VS. April 26, 2025 Devotional
April 26, 2025
JAMES 1:17 | 17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
In an agricultural society like ancient Israel, there is a visceral sense of dependence on God for survival and success. The soil yields its produce when the rain falls and the sun shines. The giving celebrations were expressions of gratitude for the faithfulness of land and vine, made possible by human work and divine blessing.
Think of what you are grateful for in your life. There are capacities you’ve been given to think, create, and work. There are people who have taught you and encouraged your gifts. There are opportunities you have been offered to grow and succeed. Everyone of these things is provided by God, as surely as the clouds give rain and the sun its warming rays. When we give, it is a response to His giving, a way of saying “thank you.”
Thank God for people who have blessed you, gifts of talent and personality you possess, and opportunities to succeed and learn.
Gracious God,
May I give as I’ve been given to, blessing others as You have blessed me.
Amen.
