You’ve probably been in a situation where you made a poor decision, but instead of owning it, you blamed someone else. We blame our upbringing, our circumstances, or our stress levels. We even blame God. Or as my friend once joked, “God is good, but He has a bad sense of timing!”
James writes to Christians facing real hardship, and he makes something very clear: while trials may come from living in a fallen world, temptation never comes from God.
Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. (James 1:14)
James describes temptation like bait on a hook, luring us toward destruction. This is a sobering picture.: When we entertain worldly desires, it produces sin. And when sin is fully grown, it produces death. We often take self-centered shortcuts because we think God is withholding something good from us. But truth be told, it is our hearts craving after the wrong things.
In contrast, James reminds us that “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). Every good thing we enjoy is a fatherly gift from God. He never changes. His character is constant. Unlike Satan, God never entices us to sin. He is the ever-generous giver of what is truly good.
That’s why one of the best cures for a divided heart is to let our hearts be captivated afresh by the goodness of God. Let us be mindful of competing desires that lure us away from trusting our heavenly Father. Let us not take for granted His good gifts that are meant to lead to Himself.
This devotion is sent weekly to staff during school terms. It has been lightly edited for a general audience.
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