[Membersandfriends] Thursday, December 16, 2004

Wed Dec 15 22:02:32 PST 2004

The Upper Room Daily Devotional -- E-mail Edition
Brought to You by Upper Room Ministries
Thursday, December 16, 2004

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The Upper Room Living Prayer Center

The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by Christian volunteers. Submit prayer requests online or call and speak to one of our volunteers at 1-800-251-2468 (U.S. and Canada) or 615-327-4673 (International).
http://www.upperroom.org/prayer_center
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FLEDGLING FAITH
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Romans 8:31-39 (NRSV)

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,

"For your sake we are being 
killed all day long; 
we are accounted as sheep to 
be slaughtered." 

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

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Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
-- Romans 8:35 (NRSV)
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AS I prepared to continue my studies in another country, I felt worried and anxious because I had never been away from home.  My faith was new, and I was afraid that if I were away from the support of my community of faith I would fall back into my old sins.  I felt that I was still too young in my faith to face the outside world alone.  But the decision to continue my studies was very important to my future.

As I struggled with whether I should or should not go, I was continuously comforted and reminded of God's love.  God helped me to realize that nothing, not even my own weakness, could separate me from God's love.  

Today I am part of a new community of faith where I can serve God even more and where I can continue to grow in faith.  Daily prayer and Bible study help me to keep my faith strong.  And when I begin to feel worried about my relationship with God, I remember the words of Jeremiah 29:11 where God says, "I know the plans I have for you . . . plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."

Prayer:   Dear God, thank you for your everlasting love for us.  Help us to walk in your ways, and protect us from everything that might harm our faith in you.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Nothing can separate us from God's love.

-- Irma Gerungan (Beijing, China)

PRAYER FOCUS: Students far from home

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http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=70105

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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.