February 17

Sometimes I have been frustrated with God because He does not always give me everything I asked Him to give me. I even get frustrated at times when God does not give me what I am asking for at the time I am expecting it to come. I remember growing up and being frustrated with my parents for the same reasons. As I have grown older, and looked back more often, I have seen the wisdom of God in giving and holding His gifts.

James wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). This is a great promise from God to each of us. We are promised that God will make sure that we have everything we need. We are also assured that these promises are secure, because our God is unchanging. If God makes a promise, He has the character to do what He says he will do.

I hate when I purchase a warrantee on a product, and it breaks. I search for and find the number I am to call in case of problems. When I call the number, I realize that the company has gone out of business. What good is the warrantee for a company that has gone out of business? It is no good. The warrantee is only as good as the company that offered it. What great news for the Christian.

One person has counted 3,573 promises in our Bible. This means that there are 3,573 things God is committed to do. These promises are good and perfect. They never need a call to the warrantee number. They never fail. They never need a replacement. They are never recalled because of a defect. In short, every one of the 3,573 promises of God are dependable.

 Because He is unchanging, every one of those promises is unchanging. When facing the challenges of life, we are blessed to know that God is faithful to fulfill the promises in our Bible. When I was a young man, there was a statement that was made in churches that said, “God said it … I believe it … that settles it for me.” The reality is that if God said it … that settles it! Whether we believe it or not, God is going to be faithful to His word.

James was writing to people who had been scattered because of persecution. He reminded them that they should hold onto these promises when times were the toughest. This is true for each of us today. When tough times come, remember that God is the giver of good and perfect gifts.

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