Christmas Devotional 2: God Gives You Hope AND Promises

Luke 1:26-38

Hope is an interesting thing. You can have a hopeful feeling or a hopeful

thought, but to discover what truly brings you hope, you have to see where you

are putting it. Where do you put your hope?

This might be easiest to determine by thinking of places you regret placing

your hope. Maybe you put your hope into an auto repair shop or a new online

store, and the transaction was much less than what you hoped for. These

occurrences teach us the old adage, “Don’t get your hopes up.” So, we become

cautious or even skeptical of anything that sounds “too good to be true.”

There is something about a cancer walk that makes us want to to keep our

hope in check, even though there are many things to place our hope in. You can

place your hope in a treatment or medicine, or even a doctor or cancer center.

The oncology world is filled with super-smart people who have done years

of research and share decades of experience to determine the absolute best

course of action for your cancer walk. This is a HUGE blessing, and certainly

no small thing. But, think about it; even though the cancer community may

speak of hope, you may have noticed that cancer patients typically hear very

few promises.

Hope in God is different, because He backs His hope up with His promises.

Think about this: God gives you hope AND promises. Let’s see how this is true

in the Christmas story.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, placed her hope in God for what was surely the

wildest adventure any teenage girl has ever taken. Here is how it began:

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to

Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of

David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The

Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this

might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found

favor with God.

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will

give him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the

Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of

God.

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who

was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38

Use the verses above to answer the questions below:

1. Who did God send to Nazareth?

_________________________________ vs 26

2. He greeted Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are

__________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________vs 28

3. Fill in the blanks “Do not

________________________________.” vs 30

4. What will never fail?

__________________________________ vs 37

Now, I have not personally had a conversation with an angel, but looking at

Mary’s, I get the impression that Gabriel did not come to Mary to kick back and

have a brainstorming session, like: “Hey, Mary. Any ideas of a good way God

can save the world?” Gabriel was a messenger from God to tell Mary the word

of God. And did you pick up what verse 37 said? That no word of God will ever

fail. Soak that in. If you or I say “I give you my word,” what we are really saying

is, “I will try with everything I have to not let you down.” When God gives His

word, He’s saying, “Done.” It doesn’t matter what happens in the world around

you, God’s word will not fail you.

In the Bible, sometimes God makes a promise that applies to each and

every one of us. Other times He has promises for specific groups or

people, like the disciples or the Israelites. And then there are times He

gives His word to a specific person. Gabriel has come to Mary to tell her

promises that God has made directly to her.

I’ll grant you, it warms the heart to see these precious promises God has made

to Mary, but what about you? What promises has God made for you to hold on

to during your cancer walk?

Through Christ, you are my child.

Picture how this day (and every day) of this cancer walk would change, if you

focused on the promises in your chart being fulfilled in YOU! What if you kept

your eyes on these truths?

• I have received God’s favor.

• God is with me ALWAYS.

• I do not need to be afraid.

• I am God’s precious child.

God’s word is the place to put your hope- He will not fail you! Hallelujah!

Lord God,

Your promises are so precious to me. Give me a hunger to keep Your promises

before me each and every day. Use these promises to teach me that You are

bigger than anything that cancer can bring into my life. Your promises are

powerful and true today and for all eternity. AMEN