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. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God… - Luke 2:25-28

The Bible doesn’t say how old Simeon was or how long he had been waiting for the Messiah. But tradition tells us that he was very old man who had been waiting a very long time.

There is something about waiting that often makes us take our eye off the prize. Maybe we convince ourselves that what we were waiting for wasn’t worth the wait. Or we come to the conclusion that God has changed His mind. Perhaps we figure God wasn’t in it to begin with and we must have been mistaken. When that happens we dull our ears to God’s voice.

Simeon didn’t let any of that get in his way. He knew God’s promise and he would have waited however long he needed. Most important of all, Simeon maintained a constant, consistent listening ear for God. The result was that when the time came, Simeon heard God’s whisper and looked for the baby Christ in the temple courts.

Are you listening for God in the midst of waiting? Or are you so missing His voice because you have chosen to stop waiting?

Today’s Prayer
Lord, I am listening. It is my will to do your will no matter how long it takes or how hard it is. I want to see you, so please help me hear you. Amen