God of the Promise

Day 23

Scripture

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his Son, born through a woman, and born under the Law. This was so he could redeem those under the Law so that we could be adopted. Because you are sons and daughters, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and if you are his child, then you are also an heir through God.

Devotional 

When I first came across this scripture, I thought, “Well this is kind of a weird one to have in a Christmas devotional.” I mean, it’s from the book of Galatians. The Christmas-y scriptures are usually pulled from Matthew and Luke because those are two of the books of the bible that talk about Jesus’ birth. 

But as I continued to read this passage over and over, it finally clicked. The story of Jesus’ birth is so much more than a few passages we usually read at Christmas time. Jesus’ birth was the fulfillment of a promise! 

The book of Galatians was written by Paul and it’s a letter he was writing to churches in Galatia. At this time, they were living under super strict rules set by their government. The lawmakers just kept making up new laws all the time and it was so hard to keep up. The people were so stressed! 

God knew the people were so overwhelmed. And, in the Old Testament, God had promised many times that he would save his people. Jesus is the answer to this very promise. 

This reminded me of a song I listen to often. It’s called, God of the Promise by Elevation Worship. Here’s the chorus:

Light of the world, trample the darkness

Nothing can stop it, You are the God of the promise

Every word will be accomplished, nothing can stop it

You are the God of the promise

Our God is the God of the promise. God knew what his people needed. He made a promise and followed through. Jesus is not what the people expected, but He is what the people needed. Jesus gave people freedom from the Law, freedom from their mistakes, freedom from their stress. 

And this is still true today. God hears what we pray and provides us with what we need. It may not always be in the way we expect it, but in the ways we need it most. 

Prayer

God, thank you so much for fulfilling your promise through the birth of Jesus. Thank you for not defining me by the mistakes I have made and instead giving me the freedom to have a better future. Help me to remember you always hear my prayers and provide me with what I need, even if it’s not the exact way I want it to be. 

Challenge

Take a moment today to remember a time when God has fulfilled a promise to you. This could be through an answered prayer, a big life event, or some other way. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve – a time of celebration! Remember to celebrate the birth of Jesus and remember that his birth is the fulfillment of a promise. 

By: Katey Schneider