ROMANS 8:27

“and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Every year when I start the hunting season, I like to take my gun out and zero in the scope. That requires setting up a target with a bullseye downrange and taking some shots. I want my bullet to hit within the area of that bullseye so that when I go out hunting, I will hit my target. If I don’t do that, my bullet will never land where it is intended.

Why all this talk about bullseyes and targets? The word used here by Paul for “intercedes” is not the same word he used in verse 26. It’s similar, but not the same.  HELPS Word-studies tells us that entygxánō comes from en, “in” which intensifies tygxánō, “to obtain by hitting the mark.” To go a little further, the root of tygxánō means “to strike, hit the bulls-eye. It is even used as the antonym of harmartia “to miss the mark, sin.” So, Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit is “spot on” when it comes to going to the Father for us. We can rest assured that His words will hit the bullseye of God’s heart.

APPLICATION

I love how Albert Barnes explains our relationship with the Spirit. “We are poor, and needy, and ignorant, and blind; we are the creatures of a day and are crushed before the moth. But in the midst of our feebleness, we may look to God for the aid of His Spirit, and rejoice in His presence, and in His power to sustain us in our sighings, and to guide us in our wanderings.” Isn’t that great? I just love the picture that paints for us.

You see, God knows our hearts. Proverbs 21:2 says, “All the ways of a man seem right in his own eyes, but God weighs the heart.” That’s not talking about how many kilograms your physical heart weighs. God weighs the heaviness of our hearts when we are going through those difficult times. You know how that feels, don’t you? We’ve all been there at some time. That is why God gave us the Spirit. It is He who goes before us to the Father, and He never misses.

I want to encourage you today that you are not alone. As a follower of Christ, you will never be left alone. Sure, human companions can abandon you. Family members can estrange you. But the Spirit of God will never, ever leave you. Why? Because He is on a mission orchestrated and implemented on your behalf. That’s shouting ground stuff right there.

Lord, I praise You for the “bullseye” ability of the Spirit to speak on my behalf.

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