Romans 8:26-27 “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness.”(NIV)

We all experience weakness.  Because we are human, we do not have an inexhaustible supply of strength and energy.  When we try to do too much, we become tired and weak.  We also experience weakness when we are sick or stressed.  We can be weakened by adversity and suffering.  Weakness is a part of the human experience.  God knows that and He does not hold it against us.  Rather, He helps us in the midst of our weakness.

God first helps us with our weakness by teaching us to help ourselves.  A Christian lifestyle takes care to be healthy.  God wants us to treat our bodies with respect.  He wants us to exercise control over our habits and the activities we engage in.  Yet no matter how careful we are to eat right, sleep right and maintain emotional and mental health we will still at times experience weakness.  Weakness of the body is very difficult, but weakness of the spirit is the most difficult of all.  When we are at our lowest point, and we do not even have the strength to hope or pray, the Holy Spirit will help us.  He will intercede on our behalf and God will give us spiritual strength.  In the darkest night, the light of God’s love will shine.  In our moment of greatest pain and suffering, when we are closest to despair, the Holy Spirit gives us hope.

In the midst of our suffering, we often do not even know what it is we need God to do.  The Holy Spirit will reveal to us God’s will and His plan.  The Holy Spirit will open our eyes and we will see the hand of God at work where before we saw only darkness and the power of sin.  God will sometimes change the situation, but not always.  Sometimes his will is not to change the situation, but instead to use the situation to change us.  The Holy Spirit helps us discover God’s will.