Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17 CSB

Thank you for joining me on this month long exploration of God’s good and perfect gifts! In the launch post for this series, I shared that the inspiration for the series came from my own inability to determine what would be a perfect gift or even a good gift for my two sons. Let’s pick up on that thought today:

As a 42 year-old woman, I’m coming up empty on what to get my college-aged sons for Christmas. It’s not that I don’t know what they need or even what they like (though that’s getting more and more difficult to keep up with these days). It’s that I don’t really know what they WANT, and I feel like at least one Christmas gift should be something they really, really want. A “wow” item if you will. If they would just identify something, I’d do my best to get it, but without hearing from them, I just don’t know.

And that has me thinking…

I’m so very glad that God doesn’t need us to tell Him what we want in order to gift us good and perfect gifts. I mean, if we are really honest with ourselves, there are times in life when we don’t even know what we actually want.

Paul explains it to the early church by saying that we do not know what we should pray for, so the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-28). The prophet Jeremiah noted that we do not understand what our own hearts want (Jeremiah 17:9). King David petitioned God to search his heart and reveal to him anything in his heart that grieved God (Psalm 139:23-24).

Why did God include these writings of Paul, Jeremiah, and David in His holy word?

Because He knows that we don’t always know or understand our own hearts; the human heart is complex.

God assures us numerous times in His word that He knows our hearts. Here are few I encourage you to check out:

• 1 Kings 8:39
• 1 Chronicles 28:9
• 1 Samuel 16:7
• Psalm 38:9

And friend, not only does God know our hearts, He is good to reveal to us what our hearts truly desire most: More of Him.

Psalm 37:4 tells us, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Where are the desires of your heart found?

• When you delight yourself in the Lord!

Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7)

When we stay close to Christ and allow His words to stay close to our hearts and minds, what do we ask for?

• Whatever pleases the Lord!

When we ask for things or outcomes that please the Lord, what does He do?

• He gives us what we ask!

As a human parent, I can’t discern what my sons really want.

But God –

God is the perfect Father, the Father of lights, and He knows that what we truly, deeply want, what even those who do not know Him, truly, deeply want, is to know Him, to walk with Him, and to please Him.

As we explore God’s good and perfect gifts over the next few weeks, I’m excited to share with you how each and every one meets what we truly want more than anything, what we want even when we don’t know we want it: More of God in our lives.

I can’t wait to join you again tomorrow as we look at God’s good and perfect gift of grace!

To make sure you don’t miss a post, please consider subscribing to my email list. You’ll receive an email with a link directly to the post, so you can read each one at your convenience or archive it for later.