Romans 8:26-39
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, 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 within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced 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.
Reflection
Oh how we groan! I groan, you groan we all groan, and not just for ice cream. We groan because we are sinners. This world is not the world that God intended in the beginning. So, God groans right along with us. But God's groaning is for something new. Sure, our groaning is for something new also but we are the cause of God's groaning and our own. God did not intend on groaning from the beginning.
But thanks be to God, God thought of a solution right from the start. A Savior was spoken in the Word and the Word became flesh. The Word and Savior were right from the start and then at just the right time that Word became flesh and dwelt with us here on this earth and in this place. A Savior that would take on the source of our groaning and the groaning of all creation due to our sinfulness and our need to separate ourselves from God in a vain attempt to save ourselves.
Jesus came as God and lived and died and rose again taking on the sin of each and all of us. Jesus put that sin to death on the cross and rose again to live in heaven and with us forever. Even as we continue to groan we live in the hope that Jesus will come again and take us to be with him in heaven. This is the promise of God and God keeps promises.
So just as Paul lives in the hope of the Savior; we too also live...
"For I am convinced 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. "
So groan on... groan on with the Holy Spirit... but groan in the knowing that God has chosen to bring us through it all and unite us in the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdFzB4MQgEA
Prayer
Lord, hear my groaning as I live this life you have blessed me with. May my life be a continual shout out to you and your glory. All praise and honor and glory are to you for your saving grace... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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