When despair sets in...

Prolonged stress (in my case, health issues) can often lead to a type of deep despair. Hurt in your marriage, fear over a wayward child, friendship strife, sin-induced consequences, unforgiveness towards a parent or friend...obviously, I could go on and on. My stress has come to the point that I'm so discouraged and lacking in hope that I'm kind of numb.  I share this ONLY because this morning I was reminded once again that, with God and his Word, there's always help.

After discussing Romans 8 with a friend yesterday I was reminded of verse 26.  Called by many the Great Eight, this chapter is an astounding picture of Gods deep love for sinners like you and me AND the lengths he will go to take care of his children.  But, if read with chapter 7, the Great Eight is also about our weakness and the Lord's desire to help us weaklings when our troubles become too much to bear. So this morning, when my 'troubles were too much to bear' and I had no words to offer the Lord, I opened my Bible to Romans 8 (and, by the way, I did this out of sheer obedience, not because I had a desire to do it). When I got to verses 26+27 I began to cry, simply as an expression of relief.  Here's how the New Century Version puts it (which is what I'm learning from these days): 

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.

OK, now I was still speechless...but not out of despair any more but out of pure trust that, even on days like these - days when I can't even bring myself to pray, I've got none other than the Holy Spirit Himself praying to God FOR me AND praying the words I actually should be praying...AND even more words than I would KNOW to pray because he knows what's in my heart!

Wow.  This is what it's like to put your faith and trust in the Lord. I hope that today, in the midst of whatever angst you're experiencing, you'll find yourself clinging to verses like the two above to give you what you need, just when you need it.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God (Psalm 42:5, 11 & 43:5).