Separation

       No one likes to be separated from someone that they love. There are occasions however, when separation takes place due to certain conditions in our lives. While in the Navy, there were times when I was separated from my wife and family due to the fact of being stationed aboard a ship and at sea. People that serve in the military often find themselves separated from their families and everything that they know and find themselves transplanted to a completely different environment, nation or culture. Then, also, there is the jail cell. It makes no difference if you are Al Capone or Martha Stewart. Serving time in jail will separate you from family and friends. In these, our latter days, we decided to move closer to our children and to leave our last area of ministry. Since we have been in our present residence, I am glad that we made that move. There is one separation that won't take place in our lives and it occurs in our spiritual life. I know that there are those people who seem to think that God will all of a sudden, kick them out or cancel their reservation or say, “I don't want you any more.” This is why I especially like the following passage of scripture. The Apostle Paul spoke of this in the latter verses of the 8th chapter of the Book of Romans where Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

          Although there are many different things that can cause separation, Paul goes to great lengths, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to list everything that won't separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You can be especially fond of the phrase, "....nor any other creature." You see, that includes yourself. Not even you can separate yourself from the love of God. There may be times when you might feel as if God's love has left your presence but that is not the case. Our faith is not based upon our own feelings, but upon the promises that we read in God's Word. Therefore, even though we might feel separated, that is not the case. Our faith is based upon the facts that are related in God's Word. No matter what goes on in your life today, you can still be confident in God's promises. So, praise the Lord today for God's love and that it hasn't left you. It will always be there, with you and not even you can do something to remove it from you.