But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5
Waiting can be hard under normal circumstances, but waiting for Christmas can be downright torturous—no matter what age you are.
Waiting for loved ones to arrive.
Waiting for gifts to be delivered.
Waiting for your hopes to be realized.
The first Christmas was no different. The long-expected one had been, well, long-expected. In the waiting years God had gone silent through his prophets.
No word.
No indication.
No prompting.
For hundreds of years.
As the world held its breath with great expectation, the fullness of time had come.
All along, God in His sovereignty had been orchestrating a historical moment predetermined from eternity past. He might have been silent, but He was working.
Who else could have brought together:
Roman rule with peace and pathways
A unifying Greek language
Messianic Jewish hope
Long lay the world in sin and error pining, and the pining was for the God-Man who not only came but would pay the price of our redemption on a Roman cross some 30 years later. By His death and resurrection, He took the curse of the law away and He set us free.
At the heart of the Christmas message is that we were waiting for God to send The Mender. The pursuing God sent His son at the perfect time.
And He was exactly what we needed.
A Christmas Threadbare Prayer
LORD,
I have never been a fan of waiting. I’m a get-it-done and fix-it-now kind of person. It probably isn’t a coincidence my life has consisted of so many waiting room moments where you have asked me to trust you moment-by-moment.
I:
resist waiting
learn to trust while I’m waiting
can look for evidence of Your presence
You:
Provide an invitation while I wait
Are sovereignly in control
Sent your son to redeem my heart
I need to remember that waiting is not a form of punishment from you but an invitation to trust. While waiting for my threadbare prayers to be answered, You are at work and growing me in my faith. And, the beautiful truth is that because You sent your son to redeem me, You are ALWAYS with me. You draw near, hold fast, breathe peace over my anxious heart, and in Your perfect timing You answer.
Threadbare Prayer: LORD, I will trust in the fullness of your time and wait for you to move.
Listen to this prayer: Click here
Looking Forward,
Stacey Thacker
Stacey Thacker is a wife and mom of 4 daughters. She is an author of 8 books and has a passion to connect with women and encourage them through the Word of God. You can find her on Instagram @staceythacker, Facebook @officialstaceythacker or at staceythacker.com.
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Suggested Resource: If you like this devotional, you will love Threadbare Prayer: 100 Prayers to Pray When Your Heart Feels Hidden, Hurt, or Hopeless. You can find it wherever you buy books online, or at Amazon, or Cokesbury.
