The waiting room of life. We’ve all been there. We know a breakthrough is coming but when? We can easily grow tired and weary if we are not proactively keeping our eyes on the prize. This lesson from the book of Luke and our brother Simeon offers some insight. Promises WILL come to pass.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE
One of the coolest things about having a blog is being able to share what is in your heart, knowing that others will (probably) read what is shared. I have never been one to write in a journal, but there is something about an audience that draws me in. This is a trait that I use to help keep me faithful in my daily Bible reading–I email my Bible Study Bites each day to a dear friend who also shares her devotional time with me. I invite you to do the same. Post below and share what God reveals to you from these verses. I’d love to be your coffee date!
LEARNING FROM SIMEON
Luke 2:25-35 tells of Simeon, a “righteous and devout” man who was waiting for the coming of Christ. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Spirit had revealed to him that he would see the Christ before he died. Just these few short verses about this man have challenged me in so many ways:
Simeon KNEW God’s promises (verse 29). I wonder if I lived during Simeon’s time, would I be one who was eagerly looking for the Christ or would I have been among those who blindly read the scriptures speaking of the very One they dismissed? No doubt Simeon’s knowledge was not only in his head, it was in his heart.
Simeon RECEIVED the promise of God. It is one thing to read or hear about God’s promises, but it is an entirely different (and powerful) thing to plant those promises in our hearts. When God says something, we can stop and take a moment to acknowledge that we have seen, heard, or felt the prompting of, and then own it. This isn’t window shopping folks; we are taking those promises home.
Simeon BELIEVED the promise of God. We know the promises in our heart and we make them our own–then we are better positioned to truly believe them. Believing comes by hearing the Word of God, over and over. Rehearse the promise to nurture genuine belief.
Simeon ANTICIPATED the promise of God. Simeon kept his belief alive by actively looking for the promise of God. Maybe he went into each day thinking that this could be the day when everything changes. How refreshing it would be to approach our days thinking that somewhere between the sunrise and sunset, we were going to see God’s purpose and plan revealed. To anticipate that this is the day we will see healing, freedom, or salvation in our families. Because today very well may be The Day.
Simeon WATCHED for the promise of God. In our story, we find Simeon at the temple. His head wasn’t down, entrapped in his own thoughts and challenges. No, his gaze was out towards others where he saw The Child. If we want to increase our chances of finding something, we’d be wise to look for it. Are we looking for the answer to our prayers, for the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13), for the still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12)? Look, seek, knock, expect an answer (Matthew 7:7-12).
KNOW. RECEIVE. BELIEVE. ANTICIPATE. WATCH.
- In order to fully grow, we need to have knowledge of God’s promises. If you are not familiar with the Bible, brushing up on some reading is a great place to start. Consider using the First 5 or YouVersion app.
- As you learn new promises, rehearse them in your mind until they plant themselves in your heart. Like a song lyric that pops into your thoughts out of nowhere, so do the life-giving words of God.
- As you think about these promises, ask yourself if you have owned any of those that have been laid upon your heart. If you have a difficult time believing these words are for you too, pray that God will open your heart. He may reveal past hurts or current sins that are plugging your revelations. Take His loving hand and walk with Him through them.
- Encourage yourself with God’s faithfulness. If He said it, He will do it. While his timing may be on a different schedule than ours, you can be assured that what has been promised WILL come to pass!
- Wait for God to show up, just like we do the UPS driver when we expect an anticipated delivery. Our ears hear every truck coming down the street. Keep on the lookout with your eyes out and up.
I hope you find this look into the man we know as Simeon as helpful as I have. He was an extraordinary man, but his story is only as far removed from us as our own personal belief.
Luke 2:25-35
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.”
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (NLT)
Brandice Lardner is a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, Amazon #1 Best Selling Author, Homeschool Mom, and Jesus Girl whose mission in life is to help women ditch the diet mentality and find peace with food and their bodies so that they are better equipped to do the great things God has called them to do.
You know this really spoke to me today Brandice. I so want to have each day be a day that I can see God’s promise played out before me. I know through my cancer diagnosis I had such an opportunity to share my love and faith of Jesus Christ. I want to continue to be a beacon of light and love towards Him so that others can have the same faith that I have and KNOW that someday we will see Him in heaven.
Thank you for chiming in Kathleen! It is so neat that you have had the opportunity to see the direct impact that your diagnosis and treatment played out in the lives of others! I can’t help but wonder how many people there are that you have no idea about. How many seeds of hope and faith were planted that are being watered as we speak? So cool!