I started my career as a News Writer for the morning show at one of our local news stations. The news is negative and full of bad news, but think how hard it is to be the gate keeper of the news. I would go into work around 1am and part of my job was listening to police scanners all night, training my ears to perk up at words like “shooting” or “accident.” We had to decide which shootings were worth reporting, which stories were newsworthy. My fears were escalating. My heart was pierced daily. I did the only thing I knew to do: I built an impenetrable wall around my heart. I couldn’t let the hurt of the world hurt my heart.
The problem was I left that wall intact long after I left that job. Over the years, I’d watch women cry over bad news in their lives: sickness, death, job loss, pain. But I wouldn’t shed a tear. I couldn’t feel their pain. I couldn’t have compassion. My heart was closed off.
When God called me to this role as Women’s Ministry Director, He also challenged me to tear down that wall. He knew I couldn’t be effective if I couldn’t have compassion. So slowly, brick by brick, I began to let the wall crumble and expose my heart. It hasn’t been easy; this world has so much pain. In fact, it’s groaning.
This word “groaning” we find in Romans 8:18-30 this week took on new meaning for me. We talk more in depth about it in the video this week, but the Greek word has the intonation that this is not how the world was meant to be. The suffering, the pain, the heartache of this world – it all feels wrong because it is wrong. We were created for perfection, but we live in an imperfect world. It’s not easy, but every pain reminds me that we await eternity. We eagerly hope for what God has promised: a world with no more tears, no more pain, no more death, no more sadness.
It’s not easy, and God knew that. He didn’t leave us alone to wrestle; He gave us a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who doesn’t just live in us. He searches us and prays for us.
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. Romans 8:26
This verse comforts my hurting heart. It’s okay if we don’t know what to pray. It’s ok to feel weak, unsure, confused. Paul goes on to say that the Holy Spirit searches our hearts and prays in accordance to the will of God. We may be imperfect, but we have a Spirit who perfectly prays for us.
God provided for us in our heart, our weakness, our hurt. I am so thankful for that!
Watch this week’s video:
or Listen to the Audio:
For Next Week:
- Read Romans 8:31-39
- Gather with some girlfriends and talk about what you read.
- Discover: What three truths did you learn from this passage?
- Discuss: Look up “intercede” in the dictionary. Romans 8:26 tells us the Holy Spirit is “hyper” interceding for us by searching our heart. According to 8:34, who else intercedes for us? From what position? How does this change the way we pray or approach God?
- Share: The Greek Word for “more than conquerors” means “to gain a surpassing victory”; a compound words from two words: “hyper” (over, beyond, more) and “Nikao” (conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory). There’s no contest in the battle between Satan and God. Our victory is overwhelming. In what areas does v. 35 tell us we are overwhelmingly victorious? How does God define victory versus the world? Where can you claim the overwhelming victory in your life today?
- Memorize Romans 8:37.
- Come back next week for the next video.
Erin H. Warren 