God's "Good" Gifts

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." -James 1:17

This past weekend Pastor Philip De Courcy (Kindred Community Church) was talking about the goodness of our heavenly Father. I was challenged and encouraged as the Truth was proclaimed from the Word with regards to what His goodness looks like. You see, often we think of "good" or "perfect" from the world's perspective; maybe that means a new career that we've been praying for, a spouse, or an amazingly successful ministry. Each one of these things, good in and of themselves, yes, but maybe not good and perfect for each and every person.

Our heavenly Father is working in our lives with one purpose, our Christlikeness (aka our sanctification). To become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is not a process that comes without pain, suffering, trial, and tribulation. Without these precious gifts, yes gifts, we cannot become more like Jesus. It is in the darkest moments of our lives, when we truly cling to our Father in heaven, when we see our dependence upon Him for what it truly is, and when we are humbled to the foot of the cross with no where else to turn. How sweet are those times. I know I can look back on my life and see that in those dark moments, God was at work in a way only time would reveal.

When God promises to give His children "GOOD" gifts, he promises just that, gifts that are for our good and of course as a direct result, for His glory. The problem lies within us. In our flesh, we don't see certain "gifts" as being good. We question, wonder, and beg God to bring us to the top of the mountain when we are in the deepest valley. And yet God reminds us in those times to wait, to trust, to hope and to remember that He is working everything, yes even the pain, together for our good. How incredible is that?! Only a Soveriegn God could turn ashes into beauty.

And isn't it true that those valleys prepare us to appreciate the mountain tops? The sweet blessings that come in triumph and happiness are gifts we appreciate so much more once we have experienced the good gifts in trial. We are able to look back and see how those valleys prepared us for the mountain tops.

How truly precious are the GOOD gifts our heavenly Father gives us, no matter in what form or shape they may come.

"How can all things be worked together by God for good? The answer is at hand. It is because God's ultimate purpose is to make us like Christ. His goal is the complete restoration of the image of God in His child! So great a work demands all the resources which God finds throughout the universe, and He ransacks the possibilities of joys and sorrows in order to reproduce in us the character of Jesus." -Sinclair Ferguson