Editor’s Note: This is the twelfth of series of short stories dealing with
my personal interpretation of selected verses from the Holy Bible offered
under the title “The Old Lady and Ana”.
THE OLD LADY AND ANA12. ROMANS 8:26-38 (GOD’S LOVE)
Ana was worried all day long and just could not find an answer to her problem. Finally she sought out her favorite grandmother who was sitting at the dining room table cleaning the family silver ware. Taking a chair next to the old lady, Ana, looking intently at her, asked:
“Gramma, how does God know when we need help and how does he choose
who should be helped and should not be helped?”
The old lady put down the vase she was cleaning, turned to her grand daughter and smiling reassuringly, whispered quietly but firmly:
“No my dear Ana, God has no favorites, he loves us all in the same way and does
not choose sides. He knows our needs and does everything for us. The bible is very
clear about this, let me read to you from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans:”
The Holy Spirit helps us because we are weak.
We do not know how we should talk to God.
But the Holy Spirit himself talks to God for us,
We do not know how we should talk to God.
But the Holy Spirit himself talks to God for us,
while we cry and cannot say any words.
God looks to see what is in people's hearts.
And he knows what the Holy Spirit is going to do.
The Holy Spirit talks to God for God's people.
And he asks for them what God wants them to have.
“He is telling us that the Holy Spirit takes care of us. He knows our weaknesses and our fears and in fact, is always interceding for us. He carries our needs to God and speaks for us even when we are not able to do so. St. Paul went further, listen:”God looks to see what is in people's hearts.
And he knows what the Holy Spirit is going to do.
The Holy Spirit talks to God for God's people.
And he asks for them what God wants them to have.
We know that God works out everything for the good
of those who love him.
They are the people who are part of his plan.
He knew all along that he would choose them.
He chose them to be made like his Son.
Then his Son would be the first one of many brothers.
He chose them and he also called them.
He called them to himself
They are the people who are part of his plan.
He knew all along that he would choose them.
He chose them to be made like his Son.
Then his Son would be the first one of many brothers.
He chose them and he also called them.
He called them to himself
as if they had never been bad people.
He made them right with himself
He made them right with himself
and he also made them great in heaven.
“God is making it quite clear that he loves all those people who love him. In fact he assures us that he sees us in the same way as he sees his own son. He went further to state that Jesus is the first of many brothers and as far as he is concerned he sees us all as part of his family and worthy of heaven”.The old lady paused for a while to allow Ana to assimilate the information and then slowly continued:
So what shall we say about this?
If God is on our side, who can be against us?
He did not keep his own Son, but gave him up for us all.
Because he has given him to us, will he not also give us all other things?
Who will say anything against God's chosen people?
For it is God himself who says they have been put right with him.
Who will say they are not right?
Jesus Christ died. Yes, he was raised from death.
He is at the right side of God. And he talks to God for us.
If God is on our side, who can be against us?
He did not keep his own Son, but gave him up for us all.
Because he has given him to us, will he not also give us all other things?
Who will say anything against God's chosen people?
For it is God himself who says they have been put right with him.
Who will say they are not right?
Jesus Christ died. Yes, he was raised from death.
He is at the right side of God. And he talks to God for us.
“ What could be stronger than this statement of the commitment of our God to us? By Jesus dying on the cross for us and subsequently raising from the dead, he has guaranteed our eternal salvation and given us security in obtaining God’s love and the right to be called his chosen people. Even after becoming one of us and suffering and dying for us, Jesus continues to seek our salvation before God. So you see the bad people of the world can try to destroy our good name but Jesus, by paying the ultimate penalty has earned us the right to be declared righteous before God and he has given us his promise that he will do so”.
Ana, beaming with joy and relief was about to exclaim her pleasure and satisfaction, but the old lady gestured to her that there was more, and continued to read from her bible:
Who can take us away from Christ's love?
We may have trouble. We may have hard times.
People may make us suffer because we believe.
We may have no food to eat and no clothes to wear.
We may be in danger. We may be killed with big knives.
Can any of these things take us away from Christ's love?
I am absolutely sure that not even death or life
can separate us from God's love.
Not even angels or demons, the present or the future,
or any powers can do that.
“What a beautiful promise we have received from our God. Nothing, not trouble nor hard times nor starvation nor death nor demons nor anything else, can separate us from the love of Christ. We are indeed truly blessed and secure in the knowledge that we are eternally loved ".Ana, beaming with joy and relief was about to exclaim her pleasure and satisfaction, but the old lady gestured to her that there was more, and continued to read from her bible:
Who can take us away from Christ's love?
We may have trouble. We may have hard times.
People may make us suffer because we believe.
We may have no food to eat and no clothes to wear.
We may be in danger. We may be killed with big knives.
Can any of these things take us away from Christ's love?
I am absolutely sure that not even death or life
can separate us from God's love.
Not even angels or demons, the present or the future,
or any powers can do that.
Ana jumped up from the chair hugged her grand mother as tightly as she could and exclaimed in a voice meant to be heard around the world:
“Our God is the greatest, most awesome God, and I am so glad that he loves me!”
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