Editor’s note: Louie Giglio’s popular devotional for kids, Indescribable, about God and science is so fascinating that adults are buying it for themselves! Packed with scripture and fantastic data about everything from seahorses to stars to the depth of the ocean, this devotional is a page-turner. And now, you can pick up the Indescribable boxed set! Enjoy this devotion written for Devotionals Daily by Louie Giglio and share with a young friend.
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Did you know it takes anywhere from 7 to 10 years for a Christmas tree to grow tall enough to make its way to your living room to be decorated with lights and ornaments? It’s true! The very tree that will fill your home with the smell of pine and the twinkling of lights might very well be older than (or as old as!) your kids or grandkids!
The growth from the pinecone seedling to a mature tree feels a lot like God’s promises – they both take time. And in that time, the waiting can feel hard and even boring; like nothing is really happening while we wait. But, here’s the good news: there’s always something happening under the surface because God works while we wait.
During the growth of a Christmas tree, the season of waiting is called dormancy. Once the seedling is planted, it germinates as the tiny sprout pushes the roots down and begins the slow process of growth. Once the roots are established, the seed rests until conditions are just right for the tree to begin its growth above the soil. After about three years, you can finally see a tiny, baby tree that’s just one-foot tall. And finally, after almost a decade, you’ll finally see the tall, lush trees of our Christmas dreams.
- For a Christmas tree, waiting is an important part of the process.
Without the dormant period, we’d never see trees grow as tall and large as they do. Rushing the process would lead to small, tiny trees or worse, no trees at all. We’d have to settle for a Christmas bush, or something completely different to represent the season–our lights would sit in a box in the garage and our homemade ornaments would have no place to land. When we skip through waiting, rush through a process, or try to do things in a way God did not intend, our results will always come up short.
But waiting 7-10 years for your Christmas tree to be ready feels like nothing when you think about how long the people of God waited for Jesus to be born!
God’s people waited a long time (about four thousand years) for Jesus, the promised Savior to be born.
And in that waiting period, they had no idea when He would come. Can you imagine counting down to Christmas with your family – patiently waiting to open presents, decorate cookies, and celebrate with loved ones–when you don’t actually know what day that will be?! That’s what it felt like for God’s people. They were waiting for the promise of their savior to arrive, but did not know the year, month, date, or time of His arrival. During this time, God required His people to trust His process while they waited.
In Isaiah 11:1, the prophet Isaiah prophesies that
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
But the promise of a coming Messiah didn’t start with Isaiah’s prophecy — it began all the way back in Genesis. After sin entered the world and darkness settled in, God spoke a quiet promise into the chaos: one day, He would send someone to crush the serpent and set things right again (Genesis 3:15). From that moment on, humanity began waiting, generation after generation, clinging to the hope that God would keep His word.
Galatians 4:4 says,
When the set time had fully come, God sent His Son.
While God’s people did not know when Jesus would come, God knew. He worked while they waited. While the people were in their own “dormant” period, God was preparing their hearts for the coming King.
Just as the Christmas tree spends years growing unseen before it stands tall and radiant in our homes, God’s promise of Jesus unfolded slowly and faithfully through the centuries. Every Advent, we step into that same rhythm of anticipation. The word advent means “coming” or “arrival,” but it’s also an invitation — a call to prepare our hearts for the One who has already come and who is coming again.
As you put up your tree and make holiday plans, take time — alone or with your family — to notice what God is growing in your life this season. Maybe you’re in a season of waiting, or maybe you’re watching a promise take shape before your eyes. Advent is an opportunity to slow down and remember His steady, unseen faithfulness at work beneath the surface.
And, as you sit beside the glow of your tree this season, my prayer for you is that you let its branches remind you that the roots came first. That before there was light, there was waiting. Let it remind you that even when we can’t see progress, God is faithful to bring His promises to life at just the right time.
Prayer
God, thank You for being faithful through every season of waiting. As we look toward Christmas, help us to rest in Your timing and trust that You are at work, even when we can’t see it. Grow deep roots of faith in us as we wait for Your promises to unfold. Amen.
Written for Devotionals Daily by Louie Giglio, author of Indescribable. Pick up the Indescribable boxed set today!
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Your Turn
Are you in a season of waiting? As we wait, God works! He is growing you even if you don’t see the evidence of it every day. Remember that He is faithful! ~ Devotionals Daily
