Thankful for Good Things

Landscape portrait of me in Yellowstone, taken by my friend, Dean.

For something that I didn't get into until I was well into my adult years, I'm pleasantly surprised how much I've enjoyed photography. More than that though, I realize that I am thankful for the gift of it, and everything good connected with it.

As a child, going outdoors was oftentimes a mix of fun, but also fear. Not fear of danger, but I just didn't like getting dirty. But when I was 11 or 12, a visit to the Grand Canyon opened up a degree of "adventurer" in me.

The combination of the two things has been a real blessing, and I am thankful for that gift.

I'm not sure there's any verses in the Bible that give us any, really even a mention, of photography or adventure. But there are plenty of verses that deal with thankfulness and gratitude towards God. One verse I want to highlight today is in James 1:17:

"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."

Now, contextually speaking, we see prior to this a conversation about sin and temptation. In other words, things that are not good, not from God. And after this we see mention of God bringing us to salvation, the first fruits among His creatures (vs. 18). That is something that is very good, and is from God.

But I believe it is safe to say that this idea of God being the giver of good things extends far beyond this (though admittedly to lesser things). Lesser, but still good gifts from a good Father.

So to break the verse down, what can we say?

Firstly, "every... gift is from above... from the Father of lights".

If it's good, if it's perfect, then it's from God. I don't mean to diminish His decree here, I understand He is working His sovereign will through all things, even difficult things. I just mean to say that, using my photography as an example; I believe that that is a good gift from God, not just my specific example, but the very ability anyone has to do this at all.

It is good that God has shared His communicable attributes with us, that we can share in His creativity (music, art, etc.), His 'creating' (building, constructing, etc.), and understanding His creation (both through things like photography, but also science and exploration).

He is a creative God, and He has created great and awesome things, and by His grace has allowed us to partake in knowing Him more through it all.

But it extends beyond that.

"For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude" - 1 Timothy 4:4, emphasis added.

Paul was explaining to Timothy that while false teachers were coming in and saying certain foods and marriage were evil, that the reality is they are of God and therefore good and should be received as such through gratitude. Through prayer it is sanctified (vs. 5).

We are no longer under the Mosaic food restraints (yes you can eat bacon). And marriage is a wonderful gift that was given before the fall of man, while creation was still "very good".

Again I think it's safe to extend the idea; if it is not sinful and doesn't become sinful through idolatry, then is it not a good gift from God?

Founder of Chick-Fil-A, Truett Cathy, said: "Food is essential to life, therefore make it good."

So, if it's good, then use it to the honor and glory of God (Colossians 3:23). Recognize and praise the source of all that is good, God Himself.

Next, we see that God does not change.

I'm going to go the safe route and say that the meaning of "Father of lights" can be dual. He is certainly the Author of creation, including the sun, moon, and stars. These great lights owe their existence to Him.

But He is also Light, that is, He is everything that is good and pure and right. There is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5).

Either way we know from this passage not only that He is the source of light, both in a moral and spiritual sense, as well as in a creative sense; we also see that He does not change.

The sun, moon, and stars are constantly changing. It may not look that way to us. It's said the moon is flying farther away from the earth, the sun one day will burn out, and stars explode all the time.

God however does not change. Even such celestial movements are ordained by His hands.

" For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." - Malachi 3:6

And so we don't have to worry that He will one day change His mind about us, removing our salvation, Or that He will one day stop being good, and instead give us evil gifts. He was, is, and always will be, good.

God has given to us many good and wonderful things in this life. But we must remember not to let them take our eyes off of Him. We should desire the Giver more than the gifts. Yet, we can still enjoy them, knowing that they can, and should, bring us even closer still to a loving Father, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. For that, we can most certainly be thankful.