Christmas: The King Has ComeSample

David: Future Promise

Read today's verse.

In the Old Testament, God made several promises, or covenants, with His people. He made covenants with Adam, Abraham and his sons, Moses and the Israelites, and David to name a few—all of which were fulfilled by Jesus!

David’s journey was an interesting one, to say the least. His life started with a modest upbringing as a shepherd boy in the shadows of his brothers. He grew into a courageous Israelite, who took down a giant, lived on the run from a jealous king (whom he refused to kill because he was anointed by God), and later became an adulterer and murderer whose son rebelled against him.

David ran the gauntlet when it came to the life of faith. But even through all of that, he was a man after God’s own heart that provided us with an example of passionate love for the Lord and a variety of beautiful, genuine Psalms.

Along his journey, David endured a lot, but God never turned His back on David, and the future king faithfully waited on Him and His promises. He had expectation that all God declared would take place in His time. In 2 Samuel, we read the greatest promise the Lord made David. As he sought to build a temple, a house for the Lord, God essentially told him, “You cannot build a house for me, David, but from your house I will build an everlasting kingdom.”

God made a powerful promise to David, that the Messiah would come from his line. As with the promise made to Abraham, God declared the salvation of all to David in this promise . . . and David believed!

If God promises something, you can be certain He will fulfill it. God has made us a number of promises through His Word. Promises like . . . He will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5), He is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9), He will give us rest (Matthew 11:28–29), nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38–39), and that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead we’d be saved (Romans 10:9).

Our King promised to prepare a place for us in His Kingdom. Do you put your faith and trust in the promises of God? During the holidays, we always have expectations about gifts and jolly magical moments, but always remember to hold on to and celebrate the expectation of the moment when God’s promises come to fruition!

For The Kids: God Keeps His Promises.

Do you know who David is? Maybe you remember the story about a young and courageous shepherd boy who fought against a giant named Goliath. When everyone else was too scared, David was bold and defeated him with God’s help! You see, David really trusted God, and God made David king over Israel. Even though David sometimes made mistakes and was disobedient, God never turned His back on him. That’s one of God’s promises to us—He will never leave us alone!

Have you ever made a promise you couldn’t keep? Or maybe someone promised you something, but didn’t keep it? That’s the difference between God and us. When God makes a promise, you can be certain that He will keep it. God promised David that someday Jesus would come to the earth through his family—and He did! Take the time to thank God for keeping His promises to us and for sending us His son Jesus.

Today's Challenge

Go through photos and videos of the last few years. Reflect on God’s faithfulness in answering your prayers and fulfilling His promises.