To What Do You Cling?

…he took him up in his arms and blessed God…. Luke 2:28a

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel…”. Luke 2:34a

At times I have to remind myself, as one who has grown up with the amazing truths of Jesus, that these are real people, who at the time, did not have the gospels to read. I think at times we think that a guy like Simeon, picks up baby Jesus, and looks and sees (like the movies), a tattoo on Jesus’ arm that says he’s the Son of God. For example, you see it all the time in entertainment; a young character is chosen for some monumental task that is to alter the world, and the only way others can identify this special young character is by some identifying mark, or some other outlandish identifier they were born with. Not so with Jesus. As Simeon looks at Jesus, there is nothing to distinguish him from all the other babies that he has seen dedicated in the temple over the years. How did, or what drove him to respond the way he did? Here’s the truth: Martin Luther put it this way, “Often times, we must disregard our senses when contemplating the works of God, and instead cling only to His everlasting Word.” For Simeon, all his senses would tell him that the little baby he held in his arms was just that, and only that. But it wasn’t his senses he clung to. It was God’s word that was given to him that he “would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” In other words, it was God’s Word that by faith became his sight. 

What is that word God has spoken to you personally, that perhaps you have given up on because all your senses tell you it’s not possible? Dear friends, no matter what your senses say, there are times when you must simply hold onto God’s perfect and true Word, and cry out to Jesus to help your unbelief. 

Hold onto His Word today and live in the fullness of His purposes for you!

Out of Love for God

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah....And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.  -- Luke 1:5-7

Have you ever been let down? Have you ever found yourself longing for something that is dear to your heart? For Zachariah and Elizabeth, the gift of children was the pinnacle of blessing. On that culture, the inability to bear children, and to not have a male child was tantamount to disgrace. In other words, for this couple, life hasn’t worked out for them the way they have wanted. But what is so astounding is what we find them doing in spite of it all – Praising God! We find that they still have hearts to serve the Lord. Not because God had given them everything they wanted physically, no, they served out of love for God. Why? They key is in verse six. The scripture declares, “…They were both righteous before God….”  How could they still be moved to serve God in the midst of disappointment in their lives personally? Grace. The grace of God. Were they truly righteous before God on their own? No. They were a couple who experienced the wonder of God’s grace. 

Have you experienced the wonder of God’s grace? Are you serving God right now in order to leverage Him by being good in order to get what you desire? Or, like these two, are you serving God simply out of love for Him, and out of a grateful heart in light of His glorious grace and intentions for you?  You see, it is when we simply seek first the Kingdom of God that everything else gets added. Seek Jesus today. Love Him for who He is, and the grace He has given through the finished work of the cross!