Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Matthew 1:20-23

Trust. It is what all relationships are built on. At any point a promise is made, it must be followed up with action. It must be followed up by completion. If not, the integrity of the relationship is at stake; all vulnerability and transparency would become insecurity and fear.

When the Old Testament was finished it would be 400 years until God would speak again through Jesus and the New Testament writers. 400 years Israel waited for God’s promises to come true; for God to act and complete all that He said. Insecurity and fear developed as people wondered if God had forgotten them. They wondered if they were abandoned to live under the cruelty of Roman authority forever. But they kept up their traditions and retold the stories of old that demonstrated the faithfulness of God. When Jesus finally came, He became the fulfillment of everything God ever said. Trust was restored and the relationship between Israel and God would be forever changed.

This is often how we approach God. We wonder if life will get better or if He really is active in our lives. We wonder how long we must wait for Him to come and finish what He started. But the entrance of Jesus into the world means that all things are coming to a close. All sin and evil are dealt with as God patiently waits for His people to come to faith. God’s faithfulness often feels long because He is slowly redeeming the faithlessness of His people.