Day Twelve

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant^] depart in peace,
   according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
   that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
   and for glory to your people Israel.”

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” - Luke 2:25-35

The Messiah, the Savior had come! The Creator of all was now in the arms of the ordinary ones He created.  Scripture shows us that Mary and Joseph continually followed God in wholehearted devotion and obedience.  I wonder how much they truly understood about what was happening as they remained faithful to God while raising the baby boy God had given them.

These verses show us lives of ordinary people who were following God in wholehearted devotion. Simeon and Anna also stand out as two people who remained faithful to God. They were expectantly looking for the promised Messiah with a long devotion that challenges me. I ask myself these questions for reflection: Does my daily life reflect that Jesus is the center of everything I do? Do my words declare His praises?  Am I positioned to be used by God for the lost and hurting around me?  Am I stewarding the gifts of time, opportunity and resources that He has entrusted to me in a way that honors my Lord?  I want this!  I want to be wholly devoted, but I often find myself distracted and overwhelmed by the cares of the world.  

Praise God that He has given us the gift of His Word and His Spirit!  His plan of salvation remains. Jesus is coming again, and He has shown us how to live wholly devoted to Him while we wait for His return. Titus 2:11-15 is a good New Testament compliment to the examples of the Old Testament believers mentioned above. In these verses, we are told that the Father has lavished His favor upon undeserving sinners.  God’s grace has come in Jesus Christ, bringing salvation to all people. We are instructed in how to live while we wait for the blessed hope of His return.  As His followers, we make a daily decision to deny our flesh and the affections of the world so that we can live wholly devoted to the Lord.

Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna, are examples of ordinary people that God spoke to and used for His purposes. You and I are also ordinary people that He wants to speak to and use for His purposes. Let’s ask the Lord to give us a wholehearted and continual devotion to Him, so that He may accomplish His purposes through us.

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