God Freely Gives

After graduating college, I was facing a number of transitions. They were all the normal, expected changes you face in a season like that: saying goodbye to college friends, looking ahead to new responsibilities, a new job, new coworkers, moving, etc.  There was no great trial or hardship, but I felt worried and unsettled over the changes and the unknowns.  How was it going to turn out? How were things going to go? That summer, God encouraged me with Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

God convicted me that I was worrying about His care and provision for me as I faced a new season of life. Were things going to be hard? Would I be able to handle the changes? Would I make new friends? Would I feel alone? Was this the right direction? As I worried about these things and other unknowns, I was disregarding God’s greatest provision for me: salvation through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. I didn’t doubt that Christ died for me and I didn’t doubt that my salvation was secured by Christ’s death alone. But I did have many doubts about the future and I failed to see how God’s past care was an indication of his current and future care.  In Romans 8:32, God reminds us that He already spared no cost to care for us the way we most needed it.  He gave Jesus to save me from sin and death.

The question posed in this verse is exactly what I needed to hear in my worry. How will God not also, with Christ, freely give us all things?  Christ’s death was a huge sacrifice. Nothing I was worrying about then, or have ever worried about since, compares with the weight of my need for salvation and Christ’s sacrificial death for me. After giving Christ for us, why would God hold back now from helping me and walking with me in my future?  He wouldn’t! That does not fit with His character, nor would it even make sense for Him to hold back from caring for us in lesser ways after He already gave up Christ to die for us. Yet in my worry, I was acting like God might do that very thing! Christ’s death proves God’s love, care, grace and compassion towards us. This reminder of God’s past provision and grace reassured my heart that I could trust Him with the unknowns of my future. Now this verse doesn’t guarantee that God will give us all things that we want or wish for, but it does reassure us that God’s care for us extends to our present and future. He was trustworthy in saving me; why should I doubt His trustworthiness in looking ahead? No matter what we face, we can trust that God will graciously provide for us all that we truly need. When I doubt that, I need to just look at the cross and remember how God has graciously provided for me. “How will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

Jennifer Cantu
Jennifer Cantu works as a counselor and Shift Supervisor at Vision of Hope. She received her biblical counseling certification from ACBC in 2014. In addition to working at VOH, Jennifer counsels women through Faith Church’s counseling ministry. She is very thankful for ministry opportunities to help, teach and encourage women with God's Word.