Tuesday, October 2, 2018
James 1:17-18 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. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD (1)
By divine inspiration James calls God "the Father of lights," that is, the Creator of the sun, moon, and starry host. Those heavenly bodies may change. They may be in shadow or eclipse. That is never true about our God.
Fellow-believer, see that in a very practical way. It means each and every gift received from our Savior-God is good, yes perfect.
Of all God’s gifts, which would be the greatest? Martin Luther once said that John 3:16 sums up the "greatest" of everything God has done for us. "For God so loved the world...." means God is the GREATEST LOVER, for He loved the world of sinners without their least deserving it. "...That He gave His only-begotten Son..." teaches that God is the GREATEST GIVER in that He gave His only-begotten Son into death for us. "...That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life..." means the GREATEST POSSESSION any sinner can have is everlasting life as a fruit of God-given faith.
And how do we learn of that greatest of all possessions--how but through the "word of truth" which alone is "able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus..." (2 Timothy 3:16).
How, then, we treasure this "word of truth"! No other book on planet Earth contains the very thoughts and words of the Father of lights. With the psalmist we say these words are "more to be desired ... than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (19:10).
How precious is the Book Divine,
By inspiration giv'n!
Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine
To guide our souls to heav'n.
This lamp through all the tedious night
Of life shall guide our way
Till we behold the clearer light
Of an eternal day.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 285:1, 6)
