November 22

Written by Bill Grandi on November 22nd, 2022

James 1:17 speaks truth. Good truth. Much needed truth. Truth to be reminded of. 

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. (emphasis mine)

Notice those first few words again. “Every good and perfect gift.” We can readily agree with that can’t we?

But what if what has happened is not a good thing (at least in our eyes)?

  • This past Saturday morning, a neighbor of a family in the church I pastor, watched as their two-story log home burned to the ground. They got out with the clothes on their back and their dogs (they lost their cats).
  • I visited someone recently who could lift hundreds of pounds of weights, was as strong as an ox, but over the past year health challenges have made him a shadow of what he used to be.
  • As I have aged, I have noticed my own strength wane and knee and back issues play havoc with my active lifestyle.

Does this mean God is not good? Do these example and the countless others mean God does not care? Is He absent?

No…it does not. God has not promised a trouble-free life, no matter the false teaching by the hucksters and shysters who pretend they speak for God. In spite of the trouble, there are some things I KNOW about God.

  1. He is near.
  2. He is at hand, but is not immobile like hands of a broken clock.
  3. He is a listener, but never distracted.
  4. He never sleeps or slumbers.

What do you know about God that you can add? One more thing: be thankful for this God who is always good. Praise Him in the good and in the storm.

 

6 Comments so far ↓

  1. Ryan S. says:

    5. God is patient with me
    (More patient than I would ever be with myself or others… infinitely patient)
    6. God’s Love is unmovable… There is nothing I or anyone else can do to separate me from His Love… —This doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences… As a loving Father, He corrects me… but this does NOT change His love for me and only proves how much He loves me…

    Thankful for both (and for your list as well).

    • Bill Grandi says:

      thanks for adding to mine Ryan. I know I could have kept on going…but what is the fun in that? 🙂 I definitely like yours as well.

  2. Linda Stoll says:

    Thanks for this reminder that even in the toughest of times, God remains the same, filled with love, grace, and compassion.

    I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with rest, hope, and celebration, friend. I’m grateful that we get to do this blogging life together …

    • Bill Grandi says:

      Thanks Linda. I need to remind myself of this from time to time. I, too, enjoy the blogging life together. Not too many of us are left.

  3. gail says:

    5. God is the greatest love story ever told, or written.
    6. Once you are saved, no one can ever snatch you out of God’s hand.
    7. God gives us eternal life, we will spend eternity in a place with our Father that will far exceed anything else we can think of. We will walk along side of Our Savior for eternity.
    The list could go on and on. We serve a awesome Father, may all the glory and honor,be His alone.