by 
Saturday, December 17
The promise of ages it then did recall
From I Wonder as I Wander
By Rev. Carol Bennett-Barker
How many Christmases have you enjoyed, experienced, and savored? How many gifts have you shared over the years, and received from those who love you? How many Christmases have been filled with the glow of candles, laughter of children, and moments of awe and wonder as we recounted warm memories, miracles of life in our journeys, and the recognition that God is God, for all time.
God is God. There is no problem bigger than God. There is no distress or pain which will not be tended by our gracious Lord, and there is nothing we can do to separate ourselves from God’s grace and love. He promised us a Savior, the King of Kings. God gave us hope through centuries of struggling and suffering – hope which came in the small, sweet and helpless form of an infant, the Promise of Ages.
God is God. God never forgets. God is a God of second chances. We seek Him, need Him, yet forget Him. We go to Him when we are fearful or overwhelmed. We often ignore Him when things are easy, moving along the way we think things should be. No matter . . . God is God, and He promised us a Savior. This is God’s grace—love that is unconditional, love that embraces all of us, love that never ends, love that is limitless. This Promise of Ages was fulfilled long before we were born, a promise God made to each generation. A promise that redeems us, covers us, and reminds us of the way home . . . thanks be to God!
Prayer: Wonderful God – we are in awe of your power and strength, your holiness and omnipotence, your wisdom and love. How amazing to know that in all these things, You also take joy in the details—in each journey of each life that has ever come into being, in each star and planet spinning through Your expansive creation and universe, and in Your precious Son, Jesus the Christ, the Promise of Ages for every age! Thanks and praise to You, God of Wonder, God of all!
