Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
In the previous verses (1: 12 - 16) James has talked about temptation ... and the fact that temptations never originate in the heart of God. Now he shifts the thought to what does originate from the heart of God ... good gifts. These two verses are all about gifts and giving. James wanted us to be well aware of the fact that all good gifts come from God. In fact, the whole idea of being generous is born in the heart of God. Remember John 3:16 .. "For God so loved the world that He gave ..."
James makes 2 points. One, when you and I give ... the ability, the desire, the act ... it all comes from God. When you give to your children ... or to your spouse ... or to a friend ... or to a person in need ... the very act comes from God. It is His heart that is being played out. You are merely the vessel, the hands. What a privilege!
Second, every good gift that comes to you and I, comes from God. It may have physically appeared through the hands of another person, or through an event or circumstance. But the gift originated in the heart of God.
In Beth Moore's study on James, "Mercy Triumphs", she suggests an activity that I have found very encouraging. I want to commend the activity to you today. Here is Beth's suggestion:
Divide your age by 4. That divides your life into quarters. Take a piece of paper, and begin to list the good things that were a part of your life in each quarter. Leave out the struggle places right now. Just focus on the good, the noble, the beautiful. Each quarter certainly contains a host of things that were hard and presented you with struggle ... but leave that consideration for another day. Today, focus on the good. I found, as I did that activity, that my life reflects the goodness of God in powerful ways. I am able to see His hand as He molded and trained, as He loved and nurtured me through each period of time. I found my own heart of gratitude swelling to almost the bursting point!
Reflecting on the good gifts of God in your life is more than a pleasant activity. It is also a powerful tool to keep our hearts from following some of the "deformed desires" that plague us.
Think back on the story about King David and Bathsheba. If you are familiar with Bible study, this will be a familiar tale. If you are not, check it out in 2 Samuel 11 - 12. But for our thoughts today, I want to remind you of the prophet Nathan's words to David when he confronted the king with his sin ... and the fact that the sin was not hidden from God. Listen to Nathan in 2 Samuel 12: 7 - 8:
"Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more."Had David forgotten the good gifts from his God? Had he begun to focus on what he did not have - what he wished he had?
I suggest to you that one way to wage war with the "desires" that lead to sin is to spend more time on the good hand of your God in your life. The good gifts that He continually showers upon you. Why does He do it? Because it is His nature ... He gives ...
Lord, I want to be more like You today. I want to be generous ... with the people around me and with my time and energy. Let me be Your hands in some one's life today. I will count it as another one of the myriad of gifts that You bestow. And I thank You ... my Father of lights!
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