The Great Giver # 3

The Great Giver # 3

The word "freely" not only signifies that God is under no constraint, but also means that He makes no charge for His gifts, He places no price on His blessings. God is no retailer of mercies or barterer of good things; if He were, justice would require Him to charge exactly what each blessing was worth, and then who among the children of Adam could find the payment? No, blessed be His name, God's gifts are "without money and without price" - unmerited and unearned.

Finally, rejoice over the comprehensiveness of His promise: "How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" The Holy Spirit would here regale us with the extent of God's wondrous grant. What is it you need, fellow Christian? Is it pardon? Then has He not said, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)? Is it grace? Then has He not said, "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8)? Is it a thorn in the flesh? This too will be given "there was given to me a thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7). Is it rest? Then heed the Saviour's invitation, "Come unto Me...and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28). Is it comfort? Is He not the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3)?"

"How shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" Is it temporal mercies that the reader is in need of? Are your circumstances adverse so that you are filled with dismal forebodings? Does your cruse of oil and barrel of meal look as though they will soon be quite empty? Then spread your need before God, and do it in simple childlike faith. Do you think that He will bestow the greater blessings of grace - and deny the lesser ones of Providence? No! "My God shall supply all your need" (Phil. 4:19). True, He has not promised to give all you ask, for we often ask amiss." Mark the qualifying clause: "How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" We often desire things which would come in between us and Christ if they were granted, therefore does God in His faithfulness withhold them.

Here then are four things which should bring comfort to every renewed heart.

The Father's costly sacrifice. Our God is a giving God and no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

The Father's gracious design. It was for us that Christ was delivered up; it was our highest and eternal interests that he had at heart.

The Spirit's infallible inference. The greater includes the less; the unspeakable Gift guarantees the bestowment of all other needed favors.

The comforting promise. Its sure foundation, its present and future scope, its blessed extent - are for the assuring of our hearts and the peace of our minds.

May the Lord add His blessing to this little meditation.

~A. W. Pink~

(The End)