Eternally Grateful

DEVOTION
JAMES
ETERNALLY GRATEFUL

James 1:16-18
16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
NIV
It would seem the world has a certain temptation of what would seem to be good things. I know it is easy to be distracted by my eyes, seeing something I think would be good for me, but I would be deceived if I actually thought it would be good for me and pursue it with all my efforts. For nothing in this world is good for me unless God provides it for me and the greatest thing he has provided is the word of truth. This word of truth is the way God decided to allow me to be born again, a new birth as a child of God. As such I know not to be deceived by all the fluff and puff of the world. I know it is all just stuff which can become way too important if I allow it to. Oh such I try to take care of my stuff, especially the stuff God has provided for me. I don’t want to be ungrateful and take advantage by allowing those things to simply fall apart. But then maybe He does not care and will simply provide me newer stuff. He always has in the past, but I also have always tried to take care of that which he has given me. I especially have tried to take care of the word of truth. I have tried to keep it in good shape within my being, allowing it to do what it is intended to do. Although I surely appreciate all the creature comfort my God has supplied for me, I am most thankful for the word of truth. Without it I would simply be without any hope of eternal life at the conclusion of this physical one. What value would this one be if there was not one after it? Just to be born, strive for all I can get, die and leave it all behind seems to be a real waste of time. But I am not deceived because God saw fit to make sure I was inspirited by his Holy Spirit to look into and see his word of truth. For this I am and will be eternally grateful.