“He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for
all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring
any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It
is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of
God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who
will separate us from the love of Christ?
….Will hardship, or
distress, or persecution or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
…not
a chance
Romans 8 (18-28) goes on to say we are already more than
conquerors of these things through him who loved us. There is nothing that can
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Neither good days or bad
days, or times of fear, or pain, or confusion, or being lost, or lacking what
we think we need, or when our own desires take over. None can separated us. Nothing. Though the enemy tries to find
ways, Nothing can. God has given up everything,
his own Son and more…
…This past month I have seen Romans 8 come to life and God
move in ways that are pretty much indescribable. I’ve experienced meaning
behind the words that I have read many times and tried to grasp full
understanding without understanding the entire picture. Our ministry, my team,
and squad as a whole have all played parts in this new understanding. Last week
one of our teams in a different part of Malawi was involved in an accident
where their minibus blew a tire rolled several times. The news was something
that shook me to my core, hearing friends in a serious accident, not being
there to comfort them or see how they are with my own eyes, and having
experienced the sketchy travel in Africa and not knowing the conditions of
hospitals in the area. We immediately went into prayer and worship continually
covering the next 24 hours. I found myself at times at a lack of words and not
knowing how to pray for them but still having the team heavy on my heart. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our
weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit
intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” The Lord took control. I could
tell God knew every thought, every worry, every concern on my heart and mind
for my squad mates and took them and I could feel it. I could feel the united
force of our squad praying all across the country at the same time for these
guys and at the same time I looked up and saw our ministry contacts and people
of the church here that we have gotten to know praying and supporting our team.
It was the essence of community, the way it should be. “Rejoice
with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one
another…”(Romans 12:15).. That is what they did. And they were there to
rejoice with us when we got news the next day everyone was doing much better.
We prayed thanksgiving as we heard the leader, who was tossed out of the
vehicle with the potential of many serious injuries, had no broken bones or
internal bleeding and would be ok-more than ok, walking around just a couple
days later as a miraculous act of God. Reading the blogs and stories from the
team that was involved shows how faithful God is and the protection he had over
them all. The way God had that afternoon orchestrated to provide every need and
provide transportation and doctors right away to take care of the team is
beyond incredible. Read some of their accounts of God moving through this at www.calebgalloway.theworldrace.org
or www.tommysullivan.theworldrace.org.
It will rock your world hearing the ways God moved and is continuing to.
“I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to
be revealed to us” These sufferings, worries, heartaches that come along
with situations like these are not even worthy of being considered or mentioned
when you think of the glory that God is about to show. In every situation, God
tells us to “consider it all joy” when -not if— we face trials or tribulations (James 1)..1. Because it
test our faith and produces endurance ensuring we will lack nothing and grow
beyond what we would on our own. And 2. Because God is about to do something
big with it -Romans 8 style. Something that isn’t even in the same league or on
the same page as to what the sufferings might have been, because the glory and
greatness God will reveal in the situation is pretty much just too crazy and
huge. I know through the accident, God’s glory is already being revealed
through the testimonies of the team involved of God’s faithfulness, to people
reading their stories, to the doctors who were amazed how unharmed they group
was, to the driver who now wants to know more of the Lord… and even more beyond
the glimpse I have of what God is doing in this situation.
And the best part is, we are to count it all joy in all
circumstances and situation, and trust that there is nothing that will separate
us from our Father, and know his glory will be revealed. Even in every
instance, even ones we may consider small or brush off, we are to recognize
this. To not get frustrated when there are continual bugs inside or bug net, or
when mistakes are made while speaking or leading or whatever else it might be, ultimately counting
it all joy and knowing God’s glory will
be revealed. Trust.
