“Promises made, promises kept,” we hear that a lot these days, but only the God of Heaven can perfectly deliver on every one of His promises every time. Untold numbers throughout the Bible and throughout our world today can testify of this truth. Joshua states it so powerfully and emphatically in Ch. 23, V. 14, speaking to the Israelites who had been led by God through His servant Moses from Egyptian bondage to the Promised Land, “Ye (you) know in all of your hearts and in all of your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you: all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.”

Sometimes we speak of predicted or prophesied events “becoming reality” when we see them actually happen but, with God, His promises are “reality” when He makes them, and I believe we can even say they were reality before he spoke them because He had already determined in eternity past what He would perform. At times we may say of the words of some unusually trustworthy person, “You can take that to the bank.” So, we can “bank” on every promise given in God’s Word.

The greatest promise ever made to mankind can be found in Isaiah 9:6-7 hundreds of years before Christ was born, “For unto us is a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.” Glory! After Christmas came, innumerable of God’s realities became real to His creation – mankind – and let’s look more closely at some of them now.

1. According to this Scripture in Isaiah, The Prince of Peace brought us peace of which there shall be no end. There is peace for our souls, in our overwhelming sorrows, in our debilitating sicknesses, in the forgiveness of our sinfulness, etc. It is described in Philippians 4:7, as “The Peace of God, which passeth all understanding,” far beyond our comprehension. “For He is our Peace,” (Ephesians 2:14).

2. Christmas revealed the endless hope Christ brought to us in our hopelessness. Paul described it in Ephesians 2:12, “That at that time ye were without Christ … having no hope, and without God in the world.” But now He hath reconciled us to God (Verse 16).

3. Jesus’ appearing on the earth and His torturous death on Calvary’s cross made God’s love evident to the whole world, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” and “God is love,” (I John 4:8, 16). An eternity without Jesus is an eternity with no love, no good and no God.

4. Jesus, born in a manger, is the life (the Way, the Truth and the Life) and the light of the world. John said of Him in Ch. 1, V. 4, “In Him (Jesus) was life; the life was the light of the men.” Verse 9 elaborates, “That was the true Light (Jesus), which lighteth (enlightens) every man that cometh into the world.”

5. Finally, it was after Christmas came that Jesus promised us as recorded in John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you … I will come again and receive you unto Myself.” We can look forward to that home of the soul after this life and His glorious second appearing again on that great resurrection morning.

— Randy Zinn is pastor of Russell Missionary Baptist Church, Russell, Ark.; formerly of Okmulgee.