What can Separate?

When I was just a small child my mother packed her bags and while my father was working she left with me in her arms to live with my grandparents. The separation was devastating to my Dad but as I was only about a year old I had no understanding of what had happened. One day my father had been there. The next I was separated. Between that moment and my middle teen years I only saw my father twice and then for only an hour or so.

When I was fifteen years old my father was finally able to have a custody hearing. That afternoon I entered into the judge’s chambers alone and he asked me a single question, “Do you like your father?”

“I don’t know.” I answered truthfully shrugging my shoulders. I don’t know who he is” I didn’t realize that I had actually passed right by my dad and step-mother on the way in to the court.

“Then I’m going to give you a chance to get to know him.” The judge answered.

In much the same way, our heavenly father is sitting just outside the courtroom of eternity. Because of our sins we have been legally separated from him. Under the cover of night, they have taken us from His house. But when Jesus gave His last drop of blood for us on the cross a cosmic earthquake took place. We were called into court and Heaven’s custody hearing began a single question. “Do you like your father?”

Though it took me a lifetime to build a relationship with my father he made it all possible because nothing was able to separate me from his love. The promise of God is that nothing can separate us from His love and He has planned an eternal relationship for you and I. His Son Jesus Christ suffered and died to buy that opportunity for us, but in order to award custody Heaven’s judge is waiting on our answer.

 

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God’s Kingdom

God’s kingdom in our lives rules even and especially in the face of opposition difficulties or weakness. He loves to prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies. The love of Christ is most powerful and most clearly seen when faced with suffering and will carry us all the way to the throne of God!

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37‭-‬39 ESV

How Did Noah Build The Ark?

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord Genesis 6:8

For those who have not made it to see the Ark Encounter it may be difficult to imagine not only the size, but also the tremendous amount of details involved in the ark. God’s instructions were clear on the dimensions and to make a window and a door. The rest of the thousands of decisions as to exactly how to build the ark were left up to Noah. How did he do it? God doesn’t tell us much but we know one thing about Noah: He found grace in the eyes of the Lord!

In the same way Jesus has given us His clear commandment: Love one another:

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He wasn’t specific on the details of our obedience to this important mission. He is trusting us to fill in the blanks each and every day with the exciting, challenging and sometimes downright complicated outworking of that obwdience.

If you are struggling at times like I am with learning to love don’t be discouraged. There is one wonderful reason one reason to not give up and walk away: Grace!  By God’s grace we can figure it out just like Noah. It is a gigantic task but by grace, the love of Christ in us is up to the task!

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

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