Focus your mind for a moment on a man Simeon living in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago. He has followed God his whole life and has been faithful and devout in everything that God has asked him to do. As long as he could remember, he had been reading the Old Testament and memorizing the passages regarding the Messiah, and he was excited for the fulfillment of the promises that God had made to Israel. One day, the Holy Spirit came and told him he would see the Messiah before he died. How incredible! Imagine what it must have been like for him to go to the temple day after day knowing that at any moment his eyes would come in contact with the savior.
It may have been weeks, months, or even years that he waited after the message from the Spirit, but he continued to follow God and look for the fulfillment of that promise.
Finally, one day in his old age, Simeon went to the temple as he did regularly, only to see a young couple with their eight-day-old child. Simeon swooped in and grabbed the baby and praised God because here, after all this time waiting, he was now holding God in the flesh in his arms. Simeon knew that he would die soon after this but rejoiced because God had answered his prayers and rewarded his righteousness. Simeon even makes a statement that will be echoed later in Scripture: “A sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:35; Hebrews 4:12).
There is a lot of focus on the birth of Jesus right now and, of course, we are glad that the son of God decided to dwell among us. In the middle of that birth narrative though lies this short story that packs so many lessons. But the patience that Simeon displayed in waiting on God is astounding. For so many years he waited for that fulfillment and even though it did not happen when or how he might have wanted or expected, once he recognized God’s hand in his life, he rejoiced. All that time that passed in his life waiting, he knew that if he was faithful to God then God would be faithful to him, and he was rewarded for it.
God promises us the same – whatever we ask, he hears (1 John 5:15), and he will reward those who are faithful (Hebrews 11:6) and who are willing to wait on him to respond when and how he chooses best (Hebrews 6:12).
Andrew (Gif) Gifford
Dalraida church of Christ is a congregation of Christians that meet in the mid-town area of Montgomery, Alabama. Our goal and purpose is to seek and follow God and His Word in everything that we do in life.