2-7-2024

Good Morning All,       

                 Romans 8:26; “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.”

    Sometimes there are no words.  Sometimes we experience things that leave us in such a mess that we don’t know what to say.  There are times when we face situations and we just don’t know what to say; what to say to each other, what to say to God.  These events may be sudden like an unexpected death or a sudden change in the health of someone we love or not knowing what tomorrow will bring.  We are left stunned and don’t know what to say.  Sometimes it is just a sudden change in our surroundings.  It might be a divorce or a loss of our home or some major economic event.  What do we say, we aren’t even sure of how the story will end, what do we do when we have no words?

      It can take the form of unexpected arguments or battles that we don’t see coming and don’t know how to respond.  It can be two or three hitting us at the same time.  What do we say?  Perhaps you are a single parent at your wits end.  There has been one too many struggles.  Money runs tight, demands of the children grow, the house needs work, the car needs work, you need rest but there is none in sight and now there is trouble at school.  What do we say?  Where do we go?

    The world and our sinful nature want you to think you are all alone.  That the battles we face can and will destroy us.  We feel that there is nothing to do, we can no longer face the struggle; there is hope.  Even in this wordlessness, we are not alone, and we are not without hope.  The greater our weakness, the greater is God’s grace present in our life.  Paul wrote that God’s grace is made great in our weakness.  In our weakness, we can only turn to Christ, look to him and cry.  The greatness of God is that is all we need to do.  From that point on, the Holy Spirit will pray for us, pray with us, and take our pain upon himself for us.

    So, if we feel pain, seek healing, desire peace or comfort, we do so with God’s Spirit praying on our behalf.  We do so with God’s comforting agent being with us through the whole event.  The God who loves you so much that He sent his Son to die for you will never abandon you.  He will never turn away from you; he will never close his ear or heart to you.  He will take the pain of your sorrow and give you peace.  He will never leave you without hope.  Even when we can speak no words, God will never leave you.  He will always hold you close, like a parent comforts a crying child, God’s grace is upon you.

Heavenly Father, there are times when I can find no words to express my pain or my fear or my sorrow.  Yet I know that I have comfort and hope in you.  Lift me up so that I may see the light of your salvation.  Keep me safe and warm in your loving arms.  Be with those who are especially silent at this time.  Give ear to their voice that they may be comforted.  In the precious name of Jesus, our Risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret