Monday, April 10, 2017

The Goodness of God (James 1:17)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 08-28-03

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  The goodness of God

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                           Reference:  James 1:17

 

            Message of the verse:  “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  (NKJV)  “Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights.  Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows.”  (NLT)

            If I understand what Dr. Wiersbe says about this verse it could start out something like this:  Every gift that God gives us is perfect, and the way that He gives it to us is perfect, and He keeps on giving us gifts all of the time, even when we do not realize that He is giving them to us, and God is not like the moving of the planets and stars, for He never changes because He cannot change for worse because He is holy, and He cannot change for better because He is perfect.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  When I am tempted I believe this verse teaches me that I should meditate on the goodness of God.  I can also think about the judgment of God, which is something I do not like to do, and realize that by falling to the temptation I then can experience the discipline of God.  Trials can come by the Lord, and even those trials are good for me because of what they will produce in my life, and they are also good because they come from God.  This can be seen in the life of David, but at one point he did fall to temptation and then experienced the chastisement of the Lord. 

            Moses wrote about not forgetting the goodness of the Lord when things were going good for us.  This is what he said in Deu. 6:  “10  ‘Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied, 12 then watch yourself, lest you forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.13  ‘You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name.  14 ‘You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, 15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.’”  These are some sobering verses to think on.

 

The Word of God has given me instruction, it has also challenged me, and it has given refreshment to my heart as I read it this morning. 

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To remember the goodness of the Lord, and to fear the Lord as He has explained in His Word to do.

 

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