When Words Fail - Day 212 Month 7-30 Week 31-2
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
2 Samuel 7:18-8:18, Proverbs 13:10-25, Ezekiel 16:43-63, Romans 8:26-39
When Words Fail
If I had to choose one chapter to encourage me, Romans 8 would be near the top of the list.
Paul writes, “We do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words... He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26 and 27).
As a Jesus follower, I find those verses incredibly encouraging. There are times when life hurts, when frustration is overwhelming, or when I simply do not know what to pray. In those moments, the Holy Spirit is praying for me in ways I could never express, and He is praying according to God's will.
Before going any further, I should explain one word. In the Bible, a saint is anyone who follows Jesus. Some Christian traditions reserve that title for a small number of people (i.e. famous missionaries or priests in some denominations), but the New Testament uses it much more broadly.
Paul writes, “To those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.”
Paul then adds another encouraging promise.
“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). This verse is often misunderstood. It does not mean everything that happens is good. It means God is able to work through everything, even our failures, to accomplish His purposes.
I find that incredibly encouraging because I fail more often than I would like.
I have mentioned several times that Syl and I have questioned whether buying our current home was the right decision. It has cost us far more than we expected, and the expenses continue. There have been moments when we wondered whether our mistake had somehow limited what God could do through us.
Romans 8:28 reminds me that it has not.
Even when we make poor decisions, God is still able to redeem them as part of His plan. During those moments of disappointment and failure, the Holy Spirit has been praying for us.
That gives me hope.
Paul continues with another remarkable statement. “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31).
That does not mean people will never oppose us. It means that no opposition is greater than the God who loves us.
Then Paul ends the chapter with one of the most encouraging promises in the entire Bible.
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38 and 39).
That is an incredible promise for everyone who follows Jesus. So perhaps the real question is this. Could that promise be for me? Could that promise be for you? Do you know Him?
If you are wondering about that, or you would simply like to talk about it, my email address is below. I would love to hear from you.
Have a great day!
Steve
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