November 2, 2017
Romans 8:35-37
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 
New International Version (NIV)
              How can God love us and let us go through hard times?  We may wonder.  Paul presents a formidable list of options.  Thinking about our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who are facing these very things, we know this is not hypothetical. 
               We may fear that death will separate us from God’s love.  It cannot.  As powerful as death is, the power of life is even greater.  Speaking with a friend of mine who has endured a long battle with cancer, I was reminded that we will all face death.  But as believers we face it for Christ’s sake.  We live our whole lives and we die for him. 
               How can we be more than conquerors in Christ?  Because our God knows his way out of the grave.  Jesus overcame death for himself.  In the end, death our final foe will also die.  Until death dies we hold on to our hope as our Savior holds on to us.  I shared with a friend that burying mom in a cemetery alone bothered me.  She had lived alone for some years and I didn’t like leaving her alone in the cemetery.  Of course I know she is not there.  My friend said, “True you buried her alone, but you also buried her aloneness there.  She will never be alone again.”   
Pray with me:
Father, I pray today for my friends who are facing illnesses of various kinds.  Some are inconvenient and some are terrifying.  Some await the results of tests.  We praise you that even when we feel alone, we are never alone.  As we walk through the darkest valley you are with us, always with us.  Give us the grace to see you and hear your voice of comfort as we face the challenges of this day.  Let us live each moment for you and you alone.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 
I want to invite you to join me in memorizing 52 passages this year from the 2017 set of Fighter Verses.  You can find the Fighter Verses App at the App Store on your phones or via this link  http://fighterverses.com/the-verses/fighter-verses/As we study the Bible this year, let's look at each text and learn what it says about God. 
Joyfully, 
Duane 
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