Waiting
Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation. Luke 2:29-30
Is waiting for someone or something difficult for you? For most of us, I think it is a challenge. When it comes to God working in our lives, or having prayers answered, waiting gets even harder.
Simeon came daily to the temple and waited. The Holy Spirit had told him he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Lots of baby boys must have come his way, but none was the Messiah. So he waited for God to keep His promise.
How likely was it that Jesus’ parents and this elderly man would meet in a 35-acre temple complex? That wasn’t a problem for the Holy Spirit, who guided a divine encounter between them. Perhaps as Mary cradled the baby Jesus in her arms, Simeon’s heart began to race, when, moved by the Spirit, Simeon approached the couple with sheer joy. As he reached out with his arms, Mary handed the Christ-child to Simeon. All those years of waiting were not wasted time. The fulfillment of history lay living and breathing in his arms.
Waiting is never wasted in God’s eyes. We live in a world addicted to having everything happen “right now.” We rush to the next new movie, book, or gadget to enrich our lives. But Simeon understood the one thing that can change our life for the better. He knew these Old Testament words: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).
Jesus is always worth waiting for.
Lord, calm our anxious hearts and demands for results on our timetable. Help us to wait on You, trusting that Your timing is perfect. In Jesus’ name, Amen.