Thursday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Romans 8:12-30 (NLT)

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

The Future Glory

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

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. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
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Morning Reflection:

“We know that God causes everything to work together
for the good of those who love God
and are called according to his purpose for them.” – Romans 8:28

Yesterday a distant friend of mine attended a presidential Medal of Honor ceremony for his son who was killed in Iraq. His son’s act of heroism and self-sacrifice saved the lives of several of his fellow soldiers.

I don’t know about my friend’s faith, but I do know about my own anxiety when my USMC son served his tour of duty in Iraq during the same time period. Every day this verse – Romans 8:28 – was a comfort to me. But then, I never had to face the dreaded knock on the door; my son came home safe and sound.

What is it in Romans 8:28 that enables believers to wait patiently and confidently? It is certainly not freedom from the pain and suffering of this world. What is being promised?

We believe that God is in control of life’s events,
and that God works through them to achieve what’s best for us,
whether we understand it now or not.

Life experiences: Every experience of our life God has allowed. Each experience in our past God is working together with every other experience in order to bring about our good. Whatever experience in our past we think has been devastating, God meant it to develop us.

Personal failures: No sin can ever wipe out the Christians’ hope for the “good” for which God has chosen us and to which He has appointed us. We may fail. We will fail. For this we may very well suffer. But God’s purpose will never fail. Our failures will never separate us from God and from the good He has purposed.

What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we are waiting for. – John Ortberg

Questions for consideration:

• Romans 8:28 is intended as a comfort for believers? Are you a believer in Jesus Christ? Please explain. (If you are uncertain, click here.)
• Have you gone through a devastating experience in your life? As you reflect on your experience, do you find comfort in Romans 8:28? Can you see any good coming out of your experience, or are you still waiting? Please explain.
• What are you waiting for at this time in your life? What is God doing in your life while you wait? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Comfort your children with the assurance of your sovereign mercy and goodness, especially in our times of great suffering and heart-ache. Unlock your Spirit within us to strengthen us in our weakness and give expression to our groaning, that he might intercede on our behalf. Fill us with an eager hope of glory, when we will receive our full inheritance as your adopted children. And help us to wait patiently and confidently in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. All for your glory. Amen.
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“It Is Well With My Soul” – Audrey Assad

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen