Waiting

Luke 2:25-26 – 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 upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. (NIV)

Last fall, as the temperatures dipped down into the forties and thirties (Fahrenheit), my garden became history for the year. I began to put the flowerbeds to rest for the winter season. I pruned back the roses, and hilled them up with earth, to protect them against the winter's frost. I went to the garage where I had put the tulip bulbs to dry. I took off the dried-up tops, found the shiny brown bulbs, and planted them. Then I began a period of waiting through the winter, in hope of the promise that the bulbs would bloom once again in the spring.

Similarly, God had given Simeon a promise that he would see the long-expected Messiah, the Christ, before he died. All his life, as he waited to see the fulfilment of the promise that God had given to him, God blessed him as he went up to the temple to pray and worship. Once he had seen Jesus in the temple, he was blessed, because, not only had he seen the Messiah, but also he knew that God keeps His promises.

In the same way, we are all blessed by the Lord as we wait in expectation of the fulfilment of His promises of hope and our final reward, eternal salvation.

Luke 2:28-30 – Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation. (NIV)

Prayer: Lord, as we wait, give us patience, and the knowledge that You, O God, will keep Your promises to us. Your Son has come to bring joy to each one of us, and in waiting, we pray You will give to us our reward. We pray that our eyes will be opened to see Your salvation offered as a gift to us. In Jesus' name, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for peace in this world, and for peace in our hearts. Amen.