Of Stars and Shadows

“Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
–James 1:16-17

I must admit, that as much of me likes to be somewhat adventurous on vacations, there’s a part of me that likes to just go sit on the beach. There’s something about the waves, the sand between the toes, and the salty breeze. And as much as it is nice to be out in the sun, there’s nothing like one of those big shade umbrellas. The only problem with them is that they don’t move. The sun moves and casts shadows in different places, but then I’ve got to move to get back in the shade. Major problem!

Shadows are great for sunny days. But they are not something from which we should take directions. On the fourth day of the Genesis creation narrative, Scripture tells us that God ordered the stars so that we could gather our direction. James draws a parallel here that the direction that we gather from the stars is really a reflection of the trustworthy character of God. He can be trusted. But we must also catch the other parallel—we are like the shifting shadows! We have our ups, our downs, and ultimately we can deceive ourselves in a hurry.

What is your source for directions? Do you trust in your own judgment, or are you turning to the character of God? I must admit, sometimes it is appealing to trust ourselves rather than God. I like to have the control. But the stability of God’s character and his wisdom is always best in the end. He does not change like the shifting shadows.