The Upper Room devotional reflection for Tuesday, November 8, 2022, comes to us from Ken Roberts of New Jersey.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 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.
Romans 8:35-39NIV
THE LOVE OF A CAT
I was never a cat person. And then one morning a hungry kitten showed up at my kitchen door, and I gave it a meatball. That day marked the beginning of my love of cats and led me to a deeper understanding of God’s great love for us. I had always had a hard time accepting the concept of God’s unconditional love for us. I couldn’t understand how God could continue to love us so much despite our attempts to push God away. Yet the bible tells us that God loves us in spite of what we do.
Living with my cat helped me understand this in a new way, because no matter what she did – run away from me, push me away, all the little annoying things that cats do – I didn’t care. I loved her so much that nothing she did harmed my relationship with her. I loved her unconditionally. I finally realized that this is how God loves us. God loves us, and “neither 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.” No matter what I do, no matter how many times I push away, God is always there to love me. With the help of a little cat, I finally understood the astounding magnitude of God’s great love for us.
Friends,
Paraphrasing a saying the Rev. Jeff Nelson frequently offers, “God loves you and there’s nothing you can do about it.” The unconditional love of God is often perplexing, especially when we look at the discord and polarization that is rampant in our world. Ken’s reflection offers us a tangible comparison that helps us grasp how God can love us unconditionally. May you find moments, today, to experience and share the unconditional love of God.
--Pastor Anthony
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help us to recognize the lessons you teach us through your creation so that we may come to know and love you better. Amen.
-- Ken Roberts
Prayer Focus:
People who care for stray animals.
Thought for the day:
Every creature in God’s world has something to teach me.