Christmas Devotional: 17th December 2020
2020 has been an incredibly long and difficult year for many of us. Is there anything that you are waiting for that is bringing you hope as we head into 2021?
In Luke 2:22-38 we see Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord. Keeping with the culture at this time, they dedicated their first-born son to the Lord; rich families were to sacrifice a lamb, and poorer families sacrificed a pair of doves or pigeons. This was both a purification offering, as well as a promise that Jesus would be consecrated or set apart for God.
As this is taking place Simeon and Anna were also in the Temple. As we encounter Simeon, it is revealed to us that he is a righteous, God-fearing man who was filled with the Spirit to deliver a prophecy to Mary and Joseph. Simeon had been waiting for this moment for a long time and was obedient to the Spirit as it prompted him to recognise the Messiah.
Simeon sets us a wonderful example of how to live in the waiting.
It had been revealed to Simeon a long time ago that he would live until he met the Messiah, and as he waited for this moment, he continued to fervently pursue God.
I would like to encourage you to reflect on what promises or blessings God has spoken over your life that you are waiting for to come to fruition. How can you use this time to become more in step with the Spirit as you wait on God?
Simeon’s blessing is not just an abstract saying about the future of Jesus, but it has real-life, practical consequences, that goes on to bring us real hope today. Simeon’s blessing over Jesus speaks deep truth; that Jesus will bring salvation for all people; however, it will not be the conventional way that many at this time were expecting it to be.
Simeon also spoke into Mary’s life; that the cost of Jesus’ ministry would be significant for her. It must have been hard for Mary, a teenage Mother, to have these words spoken over her, knowing that she would spend her life anticipating this pain. However, we know that God’s presence would go with her through this period of waiting, and within our lives we can be assured that God goes with us too.
After Simeon’s prophecy, we meet the prophet, Anna. We are told that she is an elderly widow, who spent all of her time in the Temple completely devoted to God; worshipping him day and night.
This can reinforce this challenge to us; how can we best spend our time to honour God with our whole lives?
Both Simeon and Anna completely devoted their lives to worshipping God, which led them to be sensitive and obedient to the guidance of the Spirit.
As I reflect on this encounter with Simeon and Anna, I invite you to join with me in being challenged to invest more time into our own individual relationship with God, and ponder on how we can be more obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.