Every Good and Perfect Gift
Have you ever been shopping for a gift and had no idea what the intended recipient needed or wanted? You didn’t know what size or color of sweater to buy or if the child’s toy was age-appropriate, so eventually you just threw your hands up in frustration and said, “I’ll just buy something! They’ll take it back anyway. Who cares?”
Gift giving is not always as easy or joyful as it should be. The fact of the matter is, even the best of us can’t give perfect gifts every time because we are flawed. We lack the insight and the knowledge, and sometimes the resources or even the willingness, to give the right gift. In this we are utterly different than God, for God is the giver of perfect gifts, and only perfect gifts. He is spontaneously good and overflows with generosity. He gives without expecting anything in return, and He doesn’t restrict His goodness based on what the recipients deserve. And no gift from Him ever needs to be returned.
Not only is God perfectly generous, but that generosity never changes. Even the best earthly parents need to be approached at the right time and in the right way because they can be inconsistent. Children learn to choose their moments. As a teen, I found it easy to read my father’s body language while he was on hold with the electric company and think, “I’m not sure now is the time to ask for two new tires for my car.”
With our heavenly Father, though, we don’t need to wonder if it’s ok to approach Him. He is neither fickle nor quick to anger. We can be confident that He will always act appropriately. We will never find Him unaware, unable, unavailable, or unwilling. Through Christ, He is accessible and responsive to our hearts’ pleas and our daily concerns.
We are children of God, and one of the ways our Father expresses His love for us in His perfect gifts to us. Therefore, a mark of every one of His children should be gratitude. If we know our Father’s character, how can we be anything other than grateful—even when His gifts are not the ones we would have chosen ourselves? So, be careful to count your blessings, daily. Remember that all good things are gifts from Him. Be sure to say to Him:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee …
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! [1]
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
Bless the Lord, O My Soul
Of David.
1yBless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2yBless the Lord, O my soul,
and zforget not all his benefits,
3who aforgives all your iniquity,
who bheals all your diseases,
4who credeems your life from the pit,
who dcrowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5who esatisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like fthe eagle's.
6The Lord works grighteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7He made known his hways to Moses,
his iacts to the people of Israel.
8The Lord is jmerciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9kHe will not always chide,
nor will he lkeep his anger forever.
10He does not deal with us maccording to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11For nas high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his osteadfast love toward pthose who fear him;
12as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he qremove our transgressions from us.
13As ra father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion pto those who fear him.
14For he knows our frame;1
he sremembers that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are like tgrass;
he flourishes like ua flower of the field;
16for vthe wind passes over it, and wit is gone,
and xits place knows it no more.
17But ythe steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on pthose who fear him,
and his righteousness to zchildren's children,
18to those who akeep his covenant
and bremember to do his commandments.
19The Lord has cestablished his throne in the heavens,
and his dkingdom rules over all.
20Bless the Lord, O you ehis angels,
you fmighty ones who gdo his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21Bless the Lord, all his hhosts,
his iministers, who do his will!
22jBless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
kBless the Lord, O my soul!
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
Get the Program, Devotional, and Bible Reading Plan delivered daily right to your inbox.