Every Good and Perfect Gift

The Book of James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Every good thing is given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights (the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens) in whom there is no variation (no rising or setting) nor shadow cast by His turning (for He is perfect and never changes).

Humans are a funny bunch.

For the most part, they don’t know what they have until they lose it and they don’t have a real appreciation for the value of something until it’s gone.

I believe that in our walk and relationship with the Lord Jesus there are times that He must withhold certain things to teach us this lesson. 

Getting right to the point, I have seen this withholding in my life especially in my relationship with Him. I have experienced His intimacy morning after morning during my quiet time hours. 

Just like the story of the manna, you must feed on the Lord Jesus Christ daily to stay alive spiritually. It’s like being awakened from sleep or having a fog lifted from your being. 

When He comes in His is manifest presence your mind, body, soul, and spirit respond to Him.

You receive from Him life, light, energy, love, and a host of gifts. You become one with Him and become more like Him.

I believe that He honors your willful choice to see Him, ask of Him, and knock on His door. This must be a constant daily practice. He has been so good to me in this regard over the years. 

Randy is not only a great author but a great photographer. He takes all the images on his blogs. 

Fellowship with Jesus is life itself.

But what happens when you go into a period of soul darkness? You may experience a valley of the soul when things seem dead or dark and the Lord seems far away.

You ask, where is the intimacy, the presence of the Lord, the joy, the supernatural power?

My personal experience has been one of a very challenging life, many difficulties having to do with mental peace and tranquility. 

I have at times felt and experienced great mental and emotional turmoil, depression, loneliness, confusion, despair, extreme shame, and unstableness. There have been times in my life where I could barely cope with being here on this Earth.

This has been true for me from the early age of 5 and 6 as I have struggled with self-rejection believing that I was an outcast and different and that the world would never accept me, nor would I be accepted by society. 

The lies of the enemy can start at an early age. 

He is not respectful of any human.

My only way out of the turmoil of being a human and in practice the only thing that has made any sense to me was pursuing an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. (God the Son and my Creator). The grace that He gives overrides so much of the frailty and what lacks in me.

It most definitely reflects best in the idea of being a new creation in Him. All of this comes from being in a close intimate relationship with Christ.

And so, when I am in a dry spell spiritually and lack these daily graces,

I do have a greater appreciation for His grace in every area of my life including my heart, my soul, my mind, my spirit, and my physical existence.  

He sends grace on your relationships, your work, your ministry, and even the seemingly insignificant things.

I choose to keep pursuing Him and know that His intimacy and those daily graces will return if I wait on the Lord and have faith in His love.

Every Good and Perfect Gift

Examples of God’s Grace in My Life

1.) Waking up empty, cold, hard, distracted, passive spiritually and when you meet with God, coming before Him in whatever state, He comes to you in manifest power and His presence purges, cleanses, and enlightens, makes alive, energizes you (physically, spiritually, mentally) and you get to enjoy God and His goodness! “The chief end of man is to know God and to enjoy Him forever”

2.) He blesses your relationships with other periods you can always tell because the supernatural love and intimacy in possible without the Lord elevates the human relationship. It becomes a cord of 3. When I am away from the Lord, living and selfish sin, and being disobedient my relationships suffer.

3.) He makes your life significant by supernatural using you to love others and share him and his truth. He makes divine appointments that you would never experience on your own.

4.) He may bless you with little acts of kindness, delights and special moments as you live your life. You also get to enjoy the goodness of others prompted by Him. You just know in your heart that these blessings are from Him.

5.) Physical blessings of healing, health, and the ability to exercise enjoy exercise. And of course, mental health and intelligent thought.

6.) The grace to enjoy his creation, nature, beauty, and all of the arts.

7.) The resolution of differences in our relationships most often is a blessing from the Lord and impossible without His intervention.

8.) Correcting misconceptions, deception, and perceptions in our minds.

9.) Allowing us to have jobs or means to make a living that are satisfying and fulfilling, giving us purpose and significance.

10.) The continual process of sanctification – being made more like Jesus in His mind, His heart, His Spirit, His emotions, His purpose, His character, and His love.

And of course, many more!

Hope, forgiveness, our worth, prayer to change the world.

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Every Good and Perfect Gift

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Two Measures Foolish: Foolish to God for we sin – Foolish to the world for the cross.