Have you ever felt like everyone was against you? Your family seems to have all turned against you. Your boss and co-workers are all opposed to you. Your bills are piling up and your bank account has shrunk to nothing. They are against you. The doctors and medical reports are all terrible news, too. It seems even your own body has turned against you! The longer this feeling continues, the more discouraged and depressed one can get. For a believer, a child of God, there is Someone who is not against you, but rather is always for you. Let’s look at our Scripture, where we learn this and many other precious promises.
As our Scripture opens, the Apostle Paul reminds us that often we may be going through difficulties that make us feel weak, and we just don’t know what to pray for (vs. 26-27). All we feel like we can do is just fall on our face and cry to God. There may even be times when there are no other people that we can turn to who we can ask to pray for us and our needs. Perhaps we are unable to go to church, and thus it seems we have no one to pray for us. Whatever the reason, God gives us reassurance here. It is during those times that we can know that the Holy Spirit is there, making intercession for us to the Father. Even when we don't know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit will pray with and for us. He intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will. No words are necessary because the Father understands and agrees with what the Spirit prays for us. We can trust that the Holy Spirit will always intercede for us, and God will do what is best.
Next we come to a verse that many of us have found comforting, especially during trying times (vs. 28), and one that many of us have memorized. That verse is “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” However, many people only quote or know the first half, stopping at the word “good”. That is unfortunate, because we need to remember that this promise is a conditional one. This promise is not for everyone, but only to be claimed by those who love God, and are saved - “called according to His purpose”.
If we are saved, and if we love God, and are thus obeying His Word and living our lives for Him, then we can be assured that no matter what happens, God will use it for good in our life. We may not see it right away, but as our life unfolds, all that God allows to happen to us will be ultimately for our good. Whatever the reason for our trial, God has a purpose in adversity, and He has allowed it for our good. God can use the worst of circumstances for our good when we love and obey Him.
We may think that all these discouraging and difficult circumstances, and especially any people behind them, are against us. The whole world seems to be against us. Yet God’s Word tells us that if we have taken the Lord Jesus as our Savior, then God is for us (vs. 31). The word “if” in that verse would be better translated as “since”. Since God is for us, who can be against us? With God on our side, it really doesn’t matter who or what might try to come against us!
God sent His Son Jesus to die for us, so that we might become more like Him (vs. 29-30). That is His ultimate goal for us, and if some difficult circumstances can help knock the rough edges off of us, then He will use them. God will orchestrate every event in our lives, including suffering and temptation, to accomplish both our physical and eternal benefit. He works all things for our good, and is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range good.
When the world is coming against us, remember, it is Satan who is bringing the accusations against us, not God (vs. 33-34). When Satan does bring his accusations, Jesus is our Advocate for our defense. He is standing at God’s right hand to present our case. He is on our side! It doesn’t matter anymore what Satan and his minions try to bring against us. God is for us! Wherever we are, and whatever situation we are in , Jesus is praying for us. And since Jesus is praying for us, we cannot fail!
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