As I’ve been writing Thick Skin, Soft Heart this month, I’ve been struck by something profound:
The message of Scripture is not merely information—it’s formation.
It shapes the heart, builds resilience,
and softens what hardship tries to harden.
And it reveals Christ in every chapter, long before we meet Him in Bethlehem.
When we trace Jesus through the prophets, we aren’t just studying ancient predictions.
We’re watching a tender God reveal His heart—slowly, faithfully, intentionally—to a weary world.
Jesus was not God’s last-minute rescue plan.
He was the plan from the beginning.
Prophets like Isaiah, Micah, and Zechariah weren’t simply pointing forward; they were inviting God’s people to develop thick skin and soft hearts—enduring long seasons of waiting while staying tender to God’s voice.
Waiting does that, doesn’t it?
Waiting tests our resilience, exposes the heart, and calls us to trust what we cannot yet see.
The same God who strengthens our skin softens our heart.
And the prophets remind us:
God always fulfills His word—often after long, stretching, heart-deepening seasons.
Many of you may be in such a season now.
Waiting for healing, reconciliation, and answers.
Waiting for Christmas hope to touch a tender place in your soul.
I am waiting right there alongside you.
The ache in my heart longs for incomplete broken things on this earth to be made new.
But as we trace Jesus through Scripture, we can be confident that He will fulfill His mission in us, too, just as He fulfilled every single Word ever spoken about Him.
If you are waiting, friend, you are in good company.
The prophets waited centuries to see the Messiah.
Yet they kept speaking.
Kept believing.
Kept their hearts soft enough to keep hoping.
This is why Christ in all of Scripture matters so deeply:
The One who was promised is the One who still speaks peace into our waiting today
Reflection Questions to Ponder While We Wait for Our Savior
Where am I waiting for God to fulfill something in my life, just as generations waited for the promised Messiah?
What part of my heart feels weary, hardened, or discouraged — and how does seeing Jesus in Scripture soften that place?
How does fulfilled prophecy strengthen my confidence that God will complete the work He has begun in me?
What promise of God do I need to rehearse again until it becomes louder than my disappointment or delay?
How might Jesus be inviting me to develop “thick skin and a soft heart” during this season of waiting?
🙏 Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that from the beginning You have woven Your story into ours — a story of promise, redemption, and unfailing love. As I trace Your steps through Scripture, trace Your truth into my heart. Strengthen me where the waiting feels long. Soften me where hurt has hardened me. Remind me that every word You have spoken is sure, every promise certain, every prophecy fulfilled in You. Write Your hope into the places that feel unfinished, and let my heart rest in the confidence that You are completing the good work You began. Amen.
I hope you will join me as we explore all of Scripture this month to see glimpses of Jesus as we wait for Christmas.
Visit the ShameRx Blog for When Shame Tries to Snuff Out Hope
All for Jesus,
Denise