At this time a man named Simeon was living in Jerusalem. Simeon was a good man. He loved God and was waiting for God to save the people of Israel. God’s Spirit came to him and told him that he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:25-26 (CEV)
Simeon had been told by God that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. So he was waiting; he kept his eyes open.
I’m sure he did other things, such as working. He wasn’t at the temple constantly (Luke 2:27), but always he was watching. As the Living Bible translation says, he was “constantly expecting the Messiah to come soon.”
Simeon was always watching, always looking, always living in expectancy of the arrival of his King.
We should be like that. Yes, Jesus has already come, already saved us, but He’s coming again. And He (or His Spirit at least) is here with us now. He’s at work, constantly moving around us. Are we watching?
Whatever we’re doing, whenever we’re doing it–are we keeping an eye out for the Lord and His acts? Are we constantly expecting His return, constantly living with that excitement?
Throughout our days, are we looking and searching for ways Messiah moves around us? Are we eagerly waiting to see Him?
Simeon waited for years before he got to see the fulfillment of God’s promise to him–but he waited faithfully, and he got to see as well as hold the Redeemer of mankind, the Deliverer from sin, the Conqueror of Satan.
God always keeps His promises; not a single one has been broken. He said He will provide for us, will deliver us, will work in mighty ways. So are we living with our eyes peeled? Watching to find Him, even in the ordinary or what seems to be coincidence?
Will we be able to say, as Simeon did, “With my own eyes I have seen what you have done…” (Luke 2:30, CEV)?
