He Is On Your Side
Those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. what, then, shall we say in response 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, along with him, graciously give us all things? —Romans 8:30–32
You might want to take a moment and read that passage again. As you reread those three verses, ponder these questions: What did God give up for you, and what else is promised to you?
If we are open to the Holy Spirit, every time we read God’s Word we very well could receive new insights. Does this Scripture make you feel like you could do anything with God in your corner? When I considered these verses recently, the words just made me feel like an eagle — empowered to soar above it all. Why? Because God is on my side. If God would sacrifice his own Son for me, what wouldn’t he do for me?
Here is where I believe the message gets a bit difficult to understand for those who are without work, without the daily purpose that comes with a job and the means to provide. In fact, I imagine these verses at times seem to offer a mixed message from the Lord. You may be wondering, If I am so important to God, why am I going through such a long drought, such a tough journey? If he really loves me, why am I hitting a brick wall on each interview and seemingly on each path I undertake? Why do I feel like I’m alone in all of this if God is by my side? Why does it seem like every move I make is a mistake? When will it all end?!
I get that. On one hand, the apostle Paul writes in —Romans 8:32 that the Lord will “give us all things.” And that seems to cover the need for a job, right? But here’s the twist. The Lord knows you and me better than we know ourselves. On the surface we may believe that getting a job is our most pressing need. Yet the Lord may be using this season of transition to weed out the pride, arrogance, self-reliance or other emotional or spiritual deficiencies that a career easily masks. In that respect, he is giving us a true gift — one that will serve us well in the days ahead.
We can truly trust the Lord because he didn't spare his own son. He assures us that he is in control, he will always provide what is best for us, and he may be using this season of transition for our ultimate good. That’s what —Romans 8:28 says: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
If God is working behind the scenes in all things for our good, that insight should set us free to praise him in all things — including when an interview goes poorly, when a job offer doesn’t come through or when the funds are getting so low that we have to make another withdrawal from our retirement account. In all things we will trust that God is on our side — for he loved us enough to sacrifice his only Son.
This seven-day devotional is drawn from Why Did I Lose My Job If God Loves Me: Help and Hope for Those in Career Transition by Rick J. Pritikin.
