“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. [. . .]
“16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
Introduction
Everyone loves being the recipient of a well thought out gift—the kind of gift that shows that the giver understands your interests and wants you to feel appreciated. But when you receive a gift you aren’t exactly crazy about—because it’s the wrong size, wrong color, wrong everything—you find yourself wondering if the person even knows you or cares.
But when the gift comes from our sovereign Lord who knows what we need, we must stand ready to receive. It may be tempting to believe that God must have gotten it wrong, but he never does.
He is unchanging. We are fickle.
He is light. We are conceived in darkness.
He is perfect. We are flawed.
There are times when God gift-wraps blessing in tear stained, cancerous, messy, mucky circumstances. The promise to us is that he gives good gifts. It is true, and he expects us to trust him with the gift. Easy to do when it is beautiful and exciting but not when it seems ugly, poorly timed, or feels burdensome. We often want to reject the painful gift, believing we are better off without it. What we are actually refusing is the far grander gift of intimacy, maturity, and joy that come from his steadfast love, his faithful promises, and his unwavering presence in every moment of our lives.
We deceive ourselves when we believe something other than the truth that God’s sovereignty is coupled with his intimate knowledge of our needs, working together for our good. Our fleshly desires and our deceptive enemy ensnare our hearts and tempt us to bitterness and unbelief when we place our own interpretations upon God’s gifts.
With a mere question, Satan led Eve to question the motives and goodness of God in the gifts that he gave to them in the garden. She interpreted God’s instruction and motive wrongly, and added to his words. She did not trust the Giver and, instead, rejected the gift of God’s provision, protection, and providence.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, provides us with a powerful example of a gift well received. In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel comes to Mary and bestows upon her the gift of favor as the mother of Jesus. She was able to withstand the confusing, terrifying, amazing events of her life from supernatural impregnation to witnessing the murder of her son because she believed in the character of God, received his favor upon her, and trusted in the goodness of his plan.
Our God chose to rescue us from self-deception and rebirth us in truth. By sending his Son Jesus, he made a way for us to be rescued from fleshly falsehood and once again enjoy fellowship with him. He did that of his own will. He truly is the giver of good gifts. He spends all of his riches upon us to give us life.
Observation
- What does it mean that a lowly brother may boast in his exaltation?
- Verses 9–11 are not a warning about the amount of money we possess. What about a rich man’s heart is James warning against?
- What are some of God’s attributes and actions that James highlights in these verses?
- What does God give from verse 17?
- What did God choose of his own will from verse 18? (See also John 1:12–13.)
Interpretation
How can we understand God’s ways in relation to the gifts he gives? Read Psalm 85:12, John 3:27, and 1 Corinthians 4:7, and compare to verses 17 and 18.
How does a loving, sovereign God use trial, trouble, and tears as good and perfect gifts in our lives? (See Hebrews 12.)
Read Romans 8:23–24. According to these verses, along with James 1:18, what is our hope? What do we already have, and what are we still waiting for?
Application
- What does a heart ready to receive every good and perfect gift from above sound like, look like, feel like?
- What does your self-deception sound like, look like, feel like? (You most probably need to ask a trusted believer in your life to help you answer this one. Self-deception makes us blind.)
- What truths and promises from Scripture help you combat self-deception?
- Have you received a gift from God that, at first glance, appeared to be the wrong size, not to your liking, and totally confusing? How were you able to worship the Giver of this gift?
For further study
Tell about a gift from God that you have received that surprised and blessed you in unexpected ways.
This devotion is adapted from the James Study Guide. Pick up a copy today for only $9.99. The Study Guide includes a 15-week curriculum, a small group study, a group inductive study, as well as 75 daily devotions for your personal or family worship.
