One of my favorite passages I recall from Sunday school, as both student and teacher is Romans 8:31 – ‘…If God is for us, who can be against us?’

When volunteering at the Saturday school, the children said this with great confidence, fearless in its meaning, confident in its support. How did we go from the child-like faith to the occasional/all-too-frequent questioning of where we stand? Verse 35 of the same chapter continues to illustrate this strength of God’s love: ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?’ Verses 37 though 39: ‘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 powes, 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.’

So, no matter how painful or terrible things seem to be here on earth, because of Christ Jesus, we are still with God our father.  These verses are better explained, woven in song in the hymn “If God Himself be For Me.” http://www.ccel.org/a/anonymous/luth_hymnal/tlh528.htm

The tune, mentioned in the title above, has been used in at least six other hymns, its 7-6-7-6-D rhythm offering a comforting cadence, be it for hymns pertaining to the cross and comfort (such as “If God Himself be For Me”),  Advent, Epiphany, presentation, Palm Sunday, or obedience.

Of the fifteen verses in this hymn – seldom sung in its entirety, alas – reinforces the fact that Jesus Christ is our comforter, the one who paid our price on the cross and because of him, we have reason to rejoice and sing. Thank God to have such a Sun to warm this spirit.