Good has to do with that which is both aesthetically and morally kind and lovely and benevolent. And God himself as the Giver, as we will see, is good. Thus, from a good heart of God comes all of God's decrees and providences for your lives. So there is no mistake, and James emphasizes it with a second phrase:
Joseph A. Pipaperfect gifts.That which God gives us are gifts of perfection. In God's gift there is not an imperfect gift, an incomplete gift, an unnecessary gift, an unhopeful gift. I am sure that all of you have once received gifts that were kindly gifted but which did not make you so happy. I once gave my wife a gift (although it was not the only gift I gave her), but I gave her a mud bucket once because we had all these tile floors [to clean]. But she did not like that mud bucket. I thought it was a good gift but she did not, so she was probably right and I was probably wrong. That gift was probably unneeded. But you see, every gift that God gives is complete, perfect, carefully designed to accomplish that which he wants to do in our lives. Understand, here we talk in a context of trials. It is not just talking about sunny days and pleasant gifts. Everything that God bestows on you is a good and perfect gift [with perfect motives]. You have got to believe that.1
17 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.