28/06/2023
James 1:17
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
Explanation and Commentary of James 1:17
God is the giver of anything that is good. There is more good than most people realize. James has been discoursing on trials, and even these are good and perfect gifts. Everything that we have is a gift from God, undeserved. After salvation and adoption, every gift from God is a bonus.
Every situation, no matter how difficult, is a gift designed to bring us good in both this life and the next. Those who do not understand this will run the risk of seeing God as one who changes. They think that one day God is good and blessing them with pleasant gifts. The next he is either unaware of what satan is doing, or he is powerless, or just not good anymore. But this is a deception. The Father of the heavenly lights does not change. He has been good and perfect from eternity past. He is good and perfect today. He will be good and perfect tomorrow Ashwell along with everything that he does, and everything that he gives.
This is meant to be a great encouragement and will lead to a muscular faith that can handle the trials of life. God never changes. He is good all the time, and all the time he is good.
James also uses a play on words in this verse, referring to God as the Father of lights, or "of heavenly lights." He is the source of the light. The sun can never be in shadow. At times, shadows may fall on us, but He is ever and always light. If we turn away from Him, pls.. tecnotes this... we go only deeper into shadow. Turning from God in order to escape hardship is as ridiculous as hiding from the sun in an effort to escape darkness. When faced with ordeals, we should seek the one who can make all things new.
What does it mean to remain faithful in hard times? It means continuing to acknowledge that God is the source of what is good in our lives, and what will be good in the future.