I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Wow! What an assurance. Nothing can take the love of God away from us.

There are many forces around us that try. One is the love we have for ourselves. We may value our life, our body, our job, our rights, or our possessions more than God's love. We may pursue earthly goals rather than heavenly gains.

The world around us is a second force that competes with God's love in Christ. The world tempts us to desire more money, more power, more recognition, and more prestige. And the love of God in Christ doesn't even get a thought in the rat race around us.

My, how the devil loves those Godless forces! He uses every opportunity he can to egg us on to claim our rights and satisfy our needs, to get with it and do as the world does.

But hang in there. God is not only with you in the struggle of life but also fighting for you. His forgiving love will support you through all of life, into eternity. Trust Him and His Word.

PRAYER: Thank You, God. Stay with us always; for Jesus' sake. Amen.

(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)

Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 50-52    Romans 9:16-33

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