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devotion for The Masterpiece Project | “Through the Precious Blood”
by Diana Barto | 828 words in English | 15 September 2022
“If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” -James 1:16-17
“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” -Romans 8:32
In the ancient city of Teotihuacan, northeast of Mexico City, stands the third largest pyramid in the world, the Pyramid of the Sun. It measures 66 meters high and faces west. When you climb it, you have to orient your body sideways because the incline is too steep and the steps are too narrow to ascend it facing forward. Every step up the pyramid in this awkward orientation is a gloomy reminder of the difficulty with which ancient worshipers approached their false gods and their futile efforts to appease them.
What a contrast to how we worship the one true God! With thanksgiving and praise, we enter through the gate into His courts and worship Him. In times of need, we approach the throne of grace with confidence because of Jesus’ precious blood sacrifice on the cross that atones for our sins. We do not worship any created thing; we worship the Creator Himself, the Father of lights.
This name for God, Father of lights, is an ancient Jewish name expressing that God is the Creator of the sun and all of the heavenly lights. Genesis 1 shows us that in the beginning, on the first day, God spoke and simply by the power of His words, “Let there be light,” He created light itself. On the fourth day, He created the heavenly lights – the sun, the moon and the stars – to shine light on the earth, to separate the days and nights, and to mark seasons, years and special celebrations. The Jewish calendar still keeps in sync with the cycles of the sun and the moon, and its days begin at nightfall.
God purposefully designed these heavenly lights to change regularly. When you look up at the sky, it’s hard to miss the variation when the moon is full or when the sun is rising. In contrast, James 1:17 points out that God Himself does not change. With God there is no variation, no shadow of turning, no darkness.
Likewise, Psalm 102:25-27 says, “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but You are the same, and Your years have no end.”
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. In a world of never-ending change, what comfort and peace we have in worshipping the God who is not only unchanging but also good. He is good and will always be good. In addition, He is good to all. Matthew 5:45 says, “For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Every common good comes from God. Every ray of sunshine, every raindrop, every flower, every loaf of bread, every moonlit walk, every breath, every good thing comes from God. He extends not only every perfect gift but also every good act of giving, according to James 1:17.
Mankind cannot earn these good and essential gifts and has done nothing to deserve them, and that makes God’s goodness all the more worthy of our thanksgiving and celebration and song. Psalm 145:7-9 says, “They celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.”
Best of all, in His goodness, God the Father sent His only Son for our salvation. The Son of the Father of lights is Jesus. He is the true light, the Light of the World, and the radiance of the glory of God.
In the gospel of John, Jesus promises that whoever follows Him will have the light of life. The light He promises isn’t sunshine or starlight or candlelight. It is holiness, purity and biblical truth. “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,” 1 John 1:7 says, “and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Because God did not withhold His own Son, we can trust the promise that He will not withhold any good thing from His children.
Thanks be to the gracious Father of lights for these indescribable gifts!
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