IS ANYBODY IN YOUR CORNER AND CHEERING FOR YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all;
how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?
(Romans 8:32)

MEDITATION:
The verse preceding Romans 8:32 tells us a lot about God.
    What, then, shall we say in response to these
    things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
    (Romans 8:31)

Some may ask the question, “Is God really for us?”
Of course He is – He created us! That may be the reason Paul
included the verse following Romans 8:31. Paul wanted others
to understand just how much God is for us. He cares for us so
much that He didn’t spare His own Son. God gave up His Son
for us – what more could He do to show He is for us?

Paul says later that we should not
judge or pre-judge those chosen by God.
    Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
    It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No
    one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to
    life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
    (Romans 8:33-34)

God has chosen every person to receive the gift of salvation,
and when we choose to receive it, we have become one of His
chosen. God is the One who justifies; man does not have the
capability to do it.

So, what does all this mean to us? It means that our desire should
be to seek Him, to become one of His chosen, to obey Him, to follow
His guidance for our lives, and to serve Him in whatever capacity
He has chosen for us and provided us with the capacity to achieve.

And there are benefits for those who are His chosen. Paul says He will
“graciously give us all things”. We should never perceive God as some
type of Santa Clause who gives us everything we want when we are
good. God cares about us way too much to give us what we want. He
does much better – He gives us what we need!

Sometimes we may not even know what we need, but God does, and
He gives those things to His chosen. How great is that? We don’t know
what we need, but suddenly we receive it because our loving Heavenly
Father is for us, and He gives it to us.

When that happens, our life can suddenly become much better and we
will discover new abilities for handling the things that cross our paths.
Yes, God is for us and He will be for us when we meet Him in heaven.

ACTION:
If you belong to God’s family, be encouraged to know that He is for you!
Others may vacillate from being a friend, to not being a friend, but God
never changes and He is the One who is always ‘in your corner’.

No matter how you are treated by others, never forget that God is always
your friend. That doesn’t mean that He forfeits His status as Lord; being
your friend is in addition to being your Lord – the One you worship.

And, always remember that sometimes He will speak words of guidance
and encouragement to us through friends or even strangers. Be thankful
for the good friends God has given us and realize that when they talk to
us, it may be God speaking through them.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for giving up Your Son for me.
I have trouble grasping that at times, but it does assure me
that You are ‘for me’. I could never adequately express my
heartfelt appreciation for Your love for me and everyone else.
Thank You for knowing and giving me what I need. Knowing
that You are for me, gives me confidence that no matter what
happens, in the end it is all going to be okay.”

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