“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
Luke 2:25-32
Simeon is a man who received a revelation from the Holy Spirit. In these few verses where he is mentioned, we learn an awful lot about him. He was righteous and devout and was waiting for the ‘consolation of Israel’. But he wasn’t passively waiting. We are told that the Holy Spirit was on him and had revealed to him that he would not die without first seeing the Messiah. Simeon was a man who waited in hope and responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, the fulfillment of the word could have caused great fear in him if he chose to focus on his own mortality spoken about in the revelation. Observe, though, how Simeon responded. The word tells us that he took Jesus into his arms and praised God! He was thrilled to see the fulfillment of the word to him and what that meant for the nation of Israel. He probably did not live to see Jesus step into ministry or to go to the cross and three days later rise from the grave. But he did die in peace – “being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” Romans 4:21.
Are you fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised to do in your life? Allow the truth of the Christmas story to rekindle in you the hope of His promises yet to be fulfilled.
Just as Simeon did, wait in hope, and be filled with His Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father:
I thank you for each of those who are reading these words.
May their hope in you grow in the coming year.
May they learn to look more and more to you and to rely less and less on their own strength and their own abilities.
May your grace and your peace be multiplied to them this Christmas season.
I ask this in the matchless name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
Luke 2:25-32
Simeon is a man who received a revelation from the Holy Spirit. In these few verses where he is mentioned, we learn an awful lot about him. He was righteous and devout and was waiting for the ‘consolation of Israel’. But he wasn’t passively waiting. We are told that the Holy Spirit was on him and had revealed to him that he would not die without first seeing the Messiah. Simeon was a man who waited in hope and responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, the fulfillment of the word could have caused great fear in him if he chose to focus on his own mortality spoken about in the revelation. Observe, though, how Simeon responded. The word tells us that he took Jesus into his arms and praised God! He was thrilled to see the fulfillment of the word to him and what that meant for the nation of Israel. He probably did not live to see Jesus step into ministry or to go to the cross and three days later rise from the grave. But he did die in peace – “being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” Romans 4:21.
Are you fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised to do in your life? Allow the truth of the Christmas story to rekindle in you the hope of His promises yet to be fulfilled.
Just as Simeon did, wait in hope, and be filled with His Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father:
I thank you for each of those who are reading these words.
May their hope in you grow in the coming year.
May they learn to look more and more to you and to rely less and less on their own strength and their own abilities.
May your grace and your peace be multiplied to them this Christmas season.
I ask this in the matchless name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment