Romans 8:26-39: Overcoming My Moments of Pique

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

God will get us there. There are many possible objections to our making it to be with the Father. Our prayers are too weak or misdirected. We are full of wrong motives. We aren't smart enough. We have too many strikes against us. Our obstacles are too big. Our enemies are too strong. Our future is too short to pull it off. Our life is too short to accomplish anything. Someone else has priority over us. This chapter starts with one reason ("Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.") and concludes with a laundry list of objections to our making it to be with the God who loves us--"trouble", "hardship", "persecution", "famine", "nakedness", "danger", "sword", "death", "life", "angels", "demons", "the present", "the future", "powers", "height", "depth" and in case we missed something--"all creation". 

But here it says: toss all that out the window. God wants us to be there, we will get there. But do we want it bad enough to toss out the other things we cling to. The list in this chapter doesn't look too inviting, but Paul is saying that's what we would rather hold onto rather than making Christ. It seems simple, but I can testify that I often choose the lesser happiness of being right or looking good or being self-sufficient rather than the assurance of God getting me through to be with him. Thank God he can overcome even my moments of pique and settling for less and get me to him.