Praising God for his Patient Fulfillment of his Promises

For Advent this year, we’re focusing on four songs from the Gospel of Luke surrounding the birth of Jesus. This past Sunday, we looked at the song of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father. In this song, he praises God for keeping his promises. He gives glory to God for in Jesus he has brought his salvation to the world in order “to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us” (Lk 1:72-73).

As we read Zechariah’s song, we can be encouraged that God is patient in keeping his promises. Zechariah sings his praise just before the coming of Christ. As his song begins, he references David, the king of ancient Israel from around 1000 BC (v. 69). As he continues, he speaks in v. a73 of God’s promise to Abraham the patriarch of our faith who lived nearly a millennium before David. Then, in v. 76 he alludes to a verse from the prophet Isaiah (40:3) who ministered in the 700s to 600s BC. Century after century, even millennia after millennia, God is at work to fulfill his promises.

Concerning God’s patience, the Apostle Peter observes, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet 3:8).

God continues to work today to fulfill his promises, but he doesn’t work on our timeline. Jesus often uses images and parables taken from the world of agriculture to talk about God’s work in this world. He teaches, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how” (Mk 4:26-27). Elsewhere, Jesus explains, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (Mt 13:31-32).

We rejoice that God is faithful, that he keeps his promises. As we worship him, we become like him—growing in patience as we wait expectantly for the fulfillment of all his promises in the new creation.