Devotionals

Scripture Reading: James 1:17

The greatest gift for all of us is the things that we consider devastation, misfortune and catastrophe.  I have certainly had my share of issues. I have also been guilty of getting angry with God, bitter with life as well as taking on an attitude of rebellion.  It was a hard thing for me to grasp that six years of hard epileptic seizures was a perfect gift from God. Therefore in my rebellious state, I decided to do a study on James 1:17.  Today I can tell you that I now consider my former seizures a good and perfect gift from above. 

Gift has a two-fold meaning. It means something given as well as something received.  So, we must look at our circumstances as the gift given from the Lord that will make us perfect (mature, complete) in Him. Our responsibility is to receive the gift with complete faith and trust in God. How can we do that? We must: 

• Look past the blemishes and look for the beauty.
• Stop dwelling in the flesh and deal with the situation.
• Look for God’s purpose rather than our pain.
• Allow ourself to be tried without being tempted.
• Learn from the circumstance rather than running from them. 

The word “perfect” means to be perfect or mature. In this particular passage of Scripture James is teaching us that every good and perfect gift is from above and comes from the Father of lights. The gift in the devastation and catastrophe is the end results of our maturity in the Lord. As we focus on the lesson and humble ourself before the Lord, the understanding will come. The secret to it all is receiving the gift we have been given.

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• Tags: gift, perfect

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• Posted by: Dr. Brenda Robinson