“Now I can die in peace…I have seen the Savior.” Lk 2:29-30 The Bible says: “There was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout…and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come…The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Lord, now I can die in peace…I have seen the Savior’” (See Lk 2:25-34 NLT). The story of Simeon teaches us three important truths:
- No matter how long it takes, if you seek the Lord you will find Him. Or better yet, He will find you and reveal Himself to you.
- God, not you, chooses the time and the manner in which He will come to you. Simeon didn’t get to see Christ’s amazing ministry during His three and a half years on earth. He only saw a newborn baby in Mary’s arms. But he saw God, and that was enough for him.
- Even though he was “very devout,” Simeon realized that he was ready to die only when he met the Lord and embraced Him. Some of us don’t want to die until we’ve seen the world; Simeon didn’t want to die until he had seen the Redeemer of the world. So the question you must answer is—have you met the Lord? Is He your personal Savior? Only when you have the right answer, are you ready to die.
Meditation: Don’t worship God to gain His benefits— you already have them
By: Dr. Shine David
