Tuesday, June 6, 2017
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us
to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays
for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows
what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony
with God’s own will. Romans 8:26-27(NLT)
Aside from
a few mundane issues like a real estate transaction or making a will, I’ve
never needed to employ an attorney. But
I’ve probably watched more than my fair share of courtroom drama shows, and, as
a pastor, I have experienced the angst of a friend or church member going
through that kind of drama. When you’re
facing the accusation of the governing authorities of the state, you don’t know
which way to turn first. You need
someone who can speak the language of the court on your behalf.
Paul was
talking about that kind of helpless feeling when we know life has gotten off-center,
or bad stuff is on the horizon, yet we just don’t know what to ask God in
prayer. We’re caught between knowing we
want help, and not wanting to ask for something foolish or selfish, or just
plain wrong. We want to ask within God’s
will, but how can you know for sure that what you want is what God wants for
you?
If you’ve
ever experienced that special kind of frustration that puts you between the
rock and a hard place, and offers no easy choice, and just makes you want to
throw your hands in the air and cry out, WHY,
OH WHY…; When you get to that place on the helpless meter is when you need an advocate, an attorney
who understands both sides of the conversation.
You need someone who can speak for you.
Paul the
apostle says that person is the Holy Spirit of God. It sounds kind of absurd really, that God
would be your attorney pleading the case to…well…Himself.
Now this wasn’t
just Paul going off the religious deep end; he got it from Jesus. When the crucifixion was near Jesus was
preparing his disciples for what lay ahead – life without Jesus’ physical presence, but the
guidance and strength they would experience from the inner presence of God’s
Spirit:
And I will
ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave
you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads
into all truth. The world cannot receive
him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you
now and later will be in you. John
14:16-17(NLT)
The times I
have been most equipped to follow God’s leading are the times I have trusted
that whatever comes, the Spirit of God would not mislead me. It is at those frustrating, overwhelming and
seemingly unfair times which the world and its ways throw at you that God’s
Spirit most shows who is really in charge.
And the person who sees that most clearly is the one who is willing to listen
for the still, small voice.
For You Today
You
have an attorney within…you have the right to remain silent!
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