Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 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. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:34-39

Dear God, “neither death nor life…” Nothing can separate us from your love.

On his last album before he died, Rich Mullins had a song called “Nothing is Beyond You.”

“Nothing is Beyond You” by Rich Mullins

Where would I go? Where would I run?

Even if I found the strength to fly

And if I rose on the wings of a dove

And crashed through the corners of the sky

And if I sailed past the edge of the sea

Even if I made my bed in hell

Still there you would find me

Cuz Nothing is beyond you

You stand beyond the reach

Of my vain imaginations, my misguided pieties

The heavens stretch to hold you

And deep calls out to deep

Saying that nothing is beyond you

And time cannot contain you, you fill eternity

Sin could never drain you, death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain how you came to love me

Except to say that nothing is beyond you

Nothing is beyond you

And if I should shrink back from the light

For I can sink into the dark

If I take cover and I close my eyes

Even then you could see my heart

You cut through all my pain and rage

The darkness is not dark to you

The night’s as bright as day

Cuz Nothing is beyond you

You stand beyond the reach

Of my vain imaginations, my misguided pieties

The heavens stretch to hold you

And deep calls out to deep

Saying that nothing is beyond you

And time cannot contain you, you fill eternity

Sin could never drain you, death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain how you came to love me

Except to say that nothing is beyond you

Nothing is beyond you

This was instantly my favorite song on this record after he died. Beyond what I think is some pretty great poetry is a truth from this Romans passage—your plan is stupid-proof. It’s John-proof. There is so much freedom in that.

Father, thank you. I’ll do my best to see that you never have to go far to find me. I want to be at your feet. I want to be where it’s best for me—worshipping you. Please keep me from missing you at any given moment, for while I know I am not beyond you, I know it’s possible for me to let you down.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen