“For All” – Day Two

31 Aug “For All” – Day Two

Scripture: Romans 8:37-39 NLT 一 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Observation: God is all-powerful and his love for us is unstoppable! He showed this through his Son, Jesus, who loved us, died for us, and rose again, conquering death. Nothing can separate us from God’s love! 

Application: As a highschool student and college student, I was that girl who had to have perfect grades. I gave up going to church, spending time with friends, and a whole lot of sleep to cross every last “t” and dot every last “i” on all my schoolwork for eight years. There were many nights of tears and frustration as I struggled to live up to my own sky-high expectations, and more than once my father asked why I sacrificed so much for the sake of my grades. I couldn’t admit it to him, but at that time, I truly felt my academic achievement was the only thing of value about me; if I didn’t have that, I was nothing. I believed in God, but I didn’t fully understand him, and as mentioned, I wasn’t making the time to get to know him (or others who believed in him) more. 

The summer after I graduated from nursing school, I started attending The Journey. For the first time ever, I was actually engaged in what I was hearing at church, and I knew deep down that I needed to keep coming back. One of the first things that really transformed me was learning how God’s steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 136). Forever! As someone who spent her entire life striving to be worthy, it blew me away that God would love me whether I felt I deserved it or not. And after all the time I spent away from church, prioritizing school over my faith, I certainly felt like I didn’t deserve it. I wandered away but he never stopped loving me, and when I made the intentional choice to return to him, he welcomed me back! 

Joy began to replace the stress and emptiness that I had carried with me for so long, but it still took time to fully embrace God’s inseparable love. A year or so after I came to The Journey, I remember driving home after yet another late and difficult shift at work. I felt like a failure, especially compared to all the other nurses who had no trouble getting out of work on time. But as I sat crying at a red light, I believe God reached out to me through a worship song on the radio – “Even Then” by Micah Tyler. The chorus goes, “No matter how it ends / you’re with me even then.” No matter what, as followers of Jesus, God is with us and for us. And that’s exactly what Paul conveys in Romans 8:37-39: God loves us, and his love is so strong that nothing in all creation could stop him from loving us一not even our own self-doubts and shortcomings.  

Prayer: Dear God一thank you for your unfailing love! Thank you, Jesus, for sacrificing everything to show just how much you love us. When we feel unworthy, help us to remember that nothing can separate us from your love because nothing can stop you. May your love and joy fill us up and overflow to those around us. 

Vanessa Marianiello

Photography Team Leader

When she’s not working at the hospital, Vanessa is the Photography Team Leader at The Journey. She started attending The Journey because her brother and sister-in-law were gracious enough to keep bringing her back before she had a car. Now, as a young adult with her own car, she’s found a community of true friends through the many young adult J-Groups of which she has been a part. 

Going Deeper: 

• • • • • When was a time you felt like you didn’t deserve God’s love?
        • What helps remind you that God will always be with you?
        • In need of prayer? We have a team of people waiting for the opportunity to pray with you! Share your request with us here.