May 2

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? — Rom 8:35 BSB

Never forget that if we have been brought near to the Lord Jesus by living faith, there can never be a final or actual separation from Him. In our darkest moments, in the most painful struggles, even under the fiercest temptations, there is, as with Jonah in the belly of the great fish, a looking again toward God's holy temple. Sometimes it's just a sigh, a cry, a groan, or a heartfelt desire to "know Him and the power of His resurrection"—to be drawn nearer to Him and to sense His preciousness in our souls. These very cries and sighs prove that, despite the darkness of our minds, guilt of our consciences, or unbelief, there is no real separation from Him.

Grace is like nature in this: clouds don't blot out the sun; the sun is still in the sky, though its rays may be hidden from us. So it is with the Sun of Righteousness; our unbelief, ignorance, darkness of mind, and guilt of conscience, or the temptations we face, do not blot Him out from the sky of grace. Though thick clouds may come between Him and us, making us feel as though He has forgotten us, grace carries on the work it began: "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).