A Lesson from Simeon

This Christmas Season, Dave is reading to me a bit each night, from different Christmas books. This is such a treat for me! Right now, we are reading "One Incredible Moment" by Max Lucado. Tonight's chapter was "Simeon: Wide-eyed and Watching". I've always loved Simeon because of his patient faith. Tonight, I felt I could relate a bit better to him (though, I do not feel currently that I have a very patient faith).

If you don't know the story of Simeon, he is mentioned in the Second chapter of Luke, as having a revelation from the Holy Spirit...."The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen him - God's anointed King" (Luke 2:26) Simeon was a very old man when the baby Jesus was born and had been waiting a very long time to see the anointed King. Read what Lucado writes....

"He (Simeon) was "constantly expecting the Messiah" (v. 25 TLB)

He was "living in expectation of the salvation of Israel" (v 25 PHILLIPS)

He "watched and waited for the restoration of Israel" (v. 25 NEB)

The Greek language, rich as it is with terms, has a stable full of verbs that mean "to look."....

Of all the forms of look, the one that best captures what it means to "look for the coming" is the term used to describe the action of Simeon: prosdechomai. Dechomai meaning "to wait." Pros meaning "forward". Combine them and you have the graphic picture of one "waiting forwardly." The grammar is poor, but the image is great. Simeon was waiting; not demanding, not hurrying, he was waiting.

But he was waiting with anticipation. Calmly expectant. Eyes open. Arms extended. Searching the crowd for the right face, and hoping the face appears today....

In the end, the prayer of Simeon was answered. "Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God; 'Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace, as you said'" (Luke 2:28-29)

One look into the face of Jesus, and Simeon knew the hope of his life had been fulfilled. One look into the face of our Savior, and we will know the same." (One Incredible Moment by Max Lucado)

WOW! Simeon waited for years for the anointed King, the Christ child, to come. It was the hope of his lifetime. If he could wait a lifetime anticipating, hoping and waiting for the King of the universe, certainly, God will give us the strength to keep anticipating, hoping and waiting for this adoption process to make some moves forward.

This adoption is going to be such a fulfillment of so many hopes and dreams and ultimately, the fulfillment of the adoption call put on our hearts.

But, even greater still will be the fulfillment of our Lifetime, when we look into the face of Jesus, our Savior, who came to earth on Christmas to give us Hope. This Christmas, the theme of Hope keeps coming to the forefront in so many ways. The ultimate Hope though, is that we live in Hope and eager anticipation of someday seeing Jesus face to face. Just the thought of that is too awesome to even begin to describe.

May you know the HOPE that a King has been born and lived and died so that each day, you also may have hope......even as you struggle, mourn, worry or wait.

May your Christmas this year be a season of Hope!