Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:35, LSB
No outside force can separate us from God’s love. We will face hardship and struggle in life. This does not mean that God has moved away or that God’s love is not with us. God doesn’t promise that we will no longer face any difficulty in life once we believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him as our Lord and Savior. The reality of most Christians throughout the Early Church faced a lot of persecution, and many were martyred in the faith. Of course, none of us would most likely pray for suffering, but we are called to pray in our suffering with the full faith that Christ is very near to us. Sadly, I have known people who have rejected Christ when faced with severe illness, the death of a loved one or a child, or a major betrayal. In truth, the only thing that may separate us from the love of Christ is us. In the darkest times, we are called to turn into Christ and let Him cover us as we struggle. The church's people may betray you or hurt you, but Christ remains. He remains with His arms wide open to receive all of us into His warm embrace. In Him, we find our peace.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.