Where is His Love?

Rom 8:38-39

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor 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.

A good friend shared this scripture with a few of us recently in a men's group. While he was sharing, I got lost in my own thoughts and questions. If nothing can separate us from His love, what does that mean? If He loves me so much, where is He when I'm getting pummeled? 

I love it when God uses every day real life moments to reveal himself to me. This became one of those moments. 

Our youngest son is 11 years old and is playing football again this year. How do I, as his father, show my love for him when he plays football? I can't be on the field for him even when he may be getting pummeled by the other team. However, that doesn't mean I don't love him. I've shown him that I love him by how I've equipped him for success before he went out onto the field. I got the best gear; cleats, shoulder pads and custom helmet. I then signed him up with a good league and surrounded him with good teammates to support him during the battle. Once he takes the field and the battle starts, it's up to him. Will he use the training, teammates and equipment that he's been given and fight to win or will he get down in his three point stance looking at his opponent and ask where am I in this moment?

Of course I would storm the field and stop anything that I thought was dangerous. But, for the most part, when the ball is snapped he's been prepared/equipped to win and it's up to him.

I'm thinking just maybe that the reason that I sometimes feel that God isn't showing His love to me by bailing me out of stuff is because He's done what a good loving father should have done and prepared me going in. He knows that I'm equipped with the right gear and team to win. He knows now that even though He will cringe every time that I take a lick and get knocked on my butt, He can't bail me out. He must let me battle. He knows that I can do it and I should know that His love is cheering for me and will stop the battle if it appears that it will destroy me.

Where is His love in your life right now? Maybe you're not as alone in whatever battle you're facing right now as it feels. Maybe as you get down into your three point stance and wait for the ball to snap and you look at the challenge that you're lined up against, you should realize that God has equipped you with the right gear and the right team to win. His love is not just Him climbing on the cross to take your place in every struggle you have. His love is also in the equipping of you to go into the game. He selected the right gear and your team that surrounds you. It's now up to you. It's game time!

They're just words... until the ball is snapped