When our youngest daughter was about two years-old, we visited Carlsbad Caverns. There is a long and winding path that leads from ground level into that cave that was paved with asphalt that had a "grit" mixed in to keep the path from getting slick. Our daughter, Rebecca, was very independent and insisted on walking. Her dad was also stubborn, so he insisted on holding her hand as we went down that steep path.

Rebecca was like a dog straining at its leash, trying to pull away from me so she could get down on her own. Finally I gave in, but as soon as I let go of her hand, she fell and badly skinned both knees. She had learned her lesson the hard way, and consented to being carried. Even after she was tired of being carried, she was still more than agreeable to allowing me to hold her hand. In fact, if I recall correctly, she kept a pretty good grip on my hand after that.

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

Romans 8:37-38, ESV

keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Jude 1:21, ESV

There is a definite fact about God's love that we can readily appreciate: There is nothing that can separate us from His love... except for ourselves! We see from the passage in Romans that no outside force can come between us and the love of God, but in Jude we see that we have to keep ourselves in that love. Maybe the illustration at the beginning of this article can help us to see that point. I loved my little daughter and there was not going to be anything or anyone who could have taken her out of my grip, except for her. While I could have held her tight and refused to give her the freedom she wanted, that is not always possible in life, nor is it always preferable when it comes to parenting. Sometimes a child just has to be given the choice as to whether to stay or to go and suffer the consequences.

In a like manner, God wants us to remain in His love - so much so that He will not allow an outside force to remove us from that love. But, He is not going to carry us or "force his grip" upon us, for that is not the type of relationship He desires. Instead, he wants us to do our part to maintain that relationship. One of the things we learn whenever we go to God's Word, is that He wants to keep us within His sheltering love. The only thing that could come between us and that sheltering love is if we leave the safety of His presence. 

The key, of course, is to never let go!

The reading for today is II Corinthians 2-10. It is a beautiful passage that will help you to keep a firm grip on the love of God. He will do the rest!