Heavenly Light Even at Night // James 1:17

James 1:17 (NIV) | Every good and perfect gift is from above,coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

What do you think of God when tough times come? Have you ever felt like God was punishing you? I used to not want to think that was a thing, but dangit if some of my darkest times didn’t lead me down “WHY ME AVENUE.” James discussed this dichotomy in his letter when he wrote about how every good and perfect gift comes from God. He aimed to get his readers to think beyond their momentary troubles to the eternal glory of God. He then referenced a common metaphor for the Lord — light — by saying He does not change like shifting shadows; in other words, He isn’t good one day and bad the next, because He is always good. Sticking with the light motif, it is the things between us and God that cast shadows. The closer we are to the Lord, the fewer shadows we’ll experience. And even when we do face shadows, which we invariably will, hope helps us hold on knowing that God’s way wins in the end. I want to close today with a line from Princess Leia in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” — “Hope is like the sun. If you only believe it when you see it you’ll never make it through the night.” May the holy Lord of heavenly lights guide you through all your days and illuminate every single night…even those dark nights of the soul.