James 1:17
Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, who does not change or shift like a shadow.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We tend to take credit for all the good things we do while wanting to pass the blame for the bad things. However, James reminds us that every act of kindness comes from You. These words echo Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which states, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.” Every good act of giving and every perfect gift comes from You, and we must take ownership of our sins.
Jesus said, “So then, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” In our honest assessment of ourselves, we realize that we can never achieve that. If we consider ourselves to be fairly good and think this doesn’t apply to us, James also wrote, “In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it.” While we fall short of perfection, the perfect gift bestowed upon us is Jesus’ righteousness, which covers all our iniquities.
So, Jesus’ perfection is credited to us. He also paid the eternal price for our sins when He suffered and died on the cross; His resurrection—the empty tomb—was our receipt, showing that our debt was paid in full. Salvation is the perfect gift You have given us.
We have received the most excellent news of our salvation, along with the fantastic message: You do not change. We receive these good and perfect gifts by believing and trusting in Jesus. Faith is the open hand that receives the gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Therefore, we thank You for Your good and perfect gifts.
Let our responses to these marvelous gifts be filled with gratitude and love. Let us also love others so that we can share Your good and perfect gifts with those who do not yet trust You. Please allow the gospel message to work in their hearts so they will also believe in Jesus as their Savior. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
God is love, and He never changes. Therefore, you can be confident in His love for you, the forgiveness Jesus won, and the Holy Spirit’s sanctification, which establishes your faith to believe in Christ so that you are restored and reunited with the Father’s perfect love.