James 1:16-17 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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.
God has our best in mind. When we face trials and temptations, or when we do not get an answer to our prayers, we should not think that God does not love us or care about us. James is trying to get some “common sense Christianity” into his readers. He is appealing to basic theology. What we think about God will determine a lot about our lives and how we live. God’s character is consistent and God does not change His mind. God loves each person unconditionally. How we or other people respond to His love is what determines our outcome in life. How can we be deceived by this idea? When “bad” things happen in our lives, God is often blamed. Some insurance policies even a clause for “acts of God.” God provides us good things, for our best. God may allow so-called “bad” things to come into our lives by not protecting us from every harm with the purpose that we recognized Him and seek Him. The Bible is full of stories like this, especially the Old Testament. God is consistent and is not like shifting shadows. Shadows shift because of moving light. God’s light does not move. We can count on God and acknowledge that God is at work behind the scenes of the events of our lives. When “bad” things do happen, we can know that God will see us through and can turn the bad into good if we seek Him. We may not see this good for a long time or if ever in this life. That is where trust must come in.
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