by Rev Douglas Brauner

It’s Not All about How We Feel

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For 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 New International Version

A stroll through your town will reveal many obstacles that separate you from people and things. Fences, walls, works of art have a way of disconnecting us from others.

Downtown Colorado Springs

What’s separating you from God?

Those things that separate us from God are not as obvious as the physical barriers we face in life, those things that separate one person from another. I can touch, taste, feel, smell and see those obstacles. The things that separate us from God aren’t as apparent.

Do our successes separate us from God?

Do our failures separate us from God?

Does life itself separate us from God?

My gut tells me that Paul wrestled with things that had the appearance of separating him from God. The daily burdens that weighed him down, the anticipation of the future, his concern for people he loved all pressed in on Paul. These hardships might have squeezed Paul to the point he asked the questions we ask; why me, why this, why now?

We often ask the why questions because we feel disconnected from God. It might even be hard for us to hear Paul affirm that nothing has the power to separate us from the love of God, especially when it isn’t the love of God that we’re presently feeling. Paul might not have felt the love of God either.

Feelings don’t dictate the reality of God’s presence in our lives. Jesus is the nearness of God. Paul’s affirmation is based on Jesus and Jesus alone.

Whatever might look as if it’s separating you from God doesn’t have that power because of Jesus.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado