“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” James 1:17-18
Heavenly Father, since gratitude is more a heart-habit than a warm-fuzzy, I want to spend a bit of this Saturday remembering a few of the “good and perfect gifts” you’ve given me—starting with the best and most perfect gift of all—Jesus.
To have Jesus plus nothing else is 10,000 reasons enough to stay eternally thankful. Jesus is the definitive answer to the question, “Can I be certain God loves me?” You so loved us and your world, you gave Jesus.
Through Jesus’ finished work, you gave us a lot of “newness”: The new birth, new hearts, a new and perfect record—Jesus’ righteousness. A new citizenship—in heaven above, and the “new creation” world (2 Cor.5:17) of all things new—the “new heaven and new earth” (Rev.21:1-5). And there’s more “new” stuff, but here’s some other “gifts” I’m also mindful of today as well.
Father, thank you for Gospel-friendships that age like really fine cheese—better, richer, and more aromatic as time goes on. Thank you for your unwavering, undeterred sovereignty over history, kings, every crisis, all our children, the number of our days and sufferings, and the joys of today and eternity.
Thank you for fly fishing and fish catching, for new mercies and sufficient grace, for the global advancing of the Gospel and the very local expressions of your faithfulness. Thank you for my precious family, the Spirit of sonship, and Jesus’ certain and soon return. Lastly for this one prayer, thank you for not exaggerating when you told us you are working in ALL things for our good. Hallelujah, and So Very Amen.