Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ. Galatians 3:16
When God called Abraham to leave his country, his people, and his family, he also made some monumental promises. Those promises pertained to land, seed, and blessing. The final promise was that through an offspring of Abraham “all the families of the world shall be blessed (Genesis 12:3).
Our fighter verse reveals that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise. Jesus is the offspring through whom God would bless the whole world. And this means Christmas is all about God keeping his promise.
The Word of God
What we discover in the Bible is that God is a God who speaks. And when God does speak, his word is incredibly powerful. By his word, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1). By his word, Adam and Eve were banished from the garden never to return (Gen. 3). By his word, God spoke through the prophets to foretell things that were centuries away (See Isaiah 9 for example). The word of God is powerful.
God’s word is powerful because God is all-powerful. When he speaks, there is no doubt to the veracity of his words. We can be sure that whatever he says will happen, will actually happen.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
The Promises of God
One of the implications of God’s word is that when God makes promises and he keeps promises. It may take years or even centuries for him to make good on his word, but of this you can be sure: God always keeps his promises.
Isaiah predicted the birth of Jesus six hundred years before it happened (Isaiah 9:1-7). And between the Old Testament and New Testament there was four hundred years of silence from God.
But, “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5).
The birth of Jesus is yet another reminder that even if God’s timing is not our timing, he will always fulfill his promises. You can take God at his word.
Are you trusting in a God who keeps his word?
Are there promises that God has made that you need to rely on and rest in?
Do you believe God is worth trusting today no matter what you are going through?
