Looking for Jesus - Greg Laurie Devotion - December 23, 2021
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Looking for Jesus
“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” (Luke 2:29-31 NLT).
I don’t know about you, but waiting is not something that I like to do. I am, by nature, an impatient person. My wife (who is very patient, by the way) can attest to this.
We’re all waiting for Christmas, but for children especially, it’s really difficult to wait. They’re filled with anticipation. The Bible tells the story about someone who was waiting for the first Christmas. His name was Simeon, and he was living a godly life at a time when the people of Israel had turned from the Lord in many ways.
They hadn’t heard from the Lord for hundreds of years. Not a single prophet had spoken in the name of the Lord. Not one miracle had been performed. There hadn’t been any angelic appearances. But suddenly the time was right. Everything was set in place.
The Lord had revealed to Simeon that he wouldn’t die until he saw the Messiah, and Simeon held on to the promises of God. Then one day, Simeon saw Mary and Joseph walking into the temple with the baby Jesus, and he knew who they were. How did he know? It’s because Simeon spent time in prayer, and God reveals things to those who seek Him.
The Bible tells us that 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 2:28-32 NLT).
Just as godly Simeon was eagerly waiting for Jesus to come the first time, we should be eagerly waiting for Jesus to come the second time, because the Bible says that He is coming back again to this earth. The first time, Jesus came to this earth in a manger. But the second time, He will come in glory.
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