Advent Devotion: Day 3

Tuesday, November 29

Genesis 9:1-17; Hebrews 11:32-40

Have you ever noticed the calm after the storm? The clouds break and there is a stillness that covers the land. The sun may even peek around the clouds to see if you notice. And just behind the storm, there is a rainbow: a covenant from the Creator to remind the creation that He has not forgotten the promise He made thousands of years ago after the earth was flooded and only a remnant of eight people remained; a promise that God will always love His creation and will always provide for His creation; a promise rooted in love that reaches into the depths of eternity; a promise that even in the storms of life, one can always look to the moment after the chaos; a promise that God will see us through the storm if we only trust and believe in Him.

There have been many chaotic moments throughout the Bible. But even in those moments, there was always a promise of One to come. In many of these stories, we read about those like Gideon, Samson, David, and the prophets who, through faith, conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised. What they gained was in the physical, but there was still a promise of One to come.

There were those, too, who never gained power or ruled earthly kingdoms, who were tortured, imprisoned, and brutally killed because they believed in the promise of the One to come. They physically went through the storms of life. As they struggled through, they still kept their faith. They were eagerly anticipating and looking towards heaven for their rainbow. For their promise!

The promise of the One to come did eventually come to this earth. He came in a subdued manner. There was no boisterous clap of thunder nor were there lightning bolts scattered over the horizon. He was delivered in a quiet night surrounded by a world filled with sin and chaos. He was the covenant that replaced the rainbow. He was the promise that people had searched for. He was God in flesh! In His meek and mild birth, we see the beautiful array of colors that can only come from the throne of God.

Just as those we read about in the Bible, we are to always look for the Promise that will one day come again. There will be storms that pop up occasionally and there will be tragic moments that will rip us apart. However, we are never to forget that God loves us and that He sent His Son to this earth for us, the remnant that remains. During this time, we may experience great moments of joy and brutal moments of sadness. However, we are always to be reminded about the Promise who came to this earth to die for our sins. And even though His birth was very ordinary, His return will be extraordinary! He is the Promise that we celebrate this Christmas season. 

Shannon Allen
School of Divinity Graduate