Our God is a giver of good gifts. He showers us with good gifts each day. Gifts we don’t deserve or even always need. James 1 verses 16-17 tell us:
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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.”
James is talking to believers. He doesn’t want them to think, even for a second, that good gifts come from someone other than our Father. The Father of lights. He is called that because He doesn’t change. There is no shadow, because He never changes. He is constant. He is unchangeable. One of the best gifts the Lord has given us, is truth. Through His word we can always know what is true.
In a world where so much can change quickly, knowing our God does not, is the ultimate comfort.
In quarantine, often we feel like we are missing out on so many of our favorite things, and yet we still are given so many good, and thoughtful, gifts from the Lord. Something that could feel like a gift right now is bumping into a friend while you walk your neighborhood, a quiet drive to go grocery shopping alone, or a sunny day to spend as much of your time outside with your family as possible. Sometimes our gifts from the Lord come through trials that help us to grow in maturity and root out a selfish way.
Gifts from the Lord are often not tangible, but they meet a desire our hearts have, even if we haven’t been able to identify the longing. Often we don’t immediately recognize the good gift, until later when the Lord is good to reveal it to us.
ACTION STEPS with your kids: Assign each family a piece of paper and hang it on the wall. Towards the end of each day, ask everyone what were some good gifts they received from the Lord that day. Write them daily and then take time to pray together, thanking the Lord for his good gifts.
