Bible Reading
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
James 1:16-18
James 1:16-18
Devotional
Every Christmas, without fail, something happens millions of times around the country and even the world. That something is the hunt for the perfect gift. You've all done it. Husbands, wives, parents, boyfriends...they spend hours racking their brains, searching online, asking for advice, and even visiting many shops hoping to find that one gift that will make the recipient's eyes light up in surprise when they open it. Over many years of Christmas shopping and searching for the perfect gift, you come to realize there are people who are difficult to shop for, and there are people who are easy to shop for. Either that perfect gift will be easy to find, or the perfect gift will be an ongoing major struggle, and every option you settle on will always seem to fall short.
The question that arises from this yearly phenomenon is this: What is a good gift? What makes one gift good and another gift bad, especially if the good and bad gifts were of similar cost? The answer lies in a handful of criteria: Was the gift thoughtful? Was it useful, timely, and of good quality? Will it last and does it actually fulfill a need or desire that the recipient had? Perhaps the recipient was pleasantly surprised because the gift was something they didn't even realize they wanted or needed, but now are so thankful that they have. The bottom line is that good gifts take time, effort, and discernment to get right, while bad gifts usually don't.
James reminds the reader of something important; that all good gifts ultimately come from above. It is God who gives us life and breath and everything good. God gives flowers and lakes and rivers. God gives us sex and blessing and children. It's true! Everything that is truly good comes from God and flows out of his nature. God is the source of everything good. This means that anything that comes from God is good (even if it doesn't seem like it) and it also means that whatever does not come from God is not good. Even if it seems pleasing and good...if it's not from God, it's not good. James describes that one of the greatest gifts of God is that He never changes. The biblical term for this is the immutability of God or the unchanging nature of God. God is always good, and his gifts are always good. He does not change like the shifting shadows of so many of the things in our world. This means that if God was full of love, compassion, grace, and mercy, he will always be full of those attributes. Among modern theologians, some have adopted a dangerous doctrine called process theology, which says that God is “maturing” and “growing” and “in process” Himself. Basically, it is the idea that God is not immutable and unchanging but is actually getting better over time. James refutes these ideas and states that God does not change like shifting shadows. That is very good news.
The question that arises from this yearly phenomenon is this: What is a good gift? What makes one gift good and another gift bad, especially if the good and bad gifts were of similar cost? The answer lies in a handful of criteria: Was the gift thoughtful? Was it useful, timely, and of good quality? Will it last and does it actually fulfill a need or desire that the recipient had? Perhaps the recipient was pleasantly surprised because the gift was something they didn't even realize they wanted or needed, but now are so thankful that they have. The bottom line is that good gifts take time, effort, and discernment to get right, while bad gifts usually don't.
James reminds the reader of something important; that all good gifts ultimately come from above. It is God who gives us life and breath and everything good. God gives flowers and lakes and rivers. God gives us sex and blessing and children. It's true! Everything that is truly good comes from God and flows out of his nature. God is the source of everything good. This means that anything that comes from God is good (even if it doesn't seem like it) and it also means that whatever does not come from God is not good. Even if it seems pleasing and good...if it's not from God, it's not good. James describes that one of the greatest gifts of God is that He never changes. The biblical term for this is the immutability of God or the unchanging nature of God. God is always good, and his gifts are always good. He does not change like the shifting shadows of so many of the things in our world. This means that if God was full of love, compassion, grace, and mercy, he will always be full of those attributes. Among modern theologians, some have adopted a dangerous doctrine called process theology, which says that God is “maturing” and “growing” and “in process” Himself. Basically, it is the idea that God is not immutable and unchanging but is actually getting better over time. James refutes these ideas and states that God does not change like shifting shadows. That is very good news.