The Gospel According to Candy Aisles

Read The Daily:
“I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…” – Romans 8:38–39

When my kids were little, we had a recurring standoff at the grocery store. I’d tell them before we even walked in: We are not getting candy. But five minutes in, like clockwork, they’d look up with those sweet, manipulative eyes and ask, “Can we get candy, Dad?” It didn’t matter that I had already said no. It didn’t matter that I explained why. They forgot—or ignored it—and asked again like it was the first time.

It used to make me laugh. But then I realized—I do the exact same thing with God.

I’ve heard God loves me. I’ve even felt it. But then life gets messy, or I mess something up, and suddenly I’m back asking, Wait, are we good? Are You still with me? It’s like I forget everything I already knew. Call it spiritual amnesia. We remember the guilt, the mistakes, the failed plans—but we forget the grace. We forget we’re already loved, already wanted, already forgiven.

And that’s what makes Romans 8 so powerful. Paul doesn’t say, “I feel like God loves me.” He says, “I am convinced.” That means he decided to believe it—even when it didn’t feel true. He had lived through betrayal, trauma, and failure, and still landed on this: Nothing can separate you from God’s love. Not your past. Not your worst day. Not even your second worst day.

That’s the journey—learning to believe, not because we’ve earned it, but because Jesus already proved it. You don’t have to climb your way into God’s approval. You don’t have to beg for candy. You’re already loved more than you know. Nothing—literally nothing—can undo that.

Prayer for the Day

God what are you  showing me?  What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
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Read The New Testament In A Year

But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, but he warned them not to reveal who he was. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.” Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come. Matthew 12:15-32

Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, “Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.” And, “Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’” And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, “Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved. For the LORD will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality.” And Isaiah said the same thing in another place. Romans 9:19-29

Read More – Bible Project Overviews: Matthew, Romans