This week we have traced the golden thread of God's promises from Eden's first gospel to the prophets' final declarations. Each promise—the Seed who would crush the serpent, Immanuel who would be God with us, the Son called out of Egypt, the Child whose names declare His deity, the Lord who would suddenly come to His temple—all point to one Person, one event, one divine rescue. The promise of a Savior is not merely doctrine to believe but hope to live by. It sustained Abraham through decades of waiting, strengthened David through years of exile, and kept Israel faithful through centuries of silence. Every saint who clung to these promises discovered that God's Word is more certain than any earthly circumstance.

For us today, these ancient promises carry present power. They teach us to wait with faith when answers delay, to trust God's timing when our own plans fail, and to recognize that every promise He makes, He keeps—though rarely in the way or time we expect. The same faithfulness that brought the Savior to Bethlehem after four thousand years of waiting will complete every promise still unfulfilled. As we prepare our hearts for the Advent season, we remember that God's greatest gift was not given to those who were ready, but to those who were waiting. The shepherds watched, the wise men searched, Simeon and Anna prayed—and when the promise came, it was sweeter for the waiting. Our calling is the same: to watch, to hope, and to live each day in the confidence that the God who kept His word then will keep His word still.

"The incarnation of Christ is a mystery. The union of divinity with humanity is indeed a mystery, hidden with God, 'even the mystery which hath been hid from ages.' It was kept in eternal silence by Jehovah, and was first revealed in Eden by the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head." (Ellen G. White, *Signs of the Times*, July 30, 1896)

Prayer: Faithful God, thank You for every promise You have made and every promise You have kept. As we reflect on the hope of a Savior, teach us to trust Your timing, to wait with patience, and to live with confident expectation. Prepare our hearts to receive afresh the wonder of Your greatest gift. Amen.