The Source

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 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.” (James 1:16, 17)

Everyone, without exception—every man, woman, and child; rich man, poor man; Christian, non; despairing or content—everyone without exception devotes his or her life, thoughts, feelings, and actions to the pursuit of happiness, to getting the good and perfect “gifts.” Those who get up in the morning and do whatever they do—eat breakfast, go to work, laugh and play—do so because they think it is the right thing, the good thing, the thing that will bring them pleasure. Those who stay in bed—to mourn, to run away, to indulge, to rest—do so for the exact same reason, because they think it is what will bring them the best good. We are all looking to satisfy the aching in our soul for good and perfect gifts.

And even those of us who know better and know what this verse in the Bible tells us, that all things good—again without exception—come from God, even we struggle frequently (daily? moment-by-moment?) against the deception the damned serpent presented to our parents in the Garden (where everything was Paradise, right?): God is holding back. Somehow somewhere something outside God’s plan and God’s law and God’s ways (outside God Himself?) is going to bring me more pleasure, more delight, more satisfaction, more power, and more glory than what comes down from above.

In other words, the essence of sin is the disbelief of this verse. If we would go to the Father of lights, the Father of all things light and pure and good and true, if we would ask of God, the God who gives liberally and without reproach to all who ask for the good, we would avoid the shipwreck of wrong desire and temptation and sin and the death that ensues. But we teeter back and forth much of the time, unfortunately, between such faithful asking-looking-trusting-and-waiting and the utterly foolish response of lusting for the fruit forbidden if not sinking our teeth into it altogether.

God is the source of all things good, and He is good Himself, neither empty nor stingy, and with Him there is no variation or shadow of turning. The source—and nothing but the source—will always bear what it bears, give what it gives. God alone can be trusted for the goodness and perfection for which we long and live and pursue. Go to Him, beloved, and abide in Him, look to Him, and delight in Him, and He will give you the desires of your hearts.

“Father of lights, Source of all good, Goodness Himself, forgive our disbelief, deliver us from deception, draw us to Yourself, grant to us Yourself. Keep us from looking for love and joy and happiness and fulfillment and wisdom and comfort in all the wrong places, and by Your Holy Spirit guide us in the way that leads to You and all things good, true, and beautiful. We pray believing and trusting in our Lord’s most holy and precious name. Amen.”

Like Water from a Rock

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:2–8)

Here is another of those paradoxes God seems to throw at us sideways: when trouble comes, count it a joy. How insensitive of Him! Doesn’t He know trouble means sorrow, not joy? God might as well command water from a rock as to command joy in the midst of trials.

Come to think of it, God did command water from a rock. And it was indeed in the midst of a trial. When the children of Israel grew thirsty in the wilderness, their response was to complain, whine, despair, panic, and blame. Surely we cannot blame them—I mean, after all, there were millions of them, livestock as well, in the middle of a desert, hot sun scorching them, Arabic winds blowing sand into their eyes and throat, tongues clinging to the roofs of their mouths. Surely if anyone had excuse to complain, it was these poor, suffering, displaced people.

But the God who brought water from the rock in order to quench their thirst is the God who brings joy in the midst of the worst of troubles. Sound impossible? With man it certainly is—goes directly against his grain and grates against the fabric of his soul—but with God all things are possible. God give us no choice: we must walk through the desert, we must pass through the fire, we must fall into various trials—and we must count it all joy. But wherever God calls us, He also gives the power to follow.

That is why we must ask from God—God, who gives liberally and without reproach. If God is the one who brings water gushing from rocks enough to satisfy millions, turns gallons of water into gallons of wine for the delight of partying wedding guests, and throws open tombs and gives life to the dead, then certainly He can and will grant to us the wisdom and joy and patience and faith we need in the middle of our own trouble, whatever the case may be.

Leave it to God to command the impossible; leave it to God to bring it about. With God, sorrow becomes joy, trouble gives birth to strong faith and patience, and wisdom is poured out from above just for the asking. As for us? We are to believe and obey, trust and follow, ask and receive—and count it all joy!—knowing God is up to something big and good and full of wonder.

“Lord God, we give thanks to You for Your wise use of the trials You have brought into our lives, and we pray You would grant to us joy and patience and wisdom and faith as we encounter each of them. Grant to us grace, dear God, to follow You and trust You through the impossible, looking to You to perform the impossible, looking to You to do all things right according to Your own wisdom and good purpose and glory. Great, benevolent, and liberal God! please hear our prayer and grant these things to us for Your own name’s sake, we pray in Christ’s name. Amen.”