“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Luke 2:25-26

Waiting for the Consolation

Waiting is a part of my life and when it seems fair, somehow that makes it is easier to do. I wait in line without complaint (mostly) because I got there after the people ahead of me. Waiting on God, who is all powerful and could give me what He promised at any time, is more difficult. Why?

Look at Simeon. The Word says he was just, or righteous, and he was a devout follower of God. The Holy Spirit was upon him, which meant he heard the Lord speak, and God had promised him he would not see death before he had seen the Messiah.

The Word doesn’t mention how long he had waited, but tradition says he was 113 years old. If it were me, in my 20’s, 30’s and 40’s I would wait excitedly. In my my 50’s and 60’s I would wait contently. In my 70’s and 80’s I would wait expectantly and as I began to outlive all my peers I would start to look for the Christ more often. I wonder at what age he had doubts. 90? 100? 110?

By age 113, I imagine he still believed the promise, but the recitation of it had worn thin. I’m sure there were moments when he wondered if he heard God correctly. Perhaps he even asked God, “Are you going to have me live forever?”

Why is it hard to wait on God? Because we forget that He is good.

If you knew the ideal time for God to answer your prayer was in one year, would you trust Him for that? Would you worry less? If you knew it was at age 113, would it make the waiting easier? Can you trust Him today that He has the perfect time picked out to do the work He has planned in your life?

Psalm 27:13 says, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lordin the land of the living.”

 “Lord, help us wait patiently for You. You have said You will come again, and we wait for that. Help us to wait on You for all things in our lives. Amen.”