God's Holy Fire: 'Righteously and Devoutly Waiting'

Saturday, December 23, 2023

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 on him.
— Luke 2:25 NIV

Key Thought

Simeon is one of my favorite people in the Bible. I love how he was described: "righteous and devout." What a great way to be known and described! And Simeon was doing something I don't like to do: "He was waiting ..." But there was a reason he was waiting: He was going to get to see God's Messiah. As much as we can describe Simeon as righteously and devoutly waiting, a greater truth defines his life: the Holy Spirit. Luke describes the glorious moment when Simeon meets "the Lord's Messiah" (Luke 2:26) in terms of the Holy Spirit's work in Simeon — "the Holy Spirit was on him" (Luke 2:25), "It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit ..." (Luke 2:26), and "Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts" (Luke 2:27), where he encountered Jesus as a baby. Of all the descriptions of Simeon that could apply to me, my deepest hope is that my life will be defined by the gracious presence, transformational power, and holy work of the Spirit of God within me! I thank God for older men and women who have influenced my life and who are like Simeon: righteous and devout, waiting for God's consolation, and influenced in every way by the Spirit's presence.

Today's Prayer

Father of mercies, God of all compassion, make Jesus known in me and through me so that others may know that Jesus has come. May others accept Jesus because his character and compassion are seen in the way I live my life as I am led by your Spirit. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Comments

Archived Facebook Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Saturday, December 23, 2023

Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Rabbi Harold Kushner:
"When you carry out acts of kindness, you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, "Yes, this is how I ought..."
What Jesus Did!
A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
'Rich with Grace' (Lk. 23:44-46)
"By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the..."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'No Distinctions' (Co. 3:5-10)
"Dear Father, Let me live in the light of your truth about myself - that my old nature has been put off, with its baggage of practices, and that I..."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
John 1:1
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Illustration

Illustration of Luke 2:25 NIV — 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 on him.

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations