Nothing Is Free

The Israelites faced oppressive slavery in Egypt. They cried out to God, He heard them, and He delivered them. 

Then, after escaping from Egypt, they began to complain in the wilderness. On this particular occasion they complained about food: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna” (Numbers 11:4-6). 
 
They had very selective memories! They longed for Egypt where they “used to eat free,” yet the food wasn’t free. It cost them their dignity, liberty, ability to care for their own, and the opportunity to worship God. 
 
Many in our society are looking for something “free” – food, housing, education, health care, etc. Yet nothing is free. Everything must be paid for one way or another – possibly at the same cost that the Israelites paid for their “free” food in Egypt. 
 
Even the free gift of God of eternal life (Romans 6:23) had a cost. It required Jesus shedding His blood on the cross to redeem us (1 Peter 1:18-19). To take advantage of this offer of salvation, it will cost us a life of self-sacrifice (Luke 9:23; Romans 12:1). 
 
So remember that nothing is free. In seeking what we want in life, it is easy to ignore the cost. But everything costs something. Let us not allow anything to cost us our soul. 
 
Andy Sochor