God Gave, God Gives
What then shall we say 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 with him graciously give us all things? -Romans 8:31-32
One emotion that I have toward money (in which I am sure I am not alone) is worry. Will we have enough? Will it run out? What if “this” (insert everything that could possibly go wrong) happens? During this season there is worry about the economy and jobs (which is the main avenue God provides through).
I have also learned that worry accomplishes NOTHING. Instead of worry, we can look to the God who gave and the God who gives and respond with a life of generosity.
God Gave – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) The heart of Christianity is the message of the love of God who gave himself to provide everything we need – life with Him.
God Gives – What then shall we say 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 with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32) Again, we see God is gracious and for us and gave his son. That God gave is the foundation for trusting that he will give us all that we need. Ray Ortlund has a great reminder of God giving us “exactly what we need”
I believe that God gives each of us exactly what he knows we need, and at the right time. Personally, I doubt that I will ever be rich. I probably could not be trusted with great wealth. Some people can be. Some of the sweetest Christians I have known are wealthy Christians—meek, kindhearted, generous. They handle money well. They do good with it. But for the rest of us, who will never be wealthy, here is God’s wisdom for us: Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. (Proverbs 15:16, 17)
We Give – For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) In the middle of the Apostle Paul’s call for the church to not to put their trust in money but to be generous, he reminds the church of the God who gave and who gives – the gospel.
As we live with the great assurance and peace that comes from trusting in the God who gave and gives, we respond by being people who give so others can know and experience that same assurance and peace in Jesus too.