Sunday, July 12, 2015

James 1:17 (Devotion)

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

There is great peace knowing God is full control, sovereign and constant. Those who reject God as creator and eternal judge stake no value in any supreme being for they declare themselves masters of their own fate. And while it is true that due to free-will we choose to accept God for who He is or reject Him, the truth remains for the Christ-follower that God's existence in no way is dependant on man.

James reinforces to the church that God can be trusted because He never changes. Though seasons come and go, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. There is no hidden shadow to His character because He is love and law simultaneously. He never contradicts Himself within the pages of Scripture because it is His Word, not simply the word of man. And He is the author and source of all good within the world for all mankind.

In context with verse 16, James certainly clarifies any confusion on who we believe God to be so as not to be deceived. But I believe when we examine our hearts we quickly realize that as Christians, not everything goes the way we think. Sometimes life brings tough trials and our flesh questions whether God is good. Yet what we think and what truly is are two different issues. We cannot measure goodness solely on our finite emotion and experience. Rather, we must accept that our Father in heaven bestows good and perfect gifts that are immeasurable for us to comprehend. And in truth, the most perfect gifts are those that do not come so easily but are more appreciated because of the trials we endure.

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