In Romans Chapter 8 vs 35 St Paul asks the rhetorical question, “Who can separate us from the love of Christ?” And then he answers himself in verses 38 and 39 that nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, including, natural disasters and spiritual powers. It’s quite a declaration and worthy of much meditation.
While it is true that “nothing in all creation” can separate us from His love, our own doubt and unbelief can certainly make us feel that God is a million miles away, or even that He has forgotten us and doesn’t in fact love us the way Paul describes.
Here we have the second way in which the enemy seeks to defeat us, when he lies to us –and we listen- that God is not really as loving and good as He says He is. He makes us question or even blame God for things that are hard or difficult in our lives. It’s a problem of our 21st Century mentality that says if God is good, loving and all powerful, bad things shoudn’t be happening to me, His child.
The truth is that until we reach heaven we are living in a world profoundly affected by the fall and the devils activity, and in our journey through life the Lord promises His help and His presence, but calls us to walk by faith through much that we don’t understand. The Bible, Old and New Testaments, deal with this issue and can help us to ‘stand firm in our faith’ if we will let the Holy Spirit teach us how things look from heavens’ perspective.
The prophet Jeremiah had lots of struggles in his ministry, delivering Gods’ word to His people. He suffered greatly whilst being obedient to the call of God on his life, and became somewhat perplexed with God for not ‘covering’ him, and for allowing him, to be attacked spiritually, physically and emotionally.
In Jeremiah Chapter 15 vs 15-18, he pours out his complaint to the Lord, finishing in vs 18 with the cry ‘Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable……..will you (God) be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain’ AMP. A real questioning of God’s faithfulness to him!
The reply (also taken from the Amplified Bible vs19) is life changing for him. God says ‘If you will return and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair, I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be my minister’. ‘If you separate the precious from the vile, (that is CLEANSE YOUR HEART FROM UNWORTHY AND UNWARRENTED SUSPICIONS CONCERNING GODS’ FAITHFULNESS) you shall be my mouthpiece’.
May be it was after this encounter with God that he wrote the amazing words we have all sung in different forms from Lamentations Chapter 3 vs 22,23. ‘The Lords lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.’ NAS. It’s good to read it in context from vs 1 of the chapter.
When assaulted by the murmurings of the enemy and the questioning in our own hearts, our weapon once again is thanksgiving. As we thank God for the truths in Romans 8 vs 35-39 written by the apostle Paul who, like Jeremiah, endured spiritual, physical abuse, we will begin to. ‘see’ the Lords hand of love and faithfulness extended to us in our situation. We will silence the enemy and like Paul will be able to ‘shout’ …..”No, in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me”. Vs 37.
