12 September 2005 Devotion for Today "In Memory of 9/11" Romans 8:35-39
The following is a devotional I wrote four years ago- the day after "9/11." May God continue to
bless America!
12 September 2001 Devotion for Today "Who Shall Separate?" Romans 8:35-39
Yesterday I received an email from a distant cousin, Mr. David Lamp,
of Falls Church, Virginia, relating to his email mailing list that he
was all right. He worked at the Pentagon in the building right next
to the one that was destroyed by the hijacked aircraft. In his narrow
brush with death, he recognized that not all were as fortunate as he.
Since this tragedy started on Tuesday, I have fought back tears (not
always very successfully) for those whose interviewed accounts by the
media revealed that they had loved ones in the World Trade Towers and
could not find them. They fear the worst as they go from hospital to
hospital and not finding them. Several on the hijacked aircraft made
calls to their loved ones on the ground telling them that they loved
them, and would not see them again. The horror of this is unimaginable.
But the sense of separation and anxiety of not knowing what has happened
to a family member is a feeling too awful to be put into words.
As I read the Scriptures, there is some comfort in that while we may
lose many people and things of this world, there is One whom we will
never lose no matter what may try to dislocate us. The Apostle Paul
tells us in Romans 8:35-39- "Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake
we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved
us. 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 created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Many are pouring over lists of people this week wondering if they will
be separated by this tragedy. This may even have happened to you. If
it has, I'll not want to minimize the pain that you feel. But as the
shock wears away and the hurt and the grief come in overwhelming waves,
God is still there, and He promises never to be separated from you. He
knows what you are feeling, and as His Son, Jesus Christ, allowed
Himself to be hijacked and sent to the Cross, and separated from the
Father's love, He emerged from the tomb alive that we may never know
that kind of separation from God again.
In some small way, may you all be comforted and blessed by the promises
of God's Word.
Jeff Russell
Devotion for Today
Friendship Baptist Church,
Langenselbold, Germany
Yesterday I received an email from a distant cousin, Mr. David Lamp,
of Falls Church, Virginia, relating to his email mailing list that he
was all right. He worked at the Pentagon in the building right next
to the one that was destroyed by the hijacked aircraft. In his narrow
brush with death, he recognized that not all were as fortunate as he.
Since this tragedy started on Tuesday, I have fought back tears (not
always very successfully) for those whose interviewed accounts by the
media revealed that they had loved ones in the World Trade Towers and
could not find them. They fear the worst as they go from hospital to
hospital and not finding them. Several on the hijacked aircraft made
calls to their loved ones on the ground telling them that they loved
them, and would not see them again. The horror of this is unimaginable.
But the sense of separation and anxiety of not knowing what has happened
to a family member is a feeling too awful to be put into words.
As I read the Scriptures, there is some comfort in that while we may
lose many people and things of this world, there is One whom we will
never lose no matter what may try to dislocate us. The Apostle Paul
tells us in Romans 8:35-39- "Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake
we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved
us. 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 created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Many are pouring over lists of people this week wondering if they will
be separated by this tragedy. This may even have happened to you. If
it has, I'll not want to minimize the pain that you feel. But as the
shock wears away and the hurt and the grief come in overwhelming waves,
God is still there, and He promises never to be separated from you. He
knows what you are feeling, and as His Son, Jesus Christ, allowed
Himself to be hijacked and sent to the Cross, and separated from the
Father's love, He emerged from the tomb alive that we may never know
that kind of separation from God again.
In some small way, may you all be comforted and blessed by the promises
of God's Word.
Jeff Russell
Devotion for Today
Friendship Baptist Church,
Langenselbold, Germany
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