James 1:17 - 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.
When you think of God, what do you think he is like? Is he harsh? Is he distant? Is he loving? Is he good? All of us have ideas in our head about who God is, much of which we base on our experience with God rather than on what the word says about him. Our minds are usually drawn to think on the negative and this diverts our focus away from any good that exists as well.
This verse is a reminder to us of who our God is and what kind of relationship he has with us. First, he is the Father of lights, creator of all things, and Father to us. We are his creation whom he formed with the love of a Father in every molding of us in his hands. We have a relationship with this great God in that we are his children, and he is our loving and perfect Father. He is not like earthly Father’s that disappoint through inconsistency or failure. He is incapable of inconsistency and it is not in his nature to fail.
This leads to the second thing. God never changes. There is no variation in him. He remains constant from the beginning to today and will be the same throughout all eternity. If he were to change, he could not be good, he could not be trustworthy, and he could not be God. In a world where everything changes constantly, knowing that our Father never does should cause hope and peace to rise in our hearts.
Finally, he gives good and perfect gifts to his children. He isn’t simply a Father who we know is good but he is far off, thinking little of us in our day to day lives. Instead, what we read in this verse is that he is generous to us, providing for us day after day after day. This means that God has an intimate knowledge of you and your life. How else would he know what you truly need in any given amount? It is because he is a loving and gracious Father, and we are his children through Christ.
In all our imaginings of who God is, we must not forget who he really is. Do you see him in this way today? Do you see him as your Father? Do you see him as a constant, firm foundation that you can stand upon, trusting that he will be the same today and tomorrow as he was yesterday? Do you see him as a generous giver who knows you personally and loves to lavish good things on you?
If you don’t, it wouldn’t be surprising if you felt hopeless for today. Without this great God in your corner, what strength could you possibly have for all that could come at you today? On the other hand, if you can see God for who this verse says he is, then you have a hope and strength that comes not from within, but from God himself, and he will love you and sustain you through whatever you may face today. Praise be to our gracious Father who has made us, loves us, and who will bring us home to be with him forever.
