LifeLink Devotions (Click for Audio Version)

Monday, January 24, 2021

We bring to a conclusion today our study on trusting God’s character in bad circumstances with Paul’s final words from Romans 8 before he makes the statement that all things are working out for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:26-27  “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

Jeremiah 8:18 “O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me.”

The basis for this study has been the “things” that are working for our good, and we have discovered that the “things” does not primarily refer to the circumstances of life but to the activities of God as expressed by His character in us. In review, the “things” that are at work for our good are:

1. The freedom from the sinful nature because of the Spirit of life given to us in Christ
2. This life is one of righteousness and peace
3. We have been adopted as children of God and granted all rights as heirs with Christ of all things
4. This hope we have in our final redemption into a spiritually perfect and eternal body gives us the patience to endure hardship today

And finally…

5. …while we patiently wait for that final redemption, God has given us the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit to provide us with strength in our times of weakness.

Paul begins verse 26 with the phrase “In the same way”. He refers to what he has just stated in the previous verse – we are inwardly groaning for the day when we will be free from the limitations and bondage of this physical existence and we will be given our eternal bodies. When we experience trouble and hardship, we groan for relief, and the ultimate groan is the cry for heaven. The groan for heaven is a groan we know, because we know the outcome of it. The groans for present relief are groans we do not know, because we cannot find answers. But the Holy Spirit groans for us because He does know the answers. In the same way that we groan for what we know will be the ultimate answer – heaven – the Holy Spirit, who searches our hearts and knows the mind of God, groans for the answers to our present situations so that all works out for good according to God’s purpose.

I hope you find this as helpful and encouraging as I do. In those dark times when answers are hard to find, we can trust the companionship of the Holy Spirit who is at work to bring about good from the heart of God. When words cannot express the depth of our emotions and fears, the Holy Spirit understands our groanings.

Do not fear the times of inexpressible confusion. Do not fear the times of unanswered requests. Do not fear the times of limited understanding. The Holy Spirit is never confused, is never withholding an answer, and is always working to bring us understanding in faith. His time schedule may be different than we desire, but we can trust the outcome to our Sovereign Companion.

As a result, we can wholeheartedly proclaim with the Apostle Paul the words of the rest of Romans 8 in this summarized version:

If God is for us, who can be against us? With all of these things at work on our behalf we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. I am now convinced that nothing in this world or in my current situation can separate me from the love of God because I am in Christ Jesus my Lord.

May I suggest that you commit that to memory, or write it on a card and carry it with you at all times. The next time a situation arises that looks dark, or diminishes you hope in any way, pull it out and read it and be refreshed. God is at work around you through the Holy Spirit in you to produce His good through you. That’s a guarantee!

Pastor John