Luke 2:25–27 (NIV84) Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.
So let's look at this for a second. The was a guy, Simeon. He acted like a guy who was sold out to God, because he was. He was waiting for Israel to be lifted up, saved from Rome, released from domination, maybe even awaiting the Messiah. Yea, a Messiah. This Simeon guy had be told by God's Spirit that he would see what he longed for, or who he longed for. He wouldn't die until something happened or began to happen so Israel could be free. Did you get that? God told Him about things. Then he felt this impression, this sensing that he should go to the temple that day. That must not have been weird to him, sensing or being impressed by the Spirit, because in the Greek it simply says he "went in the Spirit" to the temple.
I get the idea that this guy knew God. He knew how to "hear" or "sense" the Spirit of God. He "flowed" or "walked" with the Spirit. It's like this is how he lived his life. He is seemingly insignificant as a Bible character, but maybe not. Maybe like Jabez, he deserves a small book written about him. He heard the assurance of God regarding what he would see before he died and he went to the temple on the exact day at the exact hour that he was supposed to in order to fulfill the assurance or promise he had already received. Are you getting this? Now apply it to your life.
We all want to hear God and we all want individual promises. Simeon was not an aberration. God does that all the time. He also leads us to places too. However we have to spend the time to listen, in order to hear the promise, and we have to actually go where the Spirit is leading us. It is going to challenge your busy schedule. It's going to stretch your faith. It probably will be inconvenient at times. It will take devotion. And then, pure joy will happen.
So let's look at this for a second. The was a guy, Simeon. He acted like a guy who was sold out to God, because he was. He was waiting for Israel to be lifted up, saved from Rome, released from domination, maybe even awaiting the Messiah. Yea, a Messiah. This Simeon guy had be told by God's Spirit that he would see what he longed for, or who he longed for. He wouldn't die until something happened or began to happen so Israel could be free. Did you get that? God told Him about things. Then he felt this impression, this sensing that he should go to the temple that day. That must not have been weird to him, sensing or being impressed by the Spirit, because in the Greek it simply says he "went in the Spirit" to the temple.
I get the idea that this guy knew God. He knew how to "hear" or "sense" the Spirit of God. He "flowed" or "walked" with the Spirit. It's like this is how he lived his life. He is seemingly insignificant as a Bible character, but maybe not. Maybe like Jabez, he deserves a small book written about him. He heard the assurance of God regarding what he would see before he died and he went to the temple on the exact day at the exact hour that he was supposed to in order to fulfill the assurance or promise he had already received. Are you getting this? Now apply it to your life.
We all want to hear God and we all want individual promises. Simeon was not an aberration. God does that all the time. He also leads us to places too. However we have to spend the time to listen, in order to hear the promise, and we have to actually go where the Spirit is leading us. It is going to challenge your busy schedule. It's going to stretch your faith. It probably will be inconvenient at times. It will take devotion. And then, pure joy will happen.
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