Our scripture this morning is James 1:16-18 (NLT).
So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
James tells us that God is the Creator, the source of all good things. He reminds us that everything is a gift from God and that we are not to be misled into thinking we have created anything ourselves. We owe it all to our loving Father.
We read that God “created all the lights in the heavens”, but unlike their varying patterns, “He never changes.” This means we can always count on Him, that He is always the same, seeking only good for us. Our faith in Him must be constant as well, unaffected by human events.
God not only gave us physical birth, but a spiritual rebirth “by giving us His true word.” Jesus is the very word of God (John 1:1) and He teaches that we must be “born again” (John 3:3-8). Then we can truly reflect the image of God as we go to share His love.
Loving Lord, You have given us all things and the responsibility to care for them. Help us to live new lives through Christ’s sacrifice for us and bring the Good News to everyone. Amen.
