By Rev. J. Loren Russell
Romans 8:26-28 (NKJV)
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Someone said, “if you are not in a storm, you are coming out of one, or going into one.” Storms, trials, and tribulations are a normal part of life. They go with the territory. What baffles me is that the fiercest storms seem to come when we are at our weakest points. I often say, life is not for the faint-of-heart.
But, have you ever thought that those violent storms, those trials, those tribulations didn’t come to tear you down, but to build you up? How about the fact that they come to draw you closer to the Creator and to His grace? At the precise moment that the storms of life are raging and tearing at the very fabric of our faith; when the words of our mouths and the prayers of our hearts are silenced because of the furor of the storm; when the challenge of the trials and the burden of the tribulations are overwhelming, the Bible declares that the Spirit steps in. In our weakness, when our prayers fail and our faith falters, the Spirit is our intercessor. He intervenes on our behalf. He feels our pain and offers groaning that we can’t understand but is received by our heavenly Father.
Jesus promised to send an advocate. He did! He sent the Holy Spirit. He is our intercessor. Paul says in the book of Romans that the Spirit is our perfect advocate because He can search our hearts, feel our pain, understand our plight. When we are too weak to pray, the Spirit speaks to the Father on our behalf in a language we cannot understand so that we receive God’s perfect will in our lives.
Your current storm may be fierce, your trial overwhelming, but we are promised that all things, even raging storms, are working together for our good! No storm, no trial, no tribulation, not even the most extreme, can tear us down because the Lord designed them for our good. He designed them to build us up. He designed them to make us better and not bitter. He gave us the Holy Spirit to advocate on our behalf…, especially when we are weak!
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and is the spiritual leader of the Evangelical Church of God, both in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company/J Loren R Consulting, LLC for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096) and is the producer and host of “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook Live. Be sure to ‘Friend’ the Matters of Faith YouTube Channel. Email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177.
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