Dusk Til Dawn: The Promise — Monday
Isaiah 7:14
”Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (NIV)
One of the most watched and most award-winning sports shows is Inside the NBA on TNT. The cast of Ernie, Kenny, Charles, and Shaq and their funny antics have become legendary over the years. One of my favorites, aside from “Shaqtin’ A Fool,” is when Charles makes downright awful “guarantees” on who will win or what will happen in a game. It’s become a running joke. He may be bold and confident in his “I gua-ran-tee” promises, but his sure-fire bets are wrong just as often as they’re right! Literally, the name of the Chuckster’s autobiography is I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It.
Whether it’s a guarantee, a commitment, a pledge, or a promise, as soon as one is made, there are questions that have to be answered...
Who made the promise? Can I trust them? Will they come through? Do they have authority to make it happen?
How long do I have to wait? When will this happen? Promising to do something 20 minutes from now is a lot different than 20 years from now.
And last but not least: What happens if this promise doesn’t happen? What’s at stake? How much is at risk?
It seems like the more that’s at stake, the less we trust people. It’s our human nature. This is where doubt and anxiety love to show up. This is where we’re tempted to cut bait, forget about “the promise,” and take matters into our own hands.
It’s simply hard to trust promises.
Yesterday, we kicked off our series Dusk Til Dawn and explored the idea of God making a BIG promise—a promise to send His own Son to restore and redeem His people.
Each day this week, I want us to take a closer look at the nativity scene as we ponder this promise of God. Tomorrow, we’ll look at Mary. Today, the invitation is simple: Celebrate that God delivered on His promise.
God stepped into the human story and changed the world forever. Jesus “became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood,” as Eugene Peterson famously translated John 1:14. God made His promise in Isaiah 7:14, but it would be over 500 years until Jesus was actually born—a lot of time between promise and fulfillment. But when God makes a promise, we can trust Him.
Monday’s Reflection
Are you quick to trust God at His word? Or do you need more proof, more signs, more reasons that He will come through? Check His track record and see all the ways that He has fulfilled every promise He’s ever made.
