great thing is that not only does He understand them, but He created us and knows entirely where we are coming from. How great is that? To have a friend who totally gets you. Totally. 100%. All we have to do is listen to His wisdom, which is always for our best interest.

Verse of the Day

18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:18-19

Today we can often times be hesitant to share our belief in Christ. To say that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour and that He is indeed a living God who has risen from the dead. It's almost taboo to mention the name of Jesus Christ, to say I am a Christian. There is something very, very wrong about this attitude. However, we should expect it. Look at what Jesus says in the Bible. If someone loves the world, and lives according to the guidelines of the world, we cannot expect them to love us because we do not belong to the world.

Some people see that as too high of a price to pay, so they choose to live according to the worlds standards while in private professing to be Christians. However, that is not what we are called to do. I know that Jesus has chosen me, and I am not ashamed to say His name or to profess my belief. My love, my gratitude are too great to contain, and I will not deny my Jesus to appease anyone.

Verse of the Day

37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:37-39

I came across this verse this morning, and I realize that life is just funny sometimes. I actually had a good talk last night with my mentor about how much my love for Christ was growing, and about how different I am now versus a couple years ago because of the awareness that I have of Christ in me, and the understanding that I am gaining of the Trinity.

I had a talk with Lorene last night regarding my love for the Lord, and my spiritual growth. The talk was a good talk. I made a comment that nothing nor anyone can compare to the love that I feel for Christ. Without the Lord in my life, I am nothing. I am so dependent on Him. On Jesus. On the Holy Spirit. I would give up anything and everything for Him because nothing can compare to the love that He has for me, and I could never love anyone like I love Him.

In Luke chapter 14 Jesus boldy states that "if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple." This may seem contradictory to His teachings, because Jesus taught love. However, understand that our love for Him must be so strong, and that He must be the focus and priority of our lives, and that any other love just pales in comparison. Our love and desire to grow in our relationship with Him must far exceed anything else. If it does not, we really need to reevaluate our spiritual life and where we truly stand. We are to take our cross and follow after Him, and we are to do that with joy and love. When we truly love Christ that much, and truly desire to follow his will for our lives, we will be guided down the right path when we give up control.

Verse of the Day

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9

I truly feel the need to share the love that the Lord has for us. I absolutely cannot hold it in. This blog enables me to share with whomever comes across it. I also share in other ways, and have no shame in mentioning the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour.

Like this verse, I cannot hold it in. I am driven to share the awesomeness of God with others, and share it in a loving manner. I will not try to force my beliefs on others, but I will stand firm in my beliefs and pray that I can spiritually help those who need it through example and through my voice. I could not say to anyone that I will not mention his name anymore. That would be impossible for me to do. I do have a fire, a passion, for the Lord that is inexplicable.

Verse of the Day

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24

If any of you have ever participated in sports, you know that it takes training, focus, stamina and endurance just to be competitive. However, it also takes tenacity and perseverance to win and get the prize.

What exactly is Paul saying in this verse? The following verses clarify a little more. He emphasizes that the training that a runner (at the time a Greek Olympian, perhaps) is for the purpose of receiving a wreath, but that our prize is a crown that will last forever.

For a moment, let's think about that. How can someone get a crown from a king if they cannot physically just take it from him? In order to really get that crown you have to be a child of that king. Now, what are we? We are God's children, and heirs to the throne. However, we have to train to get that prize. We cannot do whatever we want, when we want. We have to stay focused in our training-meaning stay in the word, stay in prayer, and really try to listen to the Holy Spirit so that your life is led by God's will for you instead of your own will. Like any race, in order to actually win you have to devote time to training and preparing.

Today, begin the training that will give you the crown that so God desires to give you.

Verse of the Day

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11

I truly have a hunger for God's word. I have to read it daily and feel myself spiritually. I can read a verse today that I have read before, and today the meaning can be different than it was before. I just have to remember that the word is living and active, so it makes complete sense that the meaning can grow, if you will. By different, I don't mean that it does not mean today what it meant last week, but more so that it means that plus something new.

Today's verse just stresses how awesome God is to us. He is a sun. The sun keeps the earth alive in so many ways, and God is that and more to us. He is a shield. He will protect us from out enemies. He will do bestow favor and honor to us if we truly try to live according to his guidelines and not ours.

Some may ask what is a blameless walk? No one is perfect, so no one can achieve this. Some people may say that as long as you do what is best for you, then everything is all good, so there is no blame. However, my feeling is that a blameless walk is a walk where we truly look to the word to dictate our steps. We pray and seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit. We truly strive to do God's will in our lives, versus our own will. This can be very difficult at times because the "flesh" part of us truly desires to do what "feels right" versus what is right. The awesome thing is that we don't have to be perfect, but we want to strive to do what's right in God's eyes because that is what he desires from us. By doing this we can achieve a blameless walk. It's o.k. to mess up, we just need to confess and really work on changing those behaviors which we know are not in line with God's will.

Verse of the Day

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Hope truly comes from the Lord. If we really are in tune with the Holy Spirit, we understand that the Lord will bless us. We also understand that in this world our lives are but just a mist, indeed very fleeting. Eternity is the big picture, and the hope that believers have is the hope that eternity will be spent with our heavenly father. Thank you, God, for the Spirit, for Jesus in us, which gives us hope.

Verse of the Day

By faith Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

Well, faith is such a difficult concept sometimes, as I have mentioned again and again.

However, this is a good weekend for me. I have played football (lol), video games, and even shopped (and not for myself, which is difficult for a woman)lol. (I also heard the cicadas, which were very, very loud)lol. Good memories, good company and good times just help put things into perspective. I really know that with faith God will bless me. I just have to truly trust in Him and put my life into His hands daily, and I have to remember that His plans for me are better than anything I could ever dream up myself.

Verse of the Day

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

Paul, Paul, Paul...what can I say?lol Honestly, I truly believe that Paul had such amazing insite, and I am truly amazed at what we can learn from Paul if we actually take the time to just absorb bits and pieces. I always try to have verses that I place special emphasis on when I am reading the word. I almost always try to read at least one chapter (sometimes several depending on how I feel led), but always there is something specific for me to focus on, some special message that is what I need to hear at that moment.

These verses are truly amazing. I want to break it down for a minute. These things cannot separate us from the love the Jesus Christ has for us:
1) neither death nor life-well, we are either alive or we are dead, so that sums up the entirety of our being...cannot get any simpler than that
2) neither angels or demons-these are the supernatural, heavenly beings that do exist. no matter what happens, they cannot separate us from the love Jesus has for us
3) neither present nor future-well, the past is just that; neither the "now" nor the "tomorrow" can separate us from that love
4) nor any powers-notice it says any powers
5) neither height nor depth-now, this could be literal, but I really feel like this is more symbolic in nature
6) nor anything else in all creation-well, that pretty much covers it all...actually, these two verses cover everything. Nothing can separate us from the love that Jesus has for us. Nothing.

I don't know about you, but this gives me comfort. It gives me peace. Even if my life is chaotic and in turmoil, I have that rock, that foundation that the sureity of the love that my God, my Jesus, has for me.