Written by: Jo Critchley – Girls’ Brigade
Romans 8 v 26-27
Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we
should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with
deep feelings that words cannot explain. God can see what is in people’s hearts.
And he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to
God for his people in the way God wants.
Notes
When Jesus ascended into heaven after his death and resurrection, he promised
to send a “helper”. This is what is meant here – that the Holy Spirit (the
promised “helper”) will help us with our weaknesses. However, we do need
to acknowledge what our weaknesses are. It’s no good thinking: “God knows
them so I don’t need to face them; the Holy Spirit will do the hard work
for me.” Each one of us struggles with issues, big and small, at different
times of our lives - illness, addiction, attitude, temper, guilt, etc - and
we need to acknowledge these and ask the “helper” to speak to God on our
behalf. We need to pray in our own words, not flowery words, so that God
can hear directly from us through the Holy Spirit.
Think about some of the news items on our TV screens – we see what is happening in foreign lands and get the feeling of the information, but when people speak in different languages, we need an interpreter to help us really know what is being said.
The Holy Spirit is our interpreter to God; when we can’t think of suitable words, God’s Spirit sees what is happening in our lives and gets a feeling for things – the Holy Spirit speaks fluent “God-ese”!
Prayer
I want to be totally open with you, Lord, and live on the assurance that as
I speak my jumbled words, your Spirit will hear them and interpret them for
you to understand clearly. I admit my weaknesses and ask the Holy Spirit
to speak on my behalf to you, Lord. As I acknowledge my weaknesses I wait
on you to answer my heartfelt prayers. Amen
Romans 8 v 28-30
We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They
are the people he called, because that was his plan. God knew them before
he made the world, and he decided that they would be like his Son so that
Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers. God planned for them to be
like his Son; and those he planned to be like his Son, he also called; and
those he called, he also made right with him; and those he made right, he
also glorified.
Notes
The phrase to focus on here is “God works for the good of those who love him”.
Don’t misread it to say that God only works in the lives of those who love
him, but read it that God works for the good of those who love him. The difference?
Well, God works in the lives of all people – Psalm 139 v 13-16 says that
God knew us as we were being formed in our mother’s wombs, and that applies
to each and every person on the earth.
Although God works in every person’s life, he works for good in the lives of those who love him. He needs to know that we’re committed to him, just as he is to us. How can he work, as he did in the life of Jesus, if he isn’t allowed in? It’s like a door with a handle on only one side – we have the side with the handle and God has the side without – he knocks but has to be let in; only then can he work for the good of us.
We have the option of being as glorified as Jesus was – we’re like his Son, we’re called like his Son, we’re made right through his Son, and we can be glorified with his Son. We need to invite God in through the door and LOVE HIM for this to happen, though.
Prayer
I invite you, Lord God, to enter my life. Come in through the door of my heart
and mind and know that I love you. As I open myself to you, work your purpose
out. Call me to serve, and glorify me with you. Amen
Romans 8 v 31-36
So what should we say about this? If God is with us, no one can defeat us.
He did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all. So with Jesus, God
will surely give us all things. Who can accuse the people God has chosen?
No one, because God is the One who makes them right. Who can say God’s people
are guilty? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from
the dead, and now he is on God’s right side, begging God for us. Can anything
separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can troubles or problems or
sufferings or hunger or nakedness or danger or violent death? As it is written
in the Scriptures:
“For you we are in danger of death all the time.
People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.”
Notes
It’s not always easy being a Christian. No one ever says when you decide to
follow God that all problems will disappear – and if they do, I’m afraid
they’re wrong!
Even though we continue to do wrong (sin), we do not need to feel guilty because Jesus died and is with God, begging or interceding for us.
That’s not to say that we can continue to do wrong and think we can get away with it – we can’t. But as we do wrong and acknowledge these things, Jesus sits with God and begs for our forgiveness from him. Amazingly, God listens and forgives us, time and time again. When Jesus died on the cross at Calvary so many years ago, he knew what he was doing. He took all the rubbish from the lives of those who love God and binned it with his last breath. How awesome is that? All the bad stuff we have done, are doing and will ever do, has been trashed and forgiven by God when we acknowledge that Jesus is God’s only Son. He died a messy death for us (you and me and those around you), and when we commit to following God’s way forgiveness follows.
It says in the Bible that nothing can separate those who love God from him - sin can’t, lies can’t, death can’t, people can’t, even the devil can’t. We are guilt-free and forgiven when we are with God.
Prayer
Father God, I am sorry for the wrongs in my life, yesterday, today and for
ever. I know that when I am with you, you are with me and nothing can separate
me from your love. I know that you cannot love me any more or any less, and
I pray that I can feel that towards you too. Amen
Romans 8 v 37-39
But in all these things we have full victory through God who showed his love
for us. Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling
spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, nor powers, nothing above us,
nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able
to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Notes
Wow! The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the church in Rome that we’re following
this week, to remind them, to instruct them, to rebuke them and to encourage
them.
How many sporting coaches could ever inspire their teams better than Paul inspires the Roman church with these few words? Full victory through God is an amazing concept for anyone to grasp, let alone the young church in Rome, or those of us who follow God today - victory over evil, death, sin, pain and anything else we can name that causes us harm.
There is no getting away from the fact that at some time in our lives we will grieve, we will die, we will have hard times, and we will be tempted away from God; but as God shows his love to us, we have nothing to fear because God is inseparable from us.
There is a poem called “Footsteps”. The person who wrote it asked God why, when he looked back over his life as a walk on the sand, in the good times there were two sets of footprints and in the hard times only one set. He felt God had let him walk the hard times alone and asked God why he had allowed this to happen. God’s response? The footprints were God’s and he was carrying the man in the hard times and walking alongside him in the good times.
Prayer
Help me know, God, that when things are hard and I feel alone, you are carrying
me and taking me through to the good times. Help me realise that in all things
you are with me - that I can turn to you in the good things, and that you
will carry me though the bad things. Amen
Romans 9 v 1-5
I am in Christ, and I am telling you the truth; I do not lie. My feelings
are ruled by the Holy Spirit, and they tell me I am not lying.
I have great sorrow
and always feel much sadness. I wish I could help my Jewish brothers and
sisters, my people. I would even wish that I were cursed and cut off from
Christ if that would help them. They are the people of Israel, God’s chosen
children. They have seen the glory of God, and they have the agreements that
God made between himself and his people. God gave them the law of Moses and
the right way of worship and his promises. They are the descendants of our
great ancestors, and they are the earthly family into which Christ was born,
who is God over all. Praise him for ever! Amen.
Notes
The apostle Paul, writing to the early church in Rome, speaks with real authority
in these verses. His opening words set the tone: “I am in Christ, and I am
telling you the truth; I do not lie.”
Paul’s past is interesting. He wasn’t always a Christian; in fact, he couldn’t have been further from it! He was originally called Saul, and as a strict Jew he tried to get as many Christians killed as he could! All that changed on a road to Damascus when he was blinded after hearing Jesus speak to him, and he was helped to conversion by others who already knew about the teachings and life of Jesus.
Contrary to what you may hear, Paul’s change in heart and mind was not a split-second experience, although I think it probably took being blinded for someone as stubborn as he was to believe in Jesus. He spent a lot of time afterwards being taught the ways of Christ by Jesus’ followers.
What Paul is lamenting about here is that he cannot force those who do not believe to believe, although he almost wishes he could. He is willing to cut himself off from God if would mean others could know God and recognise the promises from God.
There are many people who have still to recognise the promises God has for them. Indeed, some still have to hear about them. As followers of God, we have the opportunity to speak out what God means to us and us to him. We mustn’t miss opportunities to do so, just as Paul didn’t miss those opportunities.
Prayer
Give me opportunities to tell others what you’ve done in my life, God. Enable
me to share your love and promise of forgiveness to those who need to hear.
Amen
Romans 9 v 6-8
It is not that God failed to keep his promise to them. But only some of the
people of Israel are truly God’s people, and only some of Abraham’s descendants
are true children of Abraham. But God said to Abraham: “The descendants I
promised you will be from Isaac.” This means that not all of Abraham’s descendants
are God’s true children. Abraham’s true children are those who become God’s
children because of the promise God made to Abraham.
Notes
The Old Testament pretty much focuses on the promise that God made to Abraham.
The story starts in Genesis 12 and continues through what was the Jewish
scriptures – our Old Testament. Abraham was very old when God promised that
he and his equally elderly wife would have as many children as there were
stars in the sky. As you can imagine, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were bemused
by this and thought that it would never happen. It didn’t in the literal
sense, but Abraham became the father of Ishmael and Isaac, who in turn became
fathers and grandfathers and so on.
In Matthew 1 v 1-17 we read that the line of Jesus is from Isaac, Abraham’s son; these are the people considered the true children of Abraham and true children of God. This is the family line we follow as Christians, and as followers of Jesus’ teachings we have the promise of God. God promised Abraham that he would bless him, make him famous and that he would be a blessing to others. He promised that he would bless people who blessed Abraham and curse those who harmed him. God’s final promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 v 3 is that people on earth would be blessed through Abraham. Hence, we are blessed as we come through the line of Abraham as one of Jesus’ followers.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you that the Bible continues to surprise your followers,
as we read passages again and again, and as we hear new blessings and gain
new insights to your will in our lives. Amen
Romans 9 v 9-13
God’s promise to Abraham was this: “At the right time I will return, and Sarah
will have a son.” And that is not all. Rebekah’s sons had the same father,
our father Isaac. But before the two boys were born, God told Rebekah, “The
older will serve the younger.” This was before the boys had done anything
good or bad. God said this so that the one chosen would be chosen because
of God’s own plan. He was chosen because he was the one God wanted to call,
not because of anything he did. As the Scripture says, “I loved Jacob, but
I hated Esau.”
Notes
God is a God of promises. Not only did he promise to Abraham that his wife
Sarah would have a son, he makes promises to us.
Have you ever made a promise to someone that was hard to keep – maybe to keep a confidence, to do something difficult, to change your ways? God’s promise to Abraham seemed impossible as Abraham was 100 years old and his wife was 90; but God came good on his promise and they had Isaac.
God’s promise to us today is that Jesus will return again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We will have to make an account of our life – own up to how we have dealt with relationships, be answerable as to how honest and reliable we have been in our lives, acknowledge the things we have done that have not been pleasing to God and list our sins.
How would you feel right now if Jesus came back as promised and asked you to account for your life? Would you cringe at the thought of it and ask him to come back tomorrow when you’ve sorted things out, or would you be ready to face him openly?
Think through your friendships – would Jesus be pleased with you? How is your prayer life? Are you in conversation with God regularly or just when you need something? Are you being honest and upfront with your family about your faith? Do you think others see your faith being lived out each day?
Acting on these things now will certainly be preferable to having to face Jesus with them. Although God promised that Jesus would return, we do not know the day or time so we always need to be ready – are you?
Prayer
Lord God, I believe your promise of Jesus’ return in glory and I want to be
right before you now. I’m sorry for the things that are wrong in my life
and ask you to help me change them. Help me to prepare for Jesus’ return
and bring me closer to you. Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes