by Pastor Linda Skinner
…..This was one of my mother’s favorite Bible passages. Whenever she was unable to read the Bible for herself and I asked her what she wanted me to read to her it was almost always Romans 8.
A time that sticks out most vividly in my mind is after she had her first stroke and she was very confused and anxious, not really knowing where she was or what had happened. The stroke was caused by a clot that had logged in the part of the brain that controls emotions and fears.
I knew that reading God’s Word to her would be the best medicine, so I pulled out my Bible and began reading.
Romans 8:26–28 (NLT): And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
As I read those words I could see mom relaxing. I kept reading and when I read — “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ....No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”— mom looked at me and smiled. All the fear and stress were gone from her face.
The Love of Christ and the Word of God have tremendous power in our lives. Mom had a long, tough recovery ahead, but those ancient words of love gave both of us the strength we would need to face the months to come.
This weekend Dr. Marty Folsom will be sharing about God’s Agape Love found in Romans. He will be continuing the great “Life Vines” series that Pastor Tim has been teaching this Fall. You won’t want to miss another opportunity to experience the love of Christ in worship.