3-1-2016

        Good Morning All!!     

         Romans 8:35; “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

      There are some great chasms in this world; if found on the ocean floor, they are called trenches.  The biggest one is the Mariana Trench off of Japan.  It reaches depths of over 36,000 feet.  If the highest spot on earth, Mount Everest was placed in the Mariana Trench; it would still be more than a mile underwater.  The Red River Gorge is up to 4,000 feet deep but at least we can see that chasm.  Chasms are huge events.  They are incredibly difficult to traverse.  If you are on one side it can be almost impossible to get to the other. 

     In our verse for today, the Greek root word for “separate” is “chasma” This is where we get the word chasm.  It can also mean an impassible interval.  When you think of the word separate like this?  Or do you think of separate more like when the family dog sits between your teen age daughter and her date while they watch TV?  When Paul writes this passage, he is referring to a chasm.  Who is going to place a chasm between the love of Christ and you?  Who or what can place you miles from God’s love?  In Paul’s time it was tribulation persecution or nakedness and famine.  It might be different in your time.  You might be dealing with a distant spouse, an angry child, failing health, uncertain economic times.  Any of these can cause pain, doubt, fear or sleepless nights.

    Part of what Paul is telling us is that when we focus on short term or temporal problems; we begin a chasm between us and Christ.  When we stay focused on our own temporary condition rather than on God’s eternal love, we are missing out on God’s love.  Yet God wants us to always focus on his eternal, unending love.  The love that poured out on the cross to cover us and to cleanse us keeps that chasm closed.  When our focus is on God’s great and eternal love, we can see that the here and now is but a short time in our life and just a blink of time in our eternal existence.

    God reminds us to always keep focused on his grace and mercy.  We are always to keep in mind that we possess his promise of eternal life with him, nothing can separate us from that truth.  God’s great love for us will lift us up above and beyond all earthly struggles and trials.  Christ’s victory over all these enemies is now our victory.  Through his tremendous love he will never let us go.  He will always breach that chasm that you feel and experience.  God’s love sustains us through all battles and gives us victory through his victory on the cross.  Christ lives and we live as well.

Father, at times it feels like I am miles away from your love.  Yet your mercy pursues me and refreshes me and gives me hope.  Keep me in your loving arms; let nothing separate us.  Keep all doubts and fears at bay.  Strengthen me by your grace.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret