Need a Cape? – Week of August 24, 2020

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 8:35-37

Don’t you love a child with a cape. The look on their faces is pure joy and confidence. With arms raised they fly off to save the day! They can conquer the bad guys and save you, their friends, and every stuffed animal in the room! They exude a feeling of strength and ability and no evidence that they could possibly loose this battle.

Think about that child. They are excited and full of confidence. Fear is not part of their role playing. On what do they base their confidence? They have seen superheroes in videos. They have a cape and maybe a costume. In their imagination, they have all the superpowers they need.

You and I have battles to fight and fears to squelch. Every day we are faced with the influences of the world, the impact of sin in our world, and concerns that can leave us looking for that superhero.

Of all the challenges we face, the most terrifying is our own sin that could lead to a separation from Christ and his love. Without Christ, we are completely lost. Our guilt can challenge our faith and leave us feeling discouraged and despairing. All the capes of the world can’t change that.

While you might not don a cape, you can have even more confidence and enthusiasm than the young child in your room. You don’t have a fictitious character as your model of a superhero. You have someone far more powerful than a superhero. You have the loving and living God who created you and everything in your world. He is the one who looked at Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden hiding after they sinned and responded with the promise of Jesus. That promise wasn’t just for Adam and Eve. It was for you and me as well! No matter what happens to you during your short life on earth, you have grace and forgiveness and heaven is yours. His forgiveness assures us that nothing can separate us from him. He has conquered far more than any superhero; he has conquered our sin. You and I can fly into each day with confidence that we are conquerors through Jesus!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I am so grateful for your grace. Help me to keep the words of Romans 8 in front of me to remind me that in the words of the hymnwriter:

Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord his children sever;
Unto them his grace he showeth, and their sorrows all he knoweth. Amen.
Christian Worship 449:3

A Question to Consider: Who do you know that could use the reminders and encouragement of these verses? Consider sharing them with them by forwarding this devotion and perhaps including a personal word of encouragement.

Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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