WATCHWORD:
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So, when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!” Luke 2:25-32
Meditation:
Simeon
“It was in Bethlehem that Mary gave birth to a baby boy. After several days, having completed the registration, the young family traveled the six miles to Jerusalem to present their baby for the circumcision rites, as required by Mosaic Law. At that time, the boy was given a name: Jesus. The family, then, returned to Bethlehem. A month later, the parents returned to Jerusalem to dedicate Jesus. While in the temple they met Simeon the Elder, who told the parents, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.” Mary and Joseph were amazed at what they had been told. They gave his words much thought as they left Jerusalem to return home, to Nazareth.” (Excerpt from The Story of Jesus, an unpublished essay by Stan Escott)
God’s ways are not our ways. We accept that, and we know that we are his, created, each one of us, for a purpose, God’s purpose. The incarnate God coming to us was part of God’s purpose. Everything was set in place by his hand, and so it should not be a surprise that Simeon had a significant role to play in communicating God’s purpose for this baby, this God in human form.
Through his Holy Spirit, God had been preparing certain hearts to recognize and receive Jesus as the Messiah, even when he was a child. We need to fully understand that God is still preparing hearts to receive his grace and truth, which is Jesus. Simeon was a witness to what God had promised. He’s been in the temple waiting and now, here in his arms, he holds the hope of his heart, a completed promise. The same applies to us. Our hearts do long for Christ, come Lord Jesus, and for the power of his grace.
What does your heart yearn for? A time long ago? Is there a void, a vacant spot that had been filled by a loved one, now departed? Maybe there is behavior that you are not proud of and your desire is to set it aside, to remove it from your life. The Lord provides for that, he opens his arms for us to believe and to repent. His forgiveness is all-inclusive. There is no sin, so dark, so awful that he will not forgive and cleanse you. It’s a promise that he made when he entered the world and stepped up on the cross, holding in his arms every one of our sins.
Simeon lived it and was prepared to receive it and to die in peace, God’s peace. Our purpose is to receive it, trust it, live it and enjoy God’s peace in our lifetime. Amen.
Draw Me Closer Lord:
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I thank You that You desire to spend time with me, and You have even called me Your friend. God, Your Word says if I draw near to You, You will draw near to me—and I want to be near to You. So, right now, in the Name of Jesus, I ask that You cause me to desire to draw near to You above everything else. Help me to have supernatural time-management abilities, help me to see clearly when I can set aside time to spend with You, and help me never to compromise that time.
Father, You said You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek You. I know that to be diligent, I need to pursue You with passion and perseverance. Help me to put Your Word first in every decision I make, to pray continually throughout the day, and to look for opportunities to listen to teachings that will build my knowledge and understanding of who You are and what You want for my life.
I thank You that as I do these things, You will guide me into all truth, show me things to come, and anoint the works of my hands. I praise You and thank You for these things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
