Weekend Devotional

Note: I shared this devotional with my church back in February. I wanted to share it with everyone now (with a few modifications), and I hope to write new devotionals in the week to come. Be blessed!

Romans 8:22-28 (NIV)
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 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 through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I’m reading Romans 8 today. It’s such a rich chapter chock full of the amazing privileges we enjoy as children of God- I encourage you to read the whole chapter today.

I want to focus on v.26-28. It struck me today that those verses, which are about prayer, follow right after a passage about waiting.

We all have things that we are hopeful and in wait for- a relationship, the birth and/or growth of our children, changes at work, deliverance from tough situations… And we know that waiting can be quite tiring and frustrating!!

But it is such a joy and comfort to know that as we wait, and as we get frustrated, and as we grow weary, that the Holy Spirit lives within us. That means He is working in our waiting, He is aiding us as we struggle to come up with the thoughts and words to pray, and He is even interceding through the silent longings of our hearts!

Knowing this and living by the guidance of the Holy Spirit is what leads us to the famous clincher in v. 28- we have confidence that nothing is wasted in God’s economy, and that He is doing a deep work in us, even as we glare at the parts that are unfinished. After all, the ultimate things that we are waiting and longing for- the redemption of our bodies and the eternal inheritance of being with the Lord- is right as rain, as sure a thing as there is.

So let us always approach God in faith, and ask to be filled with the Spirit so that we can continue to live our lives with joy and hope even as we wait.

Here’s the Message translation of v. 26-28, which states it all so well:

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Amen! I’ll close with a song that fits this theme from the best band in the world:

Have a blessed weekend!