November 12, 2025

This time every year predictions abound about what kind of winter we are going to have. The number of YouTube videos seems endless. From what I can tell, it is going to be cold and we should get some snow. Mind-blowing, right? One weather map predicts the winter in the region west of Michigan and Illinois as being “Very Cold, Snowy.” Then in our region, which is a different color, our winter is predicted as “Very Cold, Snowy.” Then the region of the northeast is predicted as being “Cold, Show-Filled.” So, there you go. Super-helpful, I know.

Given the earth’s annual tilt at this time, it is not like anyone is going way out on a limb to say that we are going to be cold and will get some snow. However, if someone predicted today, that on January 23, 2026 that snow will be begin falling at 4:36 am at a rate of .25 an hour and last for 3 hours and 13 minutes, and it did, then we would be impressed, in fact, amazed. If that same person made 20 of those kinds of detailed predictions, we would be astonished and would conclude that we’ve never seen anything like this before. Except, we have.

The life of Christ fulfilled around 300 promises and prophecies that had been given in the Old Testament. About 20 of those predictions were fulfilled in the birth of Christ, such as, coming from the tribe of Judah and line of David, being born in Bethlehem, coming out of Egypt, being called a Nazarene, and being born of a virgin. In order for any of these promises to be fulfilled, there are an amazing number of details that have to line up for this to happen, much less 20 of them to take place.

As you begin your approach to Thanksgiving and Christmas, remember that our God makes and keeps promises. Christmas is an awesome display of the sovereignty of God in all of life to heighten our confidence in His Word. He is worth trusting, no matter, what. A friend of mine going through a particularly deep valley recently said that she wants to remember that her shepherd has led her here and is leading her home.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s Text: Luke 15:25-32