James 1:16-20
New King James Version (NKJV)
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 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. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Qualities Needed in Trials
19 So then,[a] my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
these are my thoughts please share yours
Every good thing we have comes from the Father who chooses to bless us. The greatest blessing He provides is salvation. To many times we act before we think and speak before we consider the results.
James 1:16-20 (HCS)
16 Don't be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. 17 Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. 18 By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 My dearly loved brothers, understand this: everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for man's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness.
Questions arise from verse 17, what is a generous act, what is a perfect gift, and what does it mean that there is no shadow cast?
A generous act of course is an act of grace, something going beyond what is expected or what is necessary. In short a generous act is an act of love, and we know that all of it comes from God.
A perfect gift cannot be something that we can hold for there is nothing physical that is perfect. It stands to reason that we are being told that the perfect gift must be something spiritual from God.
Let me ask this, who receives a perfect gift: the King of Saudi Arabia with many wives and untold wealth, with a fleet of private jets and more money than he could ever spend, or the Christian believer in Rwanda who is about to be put to death because he refuses to deny his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
When the light of Christ shines upon a man there is no darkness that can be found upon, a round or in that man's heart. Darkness cannot exist in the presence of Jesus Christ, there is no shadow cast by light only a shadow where light does not exist.
