Latest / The Light / The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Chris... - Nothing Can Separate You from God’s Love

Transcript

The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Chris... - Nothing Can Separate You from God’s Love · The Light

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Life Audio.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We are so glad to
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: have you listening with us here today. Today's topic is
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: about how you cannot be separated from God's love. We
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: will return after a brief message from our sponsor. Nothing
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: can separate you from God's love. Written by Leah Gerard.
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: Read by Rochelle Alberti. Bible Reading For I am convinced
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: able to separate us from the love of God that
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8.38 If you've
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: ever felt unloved or abandoned by anyone here on earth,
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: it can be quite discouraging how quickly it can have
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: you believing that maybe even God rejects you. When people
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: are mean or hurtful or broken relationships leave you feeling
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: as though you don't belong anywhere, you might assume that
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: God is also far removed. Or maybe there's a general
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: sense of paranoia that the whole world is turning wicked
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: and and God will surely abandon it. This worry can
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: tempt you to distance your heart and wallow in dread.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: It's also possible that when you or I have hurt
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: someone else, or hurt ourselves, we can be afraid to
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: bring our mistakes to God for fear of losing His love.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: For times like these, or any time you're battling loneliness, fear, guilt,
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: or shame, Romans 8.38-39 is a bulb of truth. This
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: compassionate and eye-opening portion of the Apostle Paul's letter to
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: the church in Rome serves as a promise. Paul wants
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: all believers to know that no life event, timing, distance,
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: external force, spiritual powers, or even death can tear you
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: out of God's loving care. His embrace is unshakable and eternal.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: As an aside, I don't believe Paul intends these verses
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: as a pass. to allow evil or sin free reign.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: He isn't simply stating, God stays no matter what you do,
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: so do whatever you want. He is, however, painting an
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: amazing portrait of an ever-present love, vast enough to send
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: His only Son to die for us while we were
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: still sinners, Romans 5.8. And he says he is convinced
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: of it because he experienced God's radical and transformative mercy firsthand.
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: The truth is, God never rejects you. Even when you
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: inevitably sin, He is always inviting you to run to
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: Him with a repentant heart and know that He will
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: receive and forgive you. He offers constant, unchanging love that
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: doesn't waver. This love of God that is in Christ
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: Jesus our Lord also doesn't require impossible perfection, but rather
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: delights in the way you're made. You don't have to
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: perform for God or keep earning His love. He knows
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: and sees everything about you and loves you anyway. Paul
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: also includes neither the present nor the future in his
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: list of things you may fear will separate you from God.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: This means you can trust God to be with you
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: today and every tomorrow. No matter what is happening now
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: or what transpires in your future financial status, family plans, health,
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: or anything you hold dear, God's love for you is secure.
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: You can also take comfort in knowing that absolutely no
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: evil power in this world is greater than God. In fact,
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: 1 John 4-4 reminds you, Greater is he who is
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: in you than he who is in the world. Furthermore,
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: John 16-33 explains that Christ has already overcome the world.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: So if you're ever feeling unlovable, unworthy, or lonely, and
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: are wondering if God still loves you, hold on to
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: Romans 8, 38, 39. God's love isn't based on your
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: fallibility or your accomplishments. It's a gift of His grace
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: that's unstoppable because you are in Christ. As a believer,
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: God has grafted you into the vine of Christ so
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: that you can branch out confidently by the power of
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: His unbreakable love. intersecting faith and life. The next time
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: you start feeling like God only loves you and you're perfect,
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: try recalling a time when God pulled you through any disaster. Remember,
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: as you look back, a sign from God that showed
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: you that He was holding you and loving you. As
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: you focus on His steady love, you can offer a
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: prayer of thanks and gratitude for a God that's bigger,
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: more powerful, and more loving than than anything else in
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: all creation. Further reading Psalm 136, 26 Jeremiah 31, 3
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: Zephaniah 3, 17 John 3, 16 Thanks.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: For listening to today's devotional. If you liked what you
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: heard today, we want to make sure you know about
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow Your
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get a
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your days
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to grow
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: in prayer or start your day with your heart focused
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: on the right things, search for Your Daily Prayer in
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app and be sure to follow the
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: show so you get a new prayer delivered straight to
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: you each morning. Thank you.