1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to today's Crosswalk devotional. We are so 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: glad to have you listening with us here today today's 3 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: topic as nothing can separate us from God. We will 4 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: return after a brief message from our sponsor. Nothing can 5 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,919 Speaker 1: separate us from God? Written by Vivian Bricker, read by 6 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: Rochelle Alberti Bible reading. Who will bring any charge against 7 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 8 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: Who then is the one who condemns no one. Christ Jesus, 9 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: who died more than that, who was raised to life, 10 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: is at the right hand of God and is also 11 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love 12 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: of God? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution, or famine 13 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: or nakedness or danger or sort Romans eight thirty three 14 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: through thirty five. Romans eight is one of my favorite 15 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: chapters of the Bible because it speaks to God's love 16 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: for us. Whenever I am struggling to know my worth, 17 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 1: I turn to Romans ad and it helps me feel 18 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: more optimistic. There is power in the Word of God, 19 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: and it can change our entire lives. However, these changes 20 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: will not occur unless we read the Bible every day. 21 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: That is why it is important for us to spend 22 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: time in the Word daily. It is not enough to 23 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: only listen to the Bible on Sunday mornings. Having a 24 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: relationship with Jesus means we study the Bible each day, 25 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: talk with him in prayer, and apply his teachings in 26 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: our lives. By doing these things, Christ will disciple us 27 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: and we will grow in our relationship with him. Over 28 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: the past year, I have often wondered whether God truly 29 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: loves me. I see everyone else living joyful lives while 30 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: I am struggling every day. My brain reasons that if 31 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: God did love and care about me, I would be 32 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: in a better situation than I am right now. I 33 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: wouldn't have numerous medical health issues, mental health struggles, financial issues, 34 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: or constant worries about the future. Once I sat down 35 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: and surrendered everything to the Lord, I was led once 36 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,679 Speaker 1: again back to Romans aid. This chapter brought me back 37 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: to a true understanding of God and who he is, 38 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: rather than what my brain had created him to be. 39 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: God is not picking on me, nor is he causing 40 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: these terrible things to happen. Instead, all the issues I'm 41 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: having are just part of living in a fallen world. 42 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: Rather than believing the lie that life will always be 43 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: full of pain, grief and sorrow. God has helped me 44 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: to see that better things are coming, even if if 45 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: those things don't happen overnight, they will come in the future. 46 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: Intersecting faith and life, the apostle Paul tells us who 47 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? 48 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: It is God who justifies, who, then is the one 49 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: who condemns no one. Christ Jesus, who died more than that, 50 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: who was raised to life, is at the right hand 51 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall 52 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: separate us from the love of Christ shall trouble or 53 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: hardship or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or danger or 54 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: sword Romans eight thirty three through thirty five. Paul tells 55 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: us plainly in this passage that God is the one 56 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: who justifies, and nobody condemn us because we belong to him. 57 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: Jesus died for us to live, and He is constantly 58 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: interceding for us. Nothing in all creation or any trouble 59 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: can say separate us from the love of Christ. Paul 60 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: mentions that hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword will 61 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: not separate us from the love of Christ. This tells 62 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: us that our present season of suffering does not separate 63 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: us from the love of Christ. Our physical illnesses, mental illnesses, 64 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,559 Speaker 1: and life challenges are nothing compared to the love of God. 65 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: God knows these struggles exist in this world, but He 66 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: will never leave us to face them alone. We are 67 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: always on God's mind, and He is always surrounding us 68 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: with his love, care and protection. Try to start noticing 69 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: the little ways His love is shining through in your life. 70 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: Have you ever felt your troubles have separated you from God? 71 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: Why did you think that? How does it feel to 72 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: know that nothing can separate us from the love of God? 73 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: What are some ways you remind yourself of God's love 74 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: when time's are heart Further reading Romans eight thirty six 75 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: through thirty nine, Psalm twenty three one through six, Psalm 76 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: eighty six fifteen. Thanks for listening to today's devotional. 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