“Every good present and every perfect gift comes down from above from the Father of lights.” 

The Character of God: Giver of Good Gifts


1 Thessalonians 5:18; Genesis 1:1-2:9
Genesis 24:53, 29:20, 32:13-21, 30:26-28
Psalm 29; Matthew 5:45, Matthew 7:24-27
Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Genesis 3
Genesis 2:18-25; Colossians 1:1-14; Philippians 4:10-23
Ephesians 2:8-10; Psalms 23; 8:1-17
2 Chronicles 7:19-22; Romans 1:18-23; Romans 8:31-39
1 Kings 17:8-16; Matthew 14:13-21
Deuteronomy 30:17-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Other Aspects of God's Character

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One of God's characteristics that isn't described by a single word in either Hebrew or Greek is that God is a gift-giver, and all of God's gifts are good. We need to remember that God is a giver, and we are made in the image of God.


1 Thessalonians 5:18; Genesis 1:1-2:9 (9/12/11)

Thanks to everyone who reads this stuff, writes to me with feedback or questions, recommends the study to friends, encourages me to keep going, points out my errors, or prays for me and the other readers.  Without you, I would have quit a long time ago.  Paul tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, and certainly you readers are a big part of my circumstances.

Most of you know by now that I have a strong line in flippancy.  For those of you with a taste for that, and for those of you who believe that God is the driving force behind Fords, GMs, and Firestones, here’s a prayer of thanksgiving in specialized circumstances.   I don’t recommend it for those of you who think that prayer should always be SERIOUS. 

In this section, we're looking at some of the good gifts from God that we have to be thankful for.  The first thing (note pun) is that God created everything, and it was all good, and he put us right into the middle of if.


Genesis 24:53, 29:20, 32:13-21, 30:26-28 (9/26/11)

Giving and getting gifts is sort of two-edged.  On the one hand, there’s the delight of finding the perfect gift, and there’s the delight of getting the gift. 

On the other hand, the unmitigated delight usually lasts only until our children are five or six years old, because before that children don’t have any expectation that they can or must give anything back.  Older gift-givers have this niggling feeling that there’s no way to top the perfect gift next year.  And older recipients have the feeling that next year the gift has to be returned in kind. 

The latter type of gift-giving is the kind we see in today’s scriptures.  Abraham’s servant gives gifts to Rebekah and her family in the hope that she will return with him to marry Isaac.  Jacob gives the gift of labor to Laban in order to get Rachel as his bride.  Jacob sends extravagant gifts to Esau in the hope that Esau won’t shoot him on sight!  All these Bible people are just like us.

Fortunately, in God’s eyes we are all about five or six years old.  He is delighted to give us perfect gifts, and we can just relax and be delighted to get them.


Psalm 29; Matthew 5:45, Matthew 7:24-27 (9/13/11)

Reaction is just as important as action.  We see fire, flood, storm, and earthquake, and we say, “Oh, woe!  Disaster!”  David sees fire, flood, storm, and earthquake, and he says, “Oh, wow! The voice of the LORD!”

Jesus says God has set the natural processes of the world in motion, and both evil people and good people benefit from them.  The important thing is that those who trust in God and follow his commandments ultimately have a security that transcends short-term disaster.  Those who don’t, don’t.


Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Genesis 3 (9/14/11)

Is this a great country, or what?  Yeah, we have a lot of laws about what you must do and what you can’t do, but nearly all of them are directed at protecting people, property, God’s world, and public order.  I don’t find much to complain about there.

Many of our laws have their origin in the Law of Moses, which God gave to the children of Israel.  Boy, were they proud!  They broke the laws anyway, just as we do, since we all have a lot in common with Adam and Eve.  But the fact remains that law is one of God’s great gifts to us. 

So the next time you come to a red light, and everybody in your direction stops, and everybody in the other direction goes, and there’s no crash, and no one jumps out of his car to beat up on the guy who stopped in front of him, give thanks to God for law.


Genesis 2:18-25; Colossians 1:1-14; Philippians 4:10-23 (9/19/11)

Recently my hubby and I went to Oregon for a week on the beach with friends.  At this minute, nine family members are here at our house for a visit and dinner.  Families and friends are two of God’s great gifts.  Whenever you read Paul’s letters, notice how many friends he had all over the Roman Empire, and how many he greets individually.

Adam, who had never had a family, was especially thankful for Eve.  The word usually translated as “This at last” or “This now” is one my Hebrew teacher translates “Whoo dogies!”  It comes from a root that means stroke, as in stroke of thunder or a hammer.  So maybe “Whammo!” would be a nice contemporary translation.  In any case, he was excited to see her.


Ephesians 2:8-10; Psalms 23; 8:1-17 (9/21/11)

We’ve read all these passages before, so here are three brief reminders:
2 Chronicles 7:19-22; Romans 1:18-23; Romans 8:31-39 (9/22/11)

Should we be grateful for punishment?  Probably.  I have to agree that there must have been a time or two when I learned something useful by being punished for crimes of omission or commission.  I’m sure there was a time or two when my kids learned something useful by being punished!

We are a stubborn, stiff-necked people, and often we think over what God has told us and then go out of our way to do the opposite.  Punishment is useful to us because it shows us where we have gone wrong.


1 Kings 17:8-16; Matthew 14:13-21 (9/29/11)

One of the gifts that God gives to us is food.  Sometimes this seems miraculous, as when the widow’s handful of flour and a little oil lasted for many days, or when Jesus fed some 10,000 or 15,000 people with five loaves and two fish.  But when it comes right down to it, all food is miraculous.  Could we, all on our own, turn a grain of corn into beef?  Sure, we could help the process along, but as for photosynthesis and amino-acid formation, we are helpless.  Think about that the next time you ask a blessing on your dinner.


Deuteronomy 30:17-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (10/7/11)

How often have you seen the following question for Dear Abby:  “I’ve been invited to a wedding, but [[fill in the blank]].  Do I have to send a gift anyway?”  “NO!” I shout at the paper and my family, “You don’t have to send a gift!  You don’t have to bring a gift if you attend the wedding!  That’s why it’s called a ‘gift’!”  But for some reason, they don’t hear me, and the next month, there’s the same question again.  (I’ve totally given up the battle on “free gift.”  It’s still a stupid phrase, but I don’t shout about it any more.)

God gives us – saint and sinner, just and unjust, God-fearers and pagans, all of us – good gifts.  God is under no obligation to do so, however, which is why it’s called a “gift” or a “blessing.”  Although God’s loving nature predisposes him to give us gifts that we don’t deserve, occasionally he withholds gifts as a sign of his displeasure about our bad behavior.  Choose wisely.


Other Aspects of God's Character
Glory, Old and New Testament
Holiness, Old and New Testament
Longsuffering, Old and New Testament
Steadfast Love, Old and New Testament
Graciousness and Grace, Old and New Testament
Jealousy and Intolerance of Sin, read this topic
Giver of Good Gifts, read this topic

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