When you must wait for something good, it’s difficult. For example, you might feel like time goes by very slowly while you’re waiting to celebrate your birthday. And then there’s Christmas! As you look around at decorations going up, hear Christmas music everywhere, and shop for gifts, you get more and more excited. Waiting for December 25th to come is tough because it’s such a special day. Even though it’s difficult to wait, you know exactly when your birthday and Christmas are going to happen.
God gave Old Testament prophets messages about Jesus’ birth. The people knew the Messiah, God’s chosen one, was coming, but they didn’t know when. It was just in the future at some moment. For the Israelites, patiently waiting was probably difficult, and they may have thought from time to time that God was taking too long to keep His promise in sending the Messiah. There is an important phrase in today’s verse about when Jesus would come – “in the fullness of time.” It means that God had planned a specific time to send Jesus. What we need to remember is no matter how long we have to wait, God’s timing is perfect, and He answers our prayers at just the right moment.
There are 11 more days until Christmas. Create a special activity countdown while you’re waiting. You’ll need 11 envelopes and some paper or blank cards. On the outside of the envelope, starting with December 15th, write each date through December 25th. As a family, think of 11 activities and write them each on the paper or card. You might include things like taking a nighttime drive to look at Christmas lights or donating toys for kids in need. For Christmas Day, choose an activity to do to honor Jesus. Open one envelope each day and do what you’ve written.
