Simeon and Anna Were Waiting For Me

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

July 23, 2019

Simeon and Anna Were Waiting For Me

Page 22-23

Luke 2:22-38

In my meditation on July 18, 2019, I noted how the Holy Spirit was working in the birth of Jesus and John, as well as in the lives of Zachariah, Elizabeth, and Mary. In today’s reading, we learn that the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, and that on the day of the purification offering, the Spirit led him to the Temple. We also meet Anna, a prophet, who stayed in the Temple day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. Although the text does not specifically say the Holy Spirit was upon her, it is clearly implied. In the Gospel of Luke, there are more than twenty references to the Holy Spirit inspiring and leading God’s people. I will do well to spend time pondering the extent I believe the Holy Spirit is upon me.  Equally important is contemplating how I distinguish the Holy Spirit’s leading from my own way of living. Simeon models for us that God’s ways are not our ways.

Jesus said Simeon had been “waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel” (Luke 2:25). Because Simeon was led by the Spirit, upon seeing Jesus, he prayed, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:29-30). For me, Simeon’s prayer is one of the most profound leaps of faith recorded in the Bible. The time of the purification offering was forty days after Jesus’ birth. Simeon looked at a child just forty days old and knew he was the Messiah and that God was fulfilling His promise to save Israel.  

My Takeaway: Today’s reading is a reminder for me to guard against thinking I know the what, when and how of God’s actions. If I am not careful, I can become rigid in my expectations. If I do, I’ll become like the many in Israel who missed the Messiah, because they were looking for something else.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2019 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.