At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.

( The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” )

Luke 2:25-32

Simeon was one of the first people to see Jesus, his Messiah. We don’t know the details. We don’t know how or when the Holy Spirit told Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died. But we know that he believed Him, and we know that he waited with great anticipation. Perhaps he had only waited a few days for his prophesy to be fulfilled, but since he was an old man, he may have waited for decades. We don’t know how long he waited, but we do know HOW he waited: with eager expectation. He waited, living every day expecting God to put the Hope of the World right in front of his eyes. And He did! 

Do you wait for Jesus’ presence and activity in your life with eager expectation? Could you benefit from a little of Simeon’s hope? You will miss Jesus completely if you live a self-focused life, constantly trying to fit into this world. But when you live a Christ-focused life, you will find Him in big ways, even in the smallest things. You will see Jesus in your life when you are less focused on the meaningless problems of every day and open your eyes to the priorities of heaven—to those around you, to the hurting, and to the lost. Expect Jesus to show up in the middle of your triumphs and your tragedies. Watch for Him! He is your Messiah, the Hope of the World, and He is right in front of your eyes! Take Him in your arms and praise Him! You are loved!