Will Christmas Ever Come?

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. -Isaiah 9:2

At the time the Prophet Isaiah spoke these words to the people of Israel, the coming of the promised Messiah was still a long time from coming. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and still the Messiah did not appear. It would have been easy for the people to have begun to despair that the promise of God might never come to pass. Several hundred years later, the promise of God did in fact happen, and let's face it; that's a long time to wait. However, those looking toward the coming Messiah did not give up hope. By faith they looked to that which they could not see, but knew would happen according to the will of God. If we trust in God, who loves us and has given us redemption, then we will be willing to wait for the fulfillment of His promises, no matter how long that might take. Someone has said that faith is knowing there's an ocean because you have seen a river. By faith we know that something greater lies beyond our current vision, and we have the evidence of it's existence right before us. Such is the nature of true and unquestioning faith.

Just as God's people waited for the coming of the Messiah, so we too must trust God and wait upon Him. But unlike the Israelites of Isaiah's time, we have the perspective of being on the other side of the promise. We have seen that blessed promise come to pass in the birth of the Lord Jesus. Because of this we can consider ourselves most blessed and living under the love and grace of God.

I imagine that right now countless children are eagerly awaiting Christmas morning when they will get to open their presents. Several months ago it probably seemed to them that the day would never come. And yet here it is - right upon us. Life is like that in many ways; often what we believe will never happen finally does come to pass. God is faithful and He will bring to fruition that which He has promised. And like a happy and grateful child on Christmas morning, we will not be disappointed when we have put our faith in the Lord.

Trust in the Lord, wait upon Him, and seek Him with faith and devotion. Christ has come, and in Him we rejoice at the fulfillment of God's greatest promise.

Merry Christmas!