Unchanging



James 1:16-18
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James writes at a time when the world worshipped a pantheon of gods. They were very “human” in their character traits but endowed with the powers that made them gods. Of course they were human in their thinking – they were created by humans! They were also capricious and extremely unpredictable. They could be manipulated and caused to change their minds or actions through bribery and flattery. They also warred regularly with one another and mankind usually suffered the fallout from such battles. The gods of Greeks and Romans were tough to get along with.

In just a few short verses, James describes a God who is the polar opposite of those Roman gods. The True God delivers blessings and love. He dotes on His children, giving them truth and seeing them as His inheritance – firstfruits. And of most importance is the fact that God never changes. He cannot be manipulated. He never behaves erratically or even unpredictably. He remains true to His Word every single moment of every single day with never a misstep. He does not need to be bought or flattered. His love is never for sale.

Why would anyone choose a self-created god over the True God? In the face of it, that seems like an easy question to answer. They wouldn’t. But actually, sometimes we would rather have a god of our own making because then that god dances to my tune. He behaves the way I want him to and does what I demand. Who is god in that scenario? I am. That’s what makes it attractive. The problem with that lifestyle comes into full bloom when I’m in trouble. Now I’m out of resources and can’t fix the situation for I have no real power. My god is weak and disappointing. Suddenly, the all-powerful, never changing, love inspiring Savior looks real attractive. I’ll take a God “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” over myself every day of the week!

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