Have you ever been badly let down by a friend or family member, someone you really loved? It hurts. The disappointment runs deep. It can be hard to forgive and definitely hard to trust again. Healing from those wounds takes time. Sometimes the relationship is gone or is never quite the same. Many of us will be able to identify with this, at some stage, because we live in a broken world with broken people as a result of sin.
How great, then, is our need for the One who will never break His promises?
The One who will never disappoint, never let us down, never walk out, or betray our trust.
It is truly wonderful that we can have the confidence and assurance that our faithful, covenant-keeping, promise-fulfilling God is for us and with us. Christmastime reminds us of exactly that!
The coming of Jesus was the fulfillment of every Old Testament promise and prophecy that God had given His people. He knew they needed a Rescuer, a Savior, a Redeemer, the Messiah.
In Jesus, God has perfectly fulfilled and given us all He promised. The apostle Paul reminds us of this when he writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20,
“For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.”
Promise to Come
The Christmas story can be so familiar to us that we lose the wonder of how amazing it all really was. It literally was life-changing for the different individuals in the narrative of the nativity, as recorded in the gospel of Luke. Zechariah and Elizabeth, though old and doubting, received the promise of a son, John (Luke 1:5-25).
Mary, though so young, was a willing servant of the Lord and the birth of the Son of God was fulfilled through her, although it seemed humanly impossible (Luke 1:26-38).
The Shepherds, even though they were socially seen as ordinary, were the first to whom the angels proclaimed the good news of great joy of the birth of the Messiah, the One they hoped and longed for (Luke 2:8-20).
And both Simeon and Anna, old and full of faith, saw prophecy and promise fulfilled as they held the baby (Luke 2:25-40). God answered their prayers and deepest longings to see the one born to be the Rescuer of their people and the Savior of the world.
Promise to Redeem
And what of us today? Have we lost the wonder that our Almighty God would make promises to us?
God made promises to those who were HIs enemies and were far from Him, which is us. He promised forgiveness, redemption, unbreakable love, reconciliation, peace, transformation, mercy, answers to prayer, eternal life, and so much more are ours because of Jesus.
Perhaps, like me, you have some specific promises of God that you find to be particularly precious. You treasure them in your heart, drawing strength, comfort, and hope from the assurance of God’s Word to you.
Promises to Remember
Recently, I was in a local Christian bookstore and saw in the gift section a tin containing 50 cards, each featuring a different promise of God. It reminded me of years ago when, as a teenager, I was given a promise box, which has been such a blessing!
This promise box was a small, colorfully patterned cardboard box filled with tiny rolled-up scrolls of paper. You could pull out each scroll with a small set of tweezers. Each piece of paper opened up to reveal a promise from God’s Word. We know the importance of reading God’s Word in context and learning from all of Scripture, but there was a real joy in being reminded daily of promises made and fulfilled in Jesus.
Let’s open up that promise box together now and be blessed as we consider some of the very words spoken by Jesus in promise to His people.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
– Matthew 11:28
The Christmas season can be a stressful time with added financial pressures, tiring with all the extra busyness, or lonely and painful because of the empty chair at the table. Jesus speaks to our hearts and calls us to Himself, offering us His rest that He knows our souls need, along with the assurance of His presence and help.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you… Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.”
– John 14:27
One of the names of Jesus we are often reminded of at Christmas as we read Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 9:6) is “Prince of Peace.” The very One who Himself is peace promises us His shalom – deep peace to guard our hearts and minds, even in the midst of anxiety, trial, or sorrow.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
– John 11:25
We are promised eternal life when we repent and trust in Jesus. Death does not have the final say. It’s not the end. We have the guarantee, because we serve a risen Savior, that we, too, can know resurrection hope. Christmas can be sad and hard when those we love are in Heaven. May we know the comfort of Jesus. He wept at the death of Lazarus, and He knows our pain. May we also take heart and be strengthened by His victory over death and the assurance of life forever with Him. May the hope of Heaven shine brightly in these advent days.
“I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:20
We are never alone. Jesus has promised to never leave us, never forsake us. He is Immanuel – God with us. Today and always.
“I will come again and take you to be with me….”
– John 14:3
At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus’ first coming as a baby in Bethlehem, but we also live in the light of the promise of His coming again. Jesus will return and make all things new, and we will be with Him forever. What a glorious hope we have!
I pray you are blessed, and your heart is encouraged today, spurred on to deeper trust in our faithful God, standing firm on His promises that are all YES: confirmed, assured, and fulfilled in Jesus.
Together we declare AMEN, as we live for the glory of God alone.
Love,
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Week 4 Challenge:
Our memory verse this week tells us that all of God’s promises are “yes” in Him. We see the “yes” of God’s promises through Jesus Christ. Because of this, we can be confident that God is continuing to keep all His promises, even the ones that have yet to be answered. This week, take time to record and share the ways God has fulfilled His promises in your life.
Week 4 Reading Plan:
Week 4 Memory Verse:
