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Advent Devotional - December 10, 2014

“Israel’s strength and consolation / Hope of all the earth Thou art / Dear desire of every nation /  Joy of every longing heart”

-Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

In the time of the “long expected Jesus’” birth, God’s chosen people of Israel were living the ultimate dream deferred under the oppressive rule of a godless regime with centuries separating them from the last inspired prophetic writing.

In desperate need of strength and comfort, it would have been easy to lose hope and perform the choreography of religious ritual. But a hope rooted in the Lord, though not exempt from difficulty, is a joyful hope. In Luke 2, we are told “there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon Him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

The number of years Simeon waited for Christ isn’t recorded, but in obedience to the Spirit, Simeon went to the temple on the same day that Mary and Joseph brought their infant son, Jesus, to the temple in obedience to the law. There Simeon not only saw the incarnate Word, he held the fulfillment of all the law and prophets in his arms. In the overwhelming completion of a promise, he joyfully proclaimed, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

Today, we as God’s people again wait for consolation. Paul writes in Romans, “we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Let’s wait like Simeon—eagerly, expectantly, obediently, watchfully, hopefully, joyfully.