This reality can be frightening. For when we look beneath the facades of our humanness and hubris or pride that surrounds us, we could be labeled “FRAGILE,” “CARRY UPRIGHT,” “HANDLE WITH CARE.”

There well are times in all our lives, from the general conditions of humankind, that we may reflect upon our individual heartaches and losses. We would rather wear rose-colored glasses, bury our heads in the sand, or stuff our ears to hear not the violins play “Nearer My God to Thee,” aboard the Titanic of life.

I think Paul would be suggesting somewhat the opposite. Our reeling-worlds, rocked off their axes by those things outside of us that scare us, over which we have little to no control, may cause us to feel anything but as conqueror. But Paul tells us, as does the Bible stories in general, that God wants to interface with us. God has willed to meet us exactly where we are at such times, as in all times.

So, what then do we say about these bad things, in the times of distress, discouragement, and loss?

Paul had a good handle on such times. For he explained there are occasions when we want to pray with great sincerity and cannot even mumble a word. So when one is beyond making coherent conversation with God, what does one do? Does one give up on communicating with the God of the universe?

Again, Paul says, “We are more than conquerors.” We are not defeated and we are not just conquerors, but more than conquerors through Christ who loves us. What then do we say of Paul’s declaration? ‘You have to be kidding?’

But, no, “. . . nothing can separate us from the love of God we have through Christ Jesus.’ For Christ intercedes at the right hand of God for us as Holy Spirit, when words fail us in petitioning God. Holy Spirit will groan with us to the Father with sighs deeper and fuller of meaning than any words could.

However, in bad times persons may turn from God. God may be blamed for either causing or allowing disruptions to our lives. We can be angry that God has not rescued. Incidentally, anger is a God-given emotion and should not be considered in and of itself as sin. Rather, sin occurs when anger becomes the master rather than the servant--when it separates from God or others in bitterness or mal-intended actions.

One may walk or run from God. In which case, is the guarantee not diminished or made void?

What guarantee, what promise? Paul’s word was, “God works good in all things for those who love him and have been called according to God’s purposes.”

Does it not then stand to reason, ‘that those who fail to love in response to God’s love will not see God’s good’? Mind you, God‘s love will be there, but not apprehended.

Giving up one’s life-plans, struggling with mistakes of life-long consequences, suffering physical discomfort, enduring loved-ones’ chronic dysfunction, grieving in the valley of death--can seem impossible to overcome. What then do we say?

And, too, from this passage, did you catch the words, “to those who are called according to God’s purposes”? For to live as more-than-conquerors involves more than only saying we love God or that God exists. Should there not be a sense of having been called to live out the purposes of God?

There is a version of the gospel out there, the ‘prosperity gospel,’ that teaches the believer-follower’s relationship with Christ means that God has sanctioned or approved our plans, purposes, wants.

So, to flatter oneself as loving God when ignoring God’s commands either by way of intentional defiance or apathetic dismissal is to miss the promise of this passage. Can persons with such responses have any notion to God’s good, let alone to be a participant and/or beneficiary of God’s good will?

At times I recognize how unfortunate I am for not more consistently giving myself in loving trust to God’s good purposes. How my love to God can be short-circuited by my self wisdom, lack of trust, and discouragements. It can be hard to trust that in all things God works for good. We assign God a human attribute, to think God cares no more about humanity than humanity cares for God.

So, very much in one sense, the believer-follower has to respond-ably or responsibly to walk a tightrope in pursuing God with love and humility where-so-ever or how-so-ever Christ calls.

But there is another way to perceive the question: What then do we say? For Paul explained that we are not in this alone. We have Holy Spirit who befriends and communicates for us to the Father and Son. Though instant fixes are not promised, the good-purposes of God will result in the best that can be accomplished out of our circumstances and messes. Sometimes we give God such junk with which to work--bad attitudes, undisciplined spiritual lives, earthly consequences to our mistakes, competition with the other gods of our lives. Is it not a wonder that any good of God results?

Yet . . . yet from our inward groaning with hope in Christ, “we await the completion of our adoption, even the redemption of our bodies to be glorified as Jesus Christ was glorified.”

Knowing God’s call to us is that we live out not our purposes, but God’s, computes to allowing the results to be in God’s hands and in God’s time. God can work forth the divine purposes even amidst our circumstances that have convoluted God’s initial purposes from creation, those from our human births, and those from our spiritual rebirth.

God wants to interface with us. Shall we not respond with love for God’s purposes? Because speaking and acting for us are the greatest Advocates, those of Holy Trinity--Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

How amazing is this? Do we believe this in our practice?

May God through Holy Spirit help our unbelief!

Holy Spirit groans for you and me. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father and speaks on our behalf. The Father’s love was begotten at the foundation of the world. Let us then find comfort in the question: “If God is for us who or what can be against us?”

Often the verses of this passage are read at funerals and gravesides. For they are more than a promise, they are statements of fact--that ‘absolutely nothing--nothing visible or invisible, in life or death, can remove us from God’s love.’ So we trust these words as true and faithful only because of Jesus Christ.

What then do you say about these good things?

Amen.