Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Come Holy Spirit Renew the Creation.
Romans 8:31-39
Sunitha Abraham
St. John's MTC, NY
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In the Christian tradition, the feast of the Pentecost commemorates the time when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as they spend time praying in the upper room. It was a time of uncertainty and the disciples went from having Jesus who knew the plan to waiting for the Holy Spirit. The month of June has a sense of new beginning for most students, it’s the end of one chapter and the beginning of something new. Graduates are leaving the safety net of their homes and preparing to face new situations and challenges. In my own family we have three graduates, one entering the elementary school, one entering the middle school and one entering college.
Looking back at our lives we usually categorize it into segments of struggles and good times. Most of us want struggle to only be an occasional aberration in our life. Reality is slightly different, if we are not facing a physical crisis, it could be an emotional crisis, or uncertainty about the future. This portion promises us that struggle is not the only thing that will be constant in our lives but the love of Christ and His persistence in our lives. This is the constant we should be focusing on.
When I envision the most courageous people, it is usually those who are working to bring their dynamic vision for their future to fruition. But true courage is living through fear, making the tough choices in the midst of fear, and realizing that even in our most uncertain situation, Christ is in the drivers' seat. If we are facing challenges of this world or if our future seems uncertain, our reason for courage is Christ. This passage inspires courage in us no matter what situations we face,"What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" The reality is our future isn't guaranteed, but what roots us is that even as we face some of the toughest challenges, "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Vs.39
PRAYER
Lord, we thank You for guiding us through the struggles and walking beside us as our support in our difficult moments. We pray that You will continue to protect us and provide us with the strength and wisdom to learn through our struggles of health, family, occupational, educational, political, and environmental issues. Help us to be a true neighbor to everyone. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Excerpt from Footprints in the Sand Poem
He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."