Read or listen below to Canon Robert Vun’s Saturday reflection on Romans 8.38 ‘Nothing can separate you’
Let us pray:
Almighty God, you fill all things with your presence.
In your great love, keep us near you this day.
Grant that in all our ways and doings we may remember that you see us
and may we always have grace to know and perceive what things you would have us do,
and give us strength to do the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[1]
The Collect of the Week
Almighty God, you have conquered death through your dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant us by your grace to set our mind on things above, so that by your continual help our whole life may be transformed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit in everlasting glory. Amen.
Bible Reading
Romans 8:31-39 (NASB)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also
with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Devoution
Nothing Can Separate You
Nothing you could ever experience, no matter how terrible or frightening, could ever separate you from the love of God. No tribulation or distress you ever suffer could be so intense that God’s love for you is not even more fervent. No persecution can be so painful that God’s love cannot bring comfort. Famine might starve you of food, but you will never hunger for the Father’s love. Poverty cannot strip you of God’s compassion, just as even death itself is incapable of robbing you of your heavenly Father’s infinite love.
If you base your view of God’s love on your circumstances, you will become confused. There may be times when you will ask, “How could a loving God allow this to happen to me?” You may begin to question what you find clearly stated in the Word of God. God promised that you will never be separated from His love; He did nit say that you will never face hardship, persecution, poverty or danger. If you doubt that God could love you and still allow you to experience difficult experiences, consider the life of Jesus.
If you allow the death of Jesus on the cross to forever settle any questions you might have about God’s love, you will approach difficult circumstances with confidence. Knowing that there will never be anything that could separate you from God’s perfect love, you will watch to see how God expresses His love based on your circumstances. Instead evaluate your circumstances from the perspective of God’s love.[2]
Let us pray:
God of Love,
You are with us in every transition and change.
As we enter into this new era with some doubts and even anxiety,
we recall your deep compassion, presence, and abounding love.
We thank you for the gifts, talents and skills with which you have blessed us.
We thank you for the experiences that have brought us to this moment.
We thank you for the work of others that gives breadth and depth to our own work.
Be with us as we move forward, rejoicing with you and supporting one another.
We ask this in your Holy Name. Amen. (Joseph P. Shadle)
O Blessed Lord, who did promised your disciples that through your Easter Victory their sorrow should be turned to joy, and their joy no person should take from them: Grant us, we pray, so to know you in the power of your resurrection, that we may be partakers of that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory; for your holy name’s sake. Amen. (Frank Colquhoun)
The Morning Collect
Lord and heavenly Father,
you have brought us safely to this new day:
keep us by your mighty power, protect us from sin,
guard us from every kind of danger,
and in all we do this day
direct us in the fulfilling of your purpose,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. Philippians 4.7
[1] An Ancient Collect, fifth century; Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953.
[2] Henry T. Blackaby & Richard Blackaby; Experiencing God Day-by-day (Broadman & Holman Publishers: 1997) p. 250.