Bible Reading: Genesis 22:11-18; Isaiah 7:14

“Mia? Why are you lying on the beach?” Mom asked as she came outside and sat down beside her daughter. “It’s dark out.”

Mia turned to look at her mom, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Oh, honey.” Mom hugged her. “Why are you crying?”

“D-d-dad promised he would come see me today. But he never came,” Mia sobbed.

Mom hugged her again. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry your dad didn’t keep his promise.”

“Promises are stupid,” Mia said as she pulled away from Mom and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

Mom sighed. “It’s very hard for people to keep promises. We make mistakes. But there is someone who keeps every promise He makes.”

“Who is that?” Mia asked.

“God. In fact, He made Abraham a promise that I’m reminded of being out here tonight.” Mom picked up a handful of sand. “God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as many as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the beach.”

“I think I remember that story,” Mia said. “Didn’t he and his wife have a baby when they were really old?”

“Yes, that was Abraham. He had to wait a long time for a baby. And after God gave him a son, He asked Abraham to sacrifice that son. Abraham was going to do that, but God stopped him and told him it had been a test to see how much Abraham trusted God.”

Mia bit her lip. “God kept His promise?”

“Yes, Abraham had many, many descendants. King David was one of them, and the Bible says Jesus Himself is a son of Abraham.” Mom smiled. “Through His promise to bless Abraham with many children, God also kept another promise. He promised to send a Savior to rescue His people.”

“Jesus!” Mia exclaimed. “I know that one. Jesus came as a baby and grew up so He could die for our sins.”

Mom nodded. “He sent Jesus to die for our sins and then raised Him from the dead. If we trust in Jesus, He promises that He will always be with us and that we will spend forever with Him. And God always keeps His promises.”

–Kimberly Brokish

How About You?
Has anyone ever broken a promise they made to you? Maybe it was a friend, a parent, or a teacher. It doesn’t feel very nice when someone breaks a promise, does it? God will never break a promise. He promises to love us, help us, and always be with us, and He sent us a Savior so we can spend eternity with Him. How great is a promise like that?

Today’s Key Verse:
All of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” (NLT) (2 Corinthians 1:20 )

Today’s Key Thought:
God always keeps His promises