A Christmas List

All the promises of God find their Yes in Him. — 2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV

Do you remember making a Christmas list when you were young? Whether you mailed it to the North Pole or gave it to your parents to share with relatives, nothing seemed off-limits when you were a kid. But then when Christmas morning came, we discovered that we didn’t get every single thing we asked for. Not every wish on our list came true.

God has something for us that’s much better than Christmas wishes; Scripture is full of promises. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible describes more than three thousand promises from God to His people. The beauty in God’s list of promises is that there is no need to rank them to indicate which things we really want.

• None of God’s promises will be left unfulfilled. They all find their Yes in Christ.

Whether in reference to His lineage, His birth, or His sacrificial death, Christ kept all of God’s promises. He is the fulfillment of every prophecy. Because of Christmas, we know that God always keeps His Word and that nothing is impossible with Him.

What is your heart’s desire this Christmas? Is there something you want so badly that you’re almost afraid to hope for it? Bring it to God in prayer, and trust Him with it. We can trust that He desires what’s best for us and answers every prayer in His time and in His way.

Can you think of a toy or gift you really wanted for Christmas that you never received?

What’s a holy promise you could use a little more of these days?

Is there something you want that you haven’t been bringing to God, because you’re afraid of what it means if you don’t get it? Trust God with what’s on your heart today.

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Dropping Hints

For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. — Amos 3:7 ESV

It can start early in the season: our loved ones dropping hints about — or even flat-out telling us — what they want for Christmas. And then when we find the perfect gift for someone, it can be hard to keep the secret all to ourselves. Some of us can’t resist giving the receiver a few hints along the way.

Scripture tells us that God is a hint dropper. More than that, for those willing to listen, He shares His plan outright.

• There is something warm and endearing about knowing that God wanted to share details about His Son. Throughout the years He was whispering pieces of His plan to the prophets.

In Jeremiah, God saw His people wandering in the darkness and whispered, “Don’t give up. He’s coming.” He told Isaiah about the virgin birth. He couldn’t help but give hints about what was to come. He knew He had the perfect gift to give to the world, and He wanted to prepare God’s people for its delivery.

There’s so much we don’t know about the ways of God. Yet because of Christmas, His love for us is no secret. His hints throughout history were fulfilled in the manger. And He continues to whisper good things to his children:

For I know the plans I have for you,... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. — Jeremiah 29:11

May we tune our hearts to listen for God’s holy hints this season.

When you find the perfect gift, do you keep it a secret until the very end, so the gift is a total surprise, or are you prone to give some hints?

Read Isaiah 53. What connections do you see between this passage and Jesus’ life?

Take some time to talk to God today. Is there anything in your life He may be trying to give you a hint about?

Excerpted with permission from The Advent Project, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

Are you waiting on God’s promises to be fulfilled? Wait in hope! And while you’re waiting, rest in Scripture’s truths because God is faithful to do what He said He would do! Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from you. ~ Devotionals Daily