A journalist assigned to the Jerusalem bureau takes an apartment overlooking the Wailing Wall. Every day when she looks out, she sees an old Jewish man praying vigorously. So, the journalist goes down and introduces herself to the old man.
She asks, “You come every day to the wall. How long have you done that, and what are you praying for?” The old man replies, “I have come here to pray every day for 25 years. In the morning I pray for world peace and then for the brotherhood of man. I go home, have a cup of tea, and I come back and pray for the eradication of illness and disease from the earth.”
The journalist is amazed. “How does it make you feel to come here every day for 25 years and pray for these things?” she asks. The old man looks at her sadly. “Like I’m talking to a wall.”
Simeon was another devout Jewish man who had been waiting for years to see Israel’s Messiah. Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation (comfort) of Israel. Luke 2:2 He was part of a community of faithful people in Israel who were patiently waiting and keeping the hope alive that their Messiah would come.
We all have waited for something
Simeon waited for decades, but if he had given up on waiting he would have missed the moment God had ordained. I don’t know how long you will have to wait for something, but what does matters is who you are becoming while you are waiting. Like Simeon, we hope for a new day or a new beginning. Over six hundred years before Simeon the prophet Isaiah encouraged Israel with these words.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19
Since we all need hope and comfort in our lives then we’ll want to learn from Simeon’s song of redemption. God entered human history to bring light to a very dark and broken world through the birth of His son. God invaded our world to occupy the human heart. He does not need our money, looks, talent, connections, clout or fame. Those things just kind of get in the way.
In ‘Mary’s Magnificant she sang, “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” Luke 1:53 You see humility is honesty. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:8 We don’t have anything to give Him that He needs, but he does want to occupy our heart and once he does He desires to take up more territory.
God kept His promise that he would send the Messiah.
When you place your hope in God’s faithfulness to keep His promises you’ll discover that what’s important is who you are becoming while you wait. Billy Graham was interviewed about his new book ‘Nearing Home’ and was asked, “What has been the biggest surprise of your life?”Billy’s response,”Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life. I’ve been told how to die as a Christian, but no one told me how to grow old.”
When Billy’s wife died she what she chose to put on her gravestone had nothing to do with all her remarkable achievements, it had to do with the fact that as long as we live God will be working on us while we wait.
In this life we all wait, we’re all under construction.
Don’t lose heart, don’t give up! The glorious invasion of earth by the Lord Jesus that began two thousand years ago is not done, it continues. He’ll occupy more hearts and homes and we get to be part of it!
Will you sing a song of redemption along with Simeon while you wait, one that is filled with hope in the promises of God? As we learned from our four songs of winter sung over the centuries, God’s greatness and His undeserved grace is big enough to meet our needs!
We have much reason to sing even the winters of our discontent.
God sent His Son as prophesied and because he has proven Himself faithful to keep His promises He will come again as he said! While we wait may we proclaim His grace and peace to those around us this season and every day. If you haven’t made room for Him ask Him to occupy your heart and you’ll finally really come home.
