Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

‭‭~Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I remember anticipating the arrival of Christmas when I was a child. There was such joy and restlessness entangled with the wait as I wondered if it would ever be Christmas. It felt like an eternity from my small perspective. My mother reassured me the whole month that Christmas would indeed come. It was difficult to wait, but what joy it was when it came. The magic of Christmas morning, where beautifully wanted things appeared overnight. Gifts filled stockings to their brims. These, along with the stacked gifts under the tree, proved the reassurances from my mother of the promise that Christmas would come.

Israel had been promised a Messiah to bring a new kingdom and life. The incredible promise was that heaven would abide with them on earth. Yet life got dark and quiet for hundreds of years, and it seemed as if the promise would never come.

Generations passed as the Israelites leaned in and hoped for the illusive day but never saw it. Then, on a crisp night, under inky ordinary skies, angels erupted in praise and shattered the darkness. But it wasn’t just the darkness of one night that was broken in that moment. That glorious moment destroyed the darkness for all time.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

~‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The beauty of a promise fulfilled is that we can never go back to waiting for it. Christ is the ultimate fulfillment. That awaited moment brought us to light and His kingdom here on earth. It fulfilled hope and brought the eternal in flesh with bones and blood. When the angels sang the prophecy’s fulfillment to the shepherds, life returned to an earth that had grown weary in its waiting and longing.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

‭‭~1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There is no greater joy than seeing such a promise fulfilled—no greater gift than Jesus, who satisfies every longing. We celebrate Christmas to remember the light that shattered that night: Christ, the ultimate gift.

Christmas is a perfect time to recount God’s faithfulness to His promises. He is trustworthy, even if they take longer than expected. The Israelites had waited so long that their hope had turned cynical, but Jesus came as promised in His perfect timing and way.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

~‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Don’t struggle in the waiting. Enjoy the season leading to fulfillment because God will do what He says—extravagantly and better than imagined.

God, thank You for being faithful to your promise. Sometimes, it’s discouraging when the fulfillment is not as soon as I wish. Help me to trust Your timing, enjoy the season leading up to the fulfillment, and rejoice like Christmas morning at the gift of Your love and faithfulness.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2024: The Promise: Kristi LaRee: All Rights Reserved