When we think about gratitude, we often begin by naming the good things in our lives.
But James 1:17 (NKJV) invites us to look beyond the gifts to the One who gives them.
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.
It's worth noticing where this verse appears.
James has been writing about temptation. He reminds his readers that temptation doesn't come from God. Instead, God is the source of what is good.
And James tells us something else about God: He doesn't change.
The NKJV Evangelical Study Bible, available with Bible Gateway Plus, explains:
As their Creator, He is certainly more constant and reliable than the objects of His creation. With God, there is not even the slightest change; He is immutable.
The same Study Bible includes a separate note on the Immutability of God, and it concludes that:
Because God is unchanging, Christians can depend on His love, power, and promises.
Our circumstances may change. Some seasons are filled with blessings we can easily recognize. Others bring uncertainty, disappointment, or hardship.
James doesn't ask us to pretend those difficulties aren't real. He points us to the character of the God who remains good through them all.
That's a reason for gratitude that goes deeper than our circumstances.
Take a moment to reflect
- What good gifts from God might I be overlooking today?
- When circumstances change, how does James 1:17 remind me of God's character?
- How might remembering God's unchanging goodness shape the way I give thanks?
Continue reading James 1:17 in the NKJV Evangelical Study Bible →
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