"[Nothing] shall be able to separate us from the love of God"  (Rom. 8:39).

The Apostle Paul lists ten specific things, yet includes everything, to reveal the power of Christ's conquering love and our beloved identity in Christ.  Jesus loved us before we were born, and He loves us now.  This is our identity in Christ;  it is who we are--God's beloved children.  That is an assuring thought to think and ponder about throughout the day.

Five times in John's gospel he described himself as the disciple Jesus loved (13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20).  Jesus loved His other disciples too, but John reveled in the fact that Jesus loved him!  Maybe we need to adopt John's theme and declare--"I am the disciple Jesus loves!"--and repeat it to ourselves all day long.  Or we can sing that familiar children's song in our hearts, "Jesus loves me, this I know."  As we carry that truth with us throughout the day, we will be able to bask in the divine embrace of His love!

Adapted from:  https://odb.org/2013/07/08/jesus-loves-me

Understanding that Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected for the salvation of the whole world is one thing.  Accepting He did it for us individually is sometimes another whole matter.  Charles Wesley was overwhelmed with this reality and he expressed it his song, "And Can It Be."  That is why there is an overwhelming awe expressed in the realization that God had done this for Charles - "for me," which he repeats three times in verse one.

We all are so undeserving of such a wonderful gift.  And that is why we are often our own harshest critics - because we know our sin so well.  The words of Apostle Paul may sound like our own, "I know that good doesn't live in me--that is, in my body.  The desire to do good is inside of me, but I can't do it" (Romans 7:18 CEB).  Yet we know that Jesus has "taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." So this song reminds us that God's forgiveness is something we receive through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a gift offered to us.  We are justified by grace through faith and yes, it is amazing love indeed.

Adapted from:  https://www.umc.org/en/content/forgiveness-for-me-a-wesley-hymn-devotion-for-lent#:~:text="

  

...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, Ephesians 3:16 (NKJV)

Paul's picture of God radiates as he talks about "glorious riches" of God.  Not only is God willing to answer our prayers, but he is able to do so in a way beyond our imagination (see verse 20).  Paul's exact words here are inspiring as he refers to "the riches of His glory."  God is willing to help us not just out of His glorious treasury of resources, but out of the riches of His own inexhaustible Self.

In other words, there is no limit to what God can do in response to our prayers, because God Himself is limitless.  What's more, Paul prays that God will answer not only  "out of" His glory, but "according to" that glory, in proportion to His glory, in the full measure of His glory.

What if we had such a full and intimate picture of God when we pray;  is it possible that we would be more confident and peaceful when we pray, because we know that He is ABLE.

Adapted from:  https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2015-07-20/ephesians-314-21-2/