Our Helper in Weakness

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:26-30 ESV)

We who live on this earth are going to suffer in this life, whether or not we believe in Jesus Christ. For in this world we are going to have pain, sorrow, sickness, sadness, loss, death of loved ones, natural disasters, wars, etc. And then on top of all that, if we believe in Jesus Christ with God-gifted faith in him, and so we have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God, then we will suffer for the sake of the name of Jesus, too.

But even though we believe in Jesus, and we have God/Christ living within us in the person of God’s Spirit, we are still human. We don’t become supernatural human beings once we believe in Jesus and now we are perfect in every way. We still bleed. We still get hurt. We have good days and bad days, days where we are strong, and days where we are weak. Now we should no longer be living in sin, but righteousness should now be our practice, but sometimes “Our get up and go got up and went.”

And sometimes we cannot feel God present with us, and we pray but it feels like our prayers are going nowhere, or we pray but the words just don’t come to us, and we don’t know what to pray. Or we just have no energy, especially the older we get (I am 74). And our brains don’t function like they did when we were younger, and we get more forgetful. Sometimes we can forget what we are doing right in the middle of doing it. And there might be difficult circumstances in our lives which are draining us, too.

But if we belong to Jesus, and if our lives are surrendered to him to do his will, and so we are now walking according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, we can rely on the Spirit of God to help us in our times of weakness, to give us strength, to give us clarity of mind, to heal us, to give us wisdom and discernment, and to intercede to God the Father on our behalf in words which we are not able to express. Honestly there were many times that through my tears all I could utter was “Help!”

But this is where we find comfort and peace in knowing that our God is completely sovereign and in control over our lives and over our circumstances, and that there is not one situation in our lives that ever catches him off guard or that he is not capable of getting us through it, if we love him and therefore we are walking in obedience to his commands in holy living and so we are no longer living according to our flesh. And he is working all these things out for our good, for us who are called according to his purpose, and whose lives are surrendered to him and to that purpose.

And what is that purpose? Those he foreknew – because he created us, and because he had a plan for our lives from even before he laid the foundations of the earth – he predestined to be conformed to the image (likeness) of his Son, Jesus Christ, who was with God from the beginning and who is God – the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God’s plan, too, in sending Jesus to that cross to die for our sins was to deliver us out of slavery to sin so that we will now honor God with our lives.

So our God is completely sovereign and in control over our lives and he has a purpose for each one of us which he wants us to fulfill via obedience to him and via surrender to his will and purpose for our lives – all in his power, strength, and wisdom. He has a general purpose for us all, that we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands. But he has a very specific purpose for each of us individually, as well, such as my purpose is to write these daily devotions and whatever else he gives me to do.

So we need to seek the Lord to find what purpose he has for our lives on this earth, and then we must submit to his will and purpose in his power. And then as we go through the trials and tribulations of life, and as we have good days and bad days, and days when we function better than other days, we need to rely upon his strength and wisdom to get us through those times and to not give up just because things got much harder, which they will. We must remain steadfast in faith and rest in his love and do what he says.

Believe Him  

An Original Work / July 15, 2013

My heart cries: Lord, won’t You hear me

Seeking You for the answers

To my heartache and questions

I have concerning my life?

Speak, Lord, to me right now.

“Oh, dear one, why don’t you trust Me

With your life’s circumstances?

Give your all on the altar

In submission of your will

To My purpose for you.

“Surrender your life completely

To your Lord and your Savior.

He has all things planned for you

For His glory and honor.

He’ll work all things for good.

“Believe Him. He will fulfill all

Of His promises to you

For your life and your future.

Trust Him. Rest in His love.

He’ll give you peace from above.”

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