Wasting Time for 700 Years

Day 7

Scripture

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel.

Devotional

This devotional was written last year by Sue Byrd. Sue passed earlier this year, but we still find her wise words meaningful this holiday season. We are sharing this devotional with her family’s permission.

I spend a lot of my time waiting lately. Waiting in doctors’ offices. Waiting for test results. Waiting to get treatments done. I have actually gotten very good at waiting. I have several games on my phone that I play while I am waiting hoping to make the time go faster. I have acquired the ability to talk to other people who are also waiting and learn their stories. If I take my iPad I can read or check Facebook.

All of these things I do in order to distract myself and make the time pass more quickly. The longest I have had to wait was probably two hours. Imagine waiting over 700 years!  

The prophecy given here in Isaiah was given to King Ahaz more than 700 years before it was fulfilled. It was the promise of a Messiah, a deliverer. The Israelite people were watching and waiting for a time when God would come and free their people from oppression creating a Kingdom of God on Earth in which God could be with His people.

By the way, the name Emmanuel means God with us. They became very good at waiting; creating distracting rituals and ceremonies to remind them of the promised Messiah. 

At long last the prophecy was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus. God Himself fulfilled the prophecy. Now we today understand that the fulfillment of that prophecy was not just for the Israelites but for all of the people. We no longer have to wait.

Through the birth of Jesus, God is now with each and every one of us that believes that Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy. How wonderful is that? So every Christmas we celebrate the joy of no longer having to wait. But why only celebrate one day a year, let us daily be thankful and celebrate the joy of that fulfilled promise. Yay! No more waiting!

Prayer

Thank you God for fulfilling the promise you made to King Ahaz so many long years ago in the birth of Jesus. I pray that you would help everyone feel the joy of the presence of Christ in their lives, not only at Christmas but every day. Amen.

Challenge

My challenge is that daily you take a few moments to thank God for fulfilling this prophecy and feel the joy that that fulfillment brings.

By Sue Byrd