May 1 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 8:31-39:

³¹What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Devotional

The eighth chapter of the epistle to the Romans is a chapter of triumph — the triumph of faith, faith that giveth us the victory. We are in Christ, and in him we conquer. There is no condemnation; no one can bring charges that will hold; no one that can condemn; nothing that can separate us from his love. True there is much to endure — "Tribulation, distress, persecu­tion, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, being killed all the day long, accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in spite of all this, we are more than conquerors, not only over outward circumstances, but over the devil himself. "They overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives to the death." And he that overcometh shall inherit all things. And, God will be his God, and he shall be his son. Therefore, "the voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous." "The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly." Death is swallowed up in victory. Now there is perfect security for ever and ever. The enemies shall not recon­quer us. "I give unto them eternal life, and thy shall never per­ish." And all this we owe to him who loved us, and gave himself for us. Praise be to his holy name now and for ever.

Prayer

Our Father, we thank Thee that Thou givest us the victory over sin and Satan and suffering and death and hell through our Lord Jesus Christ; that through him we are more than conquerors: that Thou causest us always to triumph in Christ. Help us to remember that we can overcome Satan only by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony, by believing and confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. May we not love our lives even unto death. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: 1 John 5:4; Rom. 8:2, 44-47; Rev. 21:7; Ps. 118:15; 1 Cor. 15:54; John 10:28; Gal. 2:20.

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