Restored Hope Devotional: Day 3

“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

13 Apr, 2022

In the preceding verse, Paul asks “...if God is for us, who can be against us?". In answering his own question, Paul outlines God’s generous heart to us, in proof that God is ‘for us.’

God held nothing back from us, including the Son He loved so much. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, where Jesus gave his perfect life as a sacrifice to pay for our imperfect sinful one, we can confidently stand before the God of the universe, both now and for eternity. God gave what was most precious to Him so that we could gain what is most precious to us: a restored relationship with God and the certainty of eternal life.

Paul reminds us of God’s generosity in Jesus to assure us that He will continue to give us all that we need for our daily walk with Him.

But this generosity is never meant to stop at just us—a belief that 20-year-old Sosina holds firmly.

Sosina’s mother was just 13 years old when she gave birth to Sosina in Ethiopia. She was a hard-working single mother who tried to make ends meet by working multiple jobs. Yet because of her young age and lack of family support, life was a struggle for both mother and daughter. Sosina recalls their relief when she was enrolled at their local Compassion centre.

She soon found family, friends, provision of school supplies and spiritual mentorship. In addition, Sosina fondly recalls the significant role of her sponsor in sending letters of encouragement and hope.

“If a woman who never met me in person cares enough to support and pray for me, I thought I would also one day follow in her footsteps. I was inspired to live for someone other than myself", she says.

This moment came when Sosina was a second-year college student. She had the opportunity to support a child herself through her local church's community outreach initiative. Even though Sosina’s only income was her allowance from the Compassion program, she decided to use what little money she had to make an impact. She began supporting a young girl named Deborah, helping her to attend school and meet her basic needs

“It’s not all the time that God puts others in our path. But when He does, I believe it is not just others who benefit from what we can offer," Sosina says.

"I think blessing others also brings blessings to us. I never lacked money for what I need. This is the blessing in giving."

We are ‘blessed to be a blessing’ is a phrase we perhaps hear all too often, but familiarity doesn’t make it any less true. Paul tells the people of Corinth that they will be enriched in every way so that they can be generous on every occasion (2 Corinthians 9:11), and the same holds true for us today. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be generous, reflecting the heart and character of God.

We have been blessed by the unparalleled generosity of God so we can take what we have, whether little or much, and look for ways to bless the people around us. Our neighbours both local and global.