At Christmas - Trusting God's Promises

"Today's Devotion" For December 8, 2005

Read: Luke 1:5-25; Psalm 119:145-152

AT CHRISTMAS - TRUSTING GOD'S PROMISES

"I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises.” (Ps. 145:145, 146)

When I was a child one of my grandfathers would often respond to my youthful exuberance and desire to please with, "Don't make promises you can't keep." He understood how often our mouths can get us into trouble. Too often we promise others things we can't deliver. Too often we're long on words and short on actions. Too often we need to be reminded that broken promises kill relationships, as is so often true between husbands and wives, parents and children, and friends. Instead of hope and joy in those relationships, heartache, anger, and uncertainty are the results. We don't have to go far to find examples of the results of broken promises. When it comes to both the perception and reality of the affect of broken promises we only have to look at our own nation's broken families, broken marriages, distrust of politicians, the political process, and the judicial system to realize what broken promises do to people.

How good are we at keeping our promises, even to ourselves? Can others take us at our word? These are critical questions in a world filled with uncertainty, hatred, and despair. God had promised, since the Fall into Sin in the Garden of Eden, that He would provide for the salvation of humanity and its restoration to full fellowship with Him. Throughout the history of Israel, God had continued to keep Israel hopeful in His promises through His Word to them through the prophets. In Luke's account of the angel Gabriel's message to Zechariah a priest of God, we're told that the angel told Zechariah that the prayers he and his wife, Elizabeth had offered had been heard by God. They would have a son, even in their old age, and he would be God's messenger "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (v.17) to "prepare the way for the Lord" (Lk. 3:4) as Isaiah had also prophesied.

Zechariah's response to this promise is, to say the least, disappointing but extremely understandable. We might have expected him to respond with, "What a marvelous promise! What a marvelous gift!" Instead, according to his sinful, human nature, he responded with incredulity. "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years" (v.18). He didn't believe God's promise. Because of that doubt, according to Gabriel, Zechariah would await its fulfillment in silence, being unable to speak until all God promised was accomplished.

God's promise to Zechariah would not be long in its fulfillment. In nine months, Elizabeth, his wife, would give birth to a son whom Zechariah would name "John" in keeping with God's command (Lk. 1:63). It's not too hard to understand, then, the response of Israel to the long-awaited fulfillment of God's promise of a Savior. God's promises carried hope, but the people hope waned. They sought and earthly king, not a heavenly Savior. Thus, when God finally fulfilled the promise of a Savior, no one was listening of seeing because they had lost touch with the truth of God's promises.

Paul reminds us that God's promises take place in a time of His choosing, when the time is right, according to His Will and our good. Paul writes, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6). Jesus' coming, which we celebrate on the solemn feast of Christmas, is the fulfillment of God's promise to send a Savior to save His people from their sins. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birth, we are led by God's Spirit to also consider God's other promises of hope, peace, joy, love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness He gives us every day. We prepare ourselves best to celebrate Jesus' birth when we praise God for all His blessings in Christ, and that our sure and certain hope is with Him in heaven.

Prayer: Father, I know that I'm prone to forgetting to trust Your promises. You've never gone back on Your Word. I'm sorry I can't say the same. You've always been with me, You've never forsaken me; forgive me, Father, for the sake of Jesus, for all the times I have forsaken You. As I prepare to celebrate the solemn feast of Jesus' birth, to give thanks for the fulfillment of Your promises throughout the ages in Him, lead me to be a living, vibrant, fearless and tireless witness to Your gift of salvation from and forgiveness of sins through Jesus. Lead me to be an powerful example of what it means to live in the assurance of Your promises so others might come to know You as well - and be saved. I pray this, Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright (c)2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.