Dusk Til Dawn: The Dawn — Monday
Numbers 24:17a
“I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.” (NLT)
Anticipation. A lot of things drive it. Even sentence structure like this, which includes small, choppy sentences and then longer, can build anticipation in your mind.
“Treat.” If someone (or heaven forbid, the TV) says that magical 5-letter word, my dog Woodrow pops right up and starts to investigate who has uttered the best news he’s heard all day. There is immediacy in his expectation, however. A lot of things start at the mention of that word: drool, intense staring, “stompies” (he shuffles his feet around a lot), stalking (he follows you everywhere), begging and pleading (he barks). He becomes, in a lot of ways, consumed by his expectations and anticipation.
Has someone alluded to a gift or surprise that you had to wait a long time to actually receive? Maybe something customized that took a long time to produce. Or when you were younger, maybe you waited all year for Christmas to come around to finally get that game system or toy your parents had promised. Waiting a long time for something you’re anticipating is partly agonizing and partly hopeful or expectant.
Abraham and Sarah understood that more than anyone. Rather than waiting for something for a year or two, picture waiting for upwards of 25 years. Would you be able to hold on to hope that long? I certainly wouldn’t. Even the ever-patient Sarah and Abraham found themselves laughing at the idea that the thing they’d been waiting for was finally being delivered (Genesis 17:17 and Genesis 18:12).
Personally, I’m grateful that God’s timing and promises are different from my expectations.
On top of the anticipation for Sarah and Abraham to have a son, there’s the weighty promise that a great nation will come from that son. So they’re not only looking forward to the son, but also the continued promise that follows his arrival. Even with all of the anticipation behind the birth of Isaac, Abraham and Sarah are totally unaware of how important that birth will be, and how it precludes a birth that will fulfill countless other promises. The savior the world had been crying out for since Adam would come out of this faithfully kept covenant.
Monday’s Reflection
In this season, we remember that Jesus came to save us and that He started in humble beginnings. This week, we will dig a little deeper into the intricate promises that Jesus’ arrival fulfilled, because as we go into a new year with new anticipation, sometimes we need to be reminded that the promises God has for us are still in the works. Where is anticipation building in your life for next year? How can you invite God into those goals or desires?
