Today was an opportunity for a midweek walk with reflection. The weather was glorious – sunny and breezy – and the passage is one I come back to time and again. Romans 8: 38-39: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present, not the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, not anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As I was walking today with this words in mind, I was also reminded of a song called, ‘The God Who Stays’ by Matthew West. The song is about how God never gives up on us, never walks away, even if the people around us or even ourselves would be tempted to label us a list cause. The bridge section says,
‘my shame can’t separate,
my guilt can’t separate,
my past can’t separate,
I’m yours forever
my sin can’t separate
my scars can’t separate
my failures can’t separate
I’m yours forever
No enemy can separate
Now power of hell can take away
Your love for me will never change
I’m yours forever.’
The passage from Romans is quite extensive – with the handy phrase ‘not anything else in all creation’ mopping up what is missed in the rest of the list – but I also found it helpful to play that song through in my mind too. There’s things in Matthew West’s list that are implied in Paul’s, but somehow it was good to actually name them. How often have we counted ourselves out because we’ve done things that are too bad, or we’ve messed up too much? Have you ever labelled yourself as broken or beyond repair?
Here’s the thing the Paul (and Matthew West) remind us: there is nowhere you can go that God won’t love you, there is nothing you can do to make God love you less, and there is nothing supernatural that can get in the way of God’s love for you. Because God loves. As we approach Easter and see pictures of Jesus on a cross – it’s because God loves.
Maybe take a moment today to sit with that truth: you are deeply, unfailingly loved. Not because of what you’ve done or haven’t done. Not because you’ve earned it. Simply because God loves you — and nothing can ever change that.
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