“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Romans 8:31-32
This verse is solid truth we can hang our hopes on. But it doesn’t always feel that way.
We face a lot of things in life that are scary. Those of us who have lived in DV know very well the feeling of being alone and that everyone and everything is against us. That harmful, deep, dark valley feels like it will never end—and that it is the end.
DV survivors aren’t the only ones that can feel like everything is against us. So many ongoing tragic situations can cause anyone’s hope to wane. Chronic or terminal disease, life-altering injury, loss of job/finances and inability to meet even life’s necessities of food and shelter, ….
When life is scary, and everything is this whole world is against us, and everything is going “wrong”, it can be hard to see God at work in our lives. We feel more like the verse shortly after.
As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Romans 8:36
And that doesn’t feel good. — And is good reason to not cherry pick individual verses out of their context.
So, what are “these things” that we declare this in the face of? We have to back up a little bit more. (And should even more, to the context of the whole Epistle, but…) Let’s look at verse 14 and on.
For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons [and daughters]. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father! ”
Romans 8:14-17
The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ —if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
The Good News, if we are led by God’s Spirit (alive in us through regeneration, by faith in Y’shua, and true repentance,) we are God’s children! The Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all that is, is our Abba, our loving, caring Father, Who is for us!
But there’s that part that trips many up. The “theology of suffering”. We can’t deny it. We may not understand it all. But it is there.
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
John 16:33
To the verse that is actually my favorite…
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28
Though hardships and sufferings are, well, hard even horrendous. They don’t compare to the glory God will reveal in us.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Romans 8:18
And the conclusion of it all?
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Romans 8:36-37
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Living Coram Deo & freely whole
SDG!
~ Liberty—Life Restoration & Soul Transforming Creativity Coach
Empowering you to live a life that is Freely Whole—spirit, soul, and body—in Jesus!
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