Who is For Us?

Once again, I was wandering through various Bible passages, looking up ones which would give me strength in my weakness and remind me that God has got it covered, He has got my back. I found a verse from Romans chapter 8 and ended up reading the entire chapter. Though I picked out a few verses, because the chapter is a bit long to reprint here, I think you need to go find your Bible and read the entire chapter yourself. Or click here to read it in Biblegateway. Then maybe commit your favorite verse to memory.

From Romans 8, New International Version (NIV)

10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Suffer? Who Me?

What to write about today? Oh, there’s Dino, to the rescue once again.

For Lent, I was talked into giving up chocolate. A co-worker of mine, who is not nearly the chocoholic that I am, wanted someone else to share in her misery. But that is the whole idea of giving up something for Lent, not that we should ever suffer, but we should make sacrifices. No sacrifice we make however will ever compare to the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us.

What does this have to do with my dog Dino? He loves cat food as much as I love chocolate. As I was sitting here on the laptop trying to think of something to write, I could hear him on the other end of the basement eating the cat’s food. I snuck around one side of the basement to catch him, but he heard me and scooted around the other way. Silly dog.

Good thing he doesn’t have to give up cat food for Lent. He pretty much always gets his own way. He is one dog who doesn’t have to think about going to heaven in the afterlife; living in my house is heaven for him right now. Hmm? Think that will be us when we get to heaven, being spoiled daily by the Master?

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 (NIV)

I'd say Dino doesn't suffer much.