“So the LORD gave Israel all the land that He had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” – Joshua 21:43-45
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…” – Hebrews 12:1-2
“I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6
The Christmas story reveals to us that God keeps His promises. He is a God who finishes what He starts. If He says He will do it…He will. From the beginning God had promised a Savior…a Messiah who would come and make a way for us to be reconciled to God. Someone who could rescue us from our fallen position…set us free from our slavery to Sin…someone to break down the barriers that separated us from a holy God. God promised mercy and grace. God promised forgiveness and restoration! They were good promises. They were what we needed to hear and gave hope in times of despair. “There is more to come” “There is more than meets the eye here” “God has a plan and the ability to carry it through!” Christmas is God coming through!
Why is this so hard for us? Why do we find it hard to believe that God will do what He says? Well, we live in a world of broken promises and have a hard time keeping our own. We are guarded when it comes to trusting anything anyone says. “Will it really happen?” “Will God show up for me?” “I have been let down and disappointed so many times”
Then came Christmas! God does show up. He does keep His promises! He said He would come and He did! For some it wasn’t in the way they expected or preferred. For others it was too little too late. So, many missed it and, therefore, missed the “memo”…God is a Promise Keeper!
God has promised that He would never leave you or forsake you. He has promised that He will provide you all that you need for today and equip you for tomorrow. Let Christmas remind you that God always does what He says He will do in His time and His way. You can trust Him today.