As we have been going through Romans, we come to chapter 8 and we see what God has in store for us. We talked last time about those who come from parts of the world who don’t have the Scripture, but they still know the real Jesus. And that is challenging to those who thinks the truth comes from the Bible. But the Bible reflects the truth that already exists. We all come from different backgrounds, but we have all come to the one Jesus.
God wanted us to know that while we were created, we are not to think that we are the same as the rest of the created world. God created this world for us to enjoy and be good stewards. But all of creation groans to move into the new earth that is promised.
God has created us to be eternal people. And that our earthly bodies are only temporal and when we join our Heavenly Father we will be given perfect bodies. Paul knew what it meant to have burdened capacities. But the most vivid proof of God’s work is the Holy Spirit in you. While that might not be convincing in itself to the unbeliever, but knowing God in you will give us more than enough strength for the burdens.
There are times that we are just going to struggle and feel weak. But the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We are limited. God is not. So the Spirit will take our weakness, even if we don’t know how to pray, and lift those prayers to the Father. And our response isn’t a need to figure it out, but just to praise God for His love. To give thanks to Him for not requiring us to pray for something specific, but knowing our heart, and through the Spirit our prayers reach the Father. Thank you Father!
Sometimes we think that God just doesn’t get it. That we pray for things, we want certain things to work out certain ways, and we want God to move in a way we want. But God is working according to His purpose. We have to measure the good to God’s will and not to what we want. Sometimes we do find that what we want matches God’s will. But how many times have you found that what you want ends up being contrary to God’s plan? Sometimes we need to just give God the benefit of the doubt and trust Him.
Next week we will begin to look at and God’s plan from before time.
5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. (ESV)
5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. (ESV)
26 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. 27 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. (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 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. (ESV)