It’s amazing how encouraging a video conference with friends from church can be during this time of isolation. We had our Wednesday morning study together online today, and it’s so nice to hear their voices and see their faces. We have been studying Romans 8, and it has proven to be just so very perfect for the times we find ourselves in right now.
Our leader shared a video of John Piper reciting Romans 8, and I’m sharing it here because it’s just so powerful to hear scripture read this way, especially after several months of studying the passage first. He speaks, not as one reading, but with the passion of a preacher, and it’s quite moving to hear it this way. It's almost as if you're hearing Paul's passion as he wrote it. I was in tears by the end of it. Often I find that reading scripture out loud helps me to grasp it better, but this is even beyond that. It encourages me to get back to working on my memorization of Colossians. I remember when I was working to memorize Philippians how alive the words became as I was able to recite them out loud more as one speaking the full message of the passage rather than reading individual verses by themselves. So, take a listen to this and be encouraged!
After my last post when I shared the struggle I’m having with the edge of that depression pit, I am reminded once again how diligent we must be to remind ourselves of what is true when the darkness rages around us. We also talked about this today, how the beginning and ending of Romans 8 have the phrase, “in Christ,” and how incredibly significant that is regarding the teaching those verses bookend. It is only in Christ that the rest of the promises are true. He is everything. Because of who He is, we have hope, real, true, abiding hope that transcends any anxiety or depression the world may present to us. We discussed how we can intentionally remind ourselves every day that there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and live in that light. One or our members shared how she memorized the books of the Bible as a child and she will go through each one and remember a verse or truth from that book. I was reminded of this song which has been meaningful to me for a long time. Take a listen to this and, again, be encouraged! Joy!
I’m thankful, once again, for the technology that’s allowing us to not be quite so isolated during this time of physical isolation, and I’m incredibly thankful for the way we are able to read and study and discuss together God’s Word to stir each other up to encouragement and good works. As I shared in an earlier post, our longing to be together again is just a glimpse of our greater longing for the day when Jesus gathers us together when He returns. But for now, how sweet that He places the lonely in families - the Body of Christ, our fellow believers, is a family and what an encouragement we can be for each other when we invest in each others’ lives, care about and for each other, and remind each other of the truths we learn and the hope we share in our loving, saving God as we study His word together. What an awesome God He is.
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