Opinion
The power of God’s hope-filled promise
Jane Walters has been working hard to meet commitments and to keep a promise she has made, and reflects on the promises of God that make up the Advent season.
I recently endured five days of early starts and late finishes, foregone lunch and inevitable restless nights. Before you start feeling sorry for me, let me explain - It was all because I had promised someone I’d do something for them and had kept them waiting far too long. Those busy days got the job signed off and, far more importantly, saw the person blessed by receiving their completed commission.
Once upon a time, a person’s word was their bond. No need for solicitors to draw up contracts with threats of penalties if one party reneged on the deal. If someone said they would do it, they would. As simple as that. These days, what sounds like a promise might be nothing of the kind.
We’re in Advent, the most hope-filled time of the year; and that hope is based on God promising things that were set to be fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. The well-known and loved scripture readings from Isaiah include this stirring declaration:
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned… For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:2,6)
Did you know it was 700 years before this actually happened? But we can trace the first hint of a coming Saviour much further back, in Genesis 3:15 in fact. A further clue in Numbers 24:17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel”, sounds a lot like what Isaiah repeated, and it dates from c.1400 BC!
The point I’m trying to make is this: if God says He’ll do something, then He will. His word truly is His bond. In a culture where everything is instant (and short-lived), waiting is hard for us. If the bus doesn’t come on time, we immediately wonder if it’s coming at all. God isn’t like that. His promises are never empty words designed to fob us off, but are hope-filled, dependable, steadfast and sure.
In short: if it’s in God’s plan, it’s on its way and it’s worth the wait. If it’s not in His plan, you wouldn’t want or need it anyway. I pray you have a peace-filled, anticipation-laden Advent.
The image above is courtesy of pixabay.com
Jane Walters is Chair of the Association of Christian Writers and loves to champion writers of all ages and stages. She leads Green Pastures Christian Writers (currently meeting on Zoom) and creative writing retreats at Quiet Waters. Find out more: www.janewyattwalters.com or @readywritersretreats on Instagram.
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