Luke 2:25 “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”
Simeon, while very much unknown, is a major player in the Christmas story! Our verse brings a great example into focus! While waiting for the coming of the Messiah he was working and living for the Lord.
The verse starts out by telling of a man with character as he was righteous in how he lived, and he was devout. We don’t seem to use the word devout too much these days. It is a really good word that we should want others to say about us. It means to handle something entrusted to you with great care. The devout person is very cautious and conscientious with the assignments given to them. They handle things with reverence, with what is called a godly fear. They are very trustworthy. The devout ones are very often highly respected because of their diligence in handling things entrusted to them with such care.
Simeon was doing what was right, reverent, and careful with his assignments.
Luke then describes him as waiting. He was waiting for the Consolation Of Israel. He was waiting for the coming of the Messiah.
The waiting of Simeon is another great example from his life that we need to be following. While he was waiting for the first coming, we are to be waiting for the second coming.
Whenever I am speaking about waiting for the Second Coming, I am reminded that I should remind myself and others what waiting means. waiting does not mean one goes to a high mountain and sits down, waiting until He comes. I learned what waiting meant before I was a teenager. One day my mom told me I needed to wait until my dad got home to help him unload a load of fertilizer at the shed. With her words, I stopped what I was doing and started going to the shed to wait. (I was going to go to the shed and sit down and wait.) Mom saw this and said, “Keep working on what you are working on with a watchful eye, and when you see him coming up the driveway, then you make your way to the shed.”
Hmmmm. Waiting did not mean sitting down and doing nothing. It meant being watchful while working!
Knowing the Lord is coming again we do need to be watching. A principle I learned from Dr. Billy Graham is to start every day with the thought of perhaps today. I challenge you to be living with the mindset of perhaps today!
Knowing the Lord is coming again means we do need to be working. I also learned a principle from Dr. Jerry Falwell to go with Dr. Graham’s principle. He taught us to live like this might be our last day, our last hour, our last minute but work as though we were going to live another 100 years. Both principles should guide our waiting.
Simeon. a man of great character, was waiting, but while waiting, he was working! Let the Lord’s return find us at work for Him, watching for Him, waiting with anticipation.
Continue Strong working for the Savior while watching for the Savior.
And remember to DATE The Word