Scripture: James 1:17
Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all.
Thought for the Day: When I do a public prayer, I often use similar language to that of James – O God, giver of all that is good, beautiful and life-giving… Now a lot of folks attach some rather strange, unhealthy and even destructive things to God. People suggest God gives us disease, earthquakes and murders. They may not use those exact words, but they are implied when people suggest that God is in control of all things or that we may not understand God’s reason now, but someday it will be made clear. Or I hear people suggest that God gave those horrible things in the past, but since Jesus came along, God changed. James tries to set things straight when he explains that God is the giver of good things, not bad. And equally important, God hasn’t changed. The God we meet in Jesus is the same identical God who worked in the world before Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, there are some passages in scripture that suggest otherwise, but that’s where followers of Jesus must use the life and teachings of Jesus as the lens through which everything else is understood. If it doesn’t align with the grace and mercy of the crucified Christ, then we need to revisit James and reintroduce ourselves to the Giver of all good thing who was the same yesterday, today and forever.
Prayer: How I see, interpret and understand life must start with how I see, interpret and understand you, O Merciful God. Make Jesus my starting and ending place, for he is the fullest expression of you that can be seen in human form. Thank you for giving us your goodness in him. Amen.
WORKDAY THIS SATURDAY
9am at the church
