Bible League: Living His Word Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?Although our faith grasps hold of the great and mighty promises in the Bible that believers will, for example, enjoy peace, protection, health, and provision, we still go through trouble in life. Satan sends trouble to us. He sends tribulations (problems of various kinds), distress (perplexity of mind due to our problems), persecution (opposition from non-Christians), famine and nakedness (want due to problems and persecution), peril (dangers and hazards), and sword (a metaphor for violence). When we go through trouble a question, a further trouble, a perplexity of mind, arises along with the original trouble. If the Bible makes all these promises to us and we are not experiencing what was promised, then something must be wrong. The love of Christ, that is, the love that Christ has for us, must have been lost. We must have been separated from it. After all, logic demands it. Satan must have separated us from the love of Christ by sending us trouble. The Bible, however, does not draw this conclusion. The Bible says that none of our trouble "shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). Despite the disjunction between the promises of the Bible and our experience, the love of Christ stands firm. Logic does not apply. Instead, the words of the poem apply: "When faith and reason clash, let reason go to smash." Our faith rests in the knowledge that Jesus loves us in the midst of our trouble and our faith thereby transcends reason and logic. Faith transcends reason and logic by believing that a higher logic is at work, a deeper reason is at play. The mind of God, with thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9), has its own plans and purposes. It has determined that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). If there is a disjunction between the promises and our experience, then there must be a higher reason for it that is in harmony with the love of Christ. Jesus loves us. Despite our trouble, His love stands firm. There isn't anything or anyone that can snatch us from the hand of our loving shepherd (John 10:25-28). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJeremiah 49, 50 Jeremiah 49 -- Prophecies against Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar and Hazor NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Jeremiah 50 -- Prophecy against Babylon NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Hebrews 5 Hebrews 5 -- The Perfect High Priest NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.Insight We should consider ourselves dead and unresponsive to sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. Just like diseased limbs of a tree, these practices must be cut off before they destroy us. Challenge We must make a conscious, daily decision to remove anything that supports or feeds these desires and to rely on the Holy Spirit's power. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Mark 14:14 The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?Jerusalem at the time of the passover was one great inn; each householder had invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Saviour, and he had no dwelling of his own. It was by his own supernatural power that he found himself an upper room in which to keep the feast. It is so even to this day--Jesus is not received among the sons of men save only where by his supernatural power and grace he makes the heart anew. All doors are open enough to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a way for himself or lodge in the streets. It was through the mysterious power exerted by our Lord that the householder raised no question, but at once cheerfully and joyfully opened his guestchamber. Who he was, and what he was, we do not know, but he readily accepted the honor which the Redeemer proposed to confer upon him. In like manner it is still discovered who are the Lord's chosen, and who are not; for when the gospel comes to some, they fight against it, and will not have it, but where men receive it, welcoming it, this is a sure indication that there is a secret work going on in the soul, and that God has chosen them unto eternal life. Are you willing, dear reader, to receive Christ? then there is no difficulty in the way; Christ will be your guest; his own power is working with you, making you willing. What an honor to entertain the Son of God! The heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and yet he condescends to find a house within our hearts! We are not worthy that he should come under our roof, but what an unutterable privilege when he condescends to enter! for then he makes a feast, and causes us to feast with him upon royal dainties, we sit at a banquet where the viands are immortal, and give immortality to those who feed thereon. Blessed among the sons of Adam is he who entertains the angels' Lord. Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Kings 20:27 The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country.1 Kings 20:28,29 Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because the Arameans have said, "The LORD is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys," therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'" • So they camped one over against the other seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel killed of the Arameans 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. 1 John 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Isaiah 41:10 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' Jeremiah 1:19 "They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the LORD. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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