God's Love
by Christel Baxter
I noticed something very interesting in these verses in Romans 8. Paul, who wrote the book of Romans, speaks about God’s love and the absolute certainty of it. These verses mention in great detail the possible things that we may perceive to be barriers to the love of God. It speaks about death and life and angels and demons, present or future, powers, height or depth, and in case Paul missed anything, he mentions “anything in all creation”.
What caught my attention was the word LIFE. The issues of life can weigh so heavily on us that we cannot see God’s face and hear His voice clearly, and it may cause us to think He has abandoned us. In the parable of the sower, the cares of this life is named as one of the things that can cause the seed to be choked and become unfruitful (Mark 4:18). Also, we may get so caught up in the busyness of this life that we lose sight of God and start neglecting our times with Him. God does not set up barriers between us and Him, neither does He tear down barriers we erect. It is our own doing.
God’s love is all encompassing. It spans from before your birth and reaches beyond the grave into eternity. Ephesians 1:4 says, “…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Notice the words “in love.” 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. It is His very nature – part of His essence – and He is unchangeable. God’s love does not rely on our cooperation or response. It is a given, unchangeable fact. Separation from relationship with God comes through our own wrong choices and sin, but separation from His love is impossible.
Perhaps the cares of this life has caused you to feel removed from God’s love. He has never given up on you or taken His eyes off you. Nothing can separate you from His love – NOTHING. Rest and rejoice in this truth!
Prayer: Father, thank you that You have always loved me, even when I have felt unlovable and unloved. Thank you that Your love surrounds me in all the seasons of my life – even when the cares of this life presses in on me. I choose to rest in Your all-encompassing love, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Christel Baxter joined the Associate prayer ministry team at Shere House, S.Africa in 2008 after attending the 20 day school. Besides serving together on the associate team at Shere House, Christel & her husband, Gary, pastor New Life Ministries, a congregation in Boksburg, Gauteng. Their children, Liezl and Wesley, are both married, and they adore their son-in-law and daughter-in-law and their little granddaughter, Hannah! Christel is passionate about seeing broken lives restored and especially loves ministering God`s love and healing to women of all ages.
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