Advent Devotional 2021
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At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was early waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him . . .” Luke 2:25 (NLT)
Expectations can be dangerous. Most are familiar with the experience of “getting our hopes up” only to then feel the pain of unmet expectations. Expectations about what God will or will not do can be the most damaging to our souls. It’s vital to surrender our expectations to our Lord, and filter our expectations through our faith.
Simeon had been living in expectation for years. God had made a promise to him, and He had been eagerly awaiting the rescuer of Israel. He would awaken each day with the awareness that God could keep His promise before sunset.
Then one day, the Spirit led Simeon to an ordinary young couple with their newborn. They had come out of obedience to the Law, and had brought the sacrifices commanded for those who had little money.
But the Holy Spirit had told Simeon a secret that few knew. As he took the baby into his arms, he burst forth with joyful praise of God’s love and mercy. He exclaimed that this baby was the “salvation,” “a light to reveal God to the nations,” and “the glory of your people Israel.” Strong words spoken by a stranger about an infant. How could this be the expected rescuer?
Simeon was fully surrendered to God, and had trusted God daily to keep his expectations in line. He was so in step with the Holy Spirit, that he was open to whatever God would do. His expectations were filtered through his faith.
Likewise, Anna the prophet had expectations that had been filtered through her faith. She had worshipped God at the temple for decades, and knew that He could be trusted. Anna joyfully proclaimed the faithfulness of God, and that Holy expectations would be met by God’s provision of this seemingly ordinary baby boy.
But the parents of Jesus had the more human expectations, despite all that they had experienced. They expected that the twelve-year old Jesus would behave like a “normal” boy. But Jesus needed to be in His Father’s house, desired to learn and discuss His Father’s business, and had His priorities in line. Jesus was surprise that they hadn’t known where He had been, as if “where else would you expect me to be?”
Application: Are our expectations filtered through our faith? How can we align our expectations with God’s intentions?
Brian Ralston
Simeon had been living in expectation for years. God had made a promise to him, and He had been eagerly awaiting the rescuer of Israel. He would awaken each day with the awareness that God could keep His promise before sunset.
Then one day, the Spirit led Simeon to an ordinary young couple with their newborn. They had come out of obedience to the Law, and had brought the sacrifices commanded for those who had little money.
But the Holy Spirit had told Simeon a secret that few knew. As he took the baby into his arms, he burst forth with joyful praise of God’s love and mercy. He exclaimed that this baby was the “salvation,” “a light to reveal God to the nations,” and “the glory of your people Israel.” Strong words spoken by a stranger about an infant. How could this be the expected rescuer?
Simeon was fully surrendered to God, and had trusted God daily to keep his expectations in line. He was so in step with the Holy Spirit, that he was open to whatever God would do. His expectations were filtered through his faith.
Likewise, Anna the prophet had expectations that had been filtered through her faith. She had worshipped God at the temple for decades, and knew that He could be trusted. Anna joyfully proclaimed the faithfulness of God, and that Holy expectations would be met by God’s provision of this seemingly ordinary baby boy.
But the parents of Jesus had the more human expectations, despite all that they had experienced. They expected that the twelve-year old Jesus would behave like a “normal” boy. But Jesus needed to be in His Father’s house, desired to learn and discuss His Father’s business, and had His priorities in line. Jesus was surprise that they hadn’t known where He had been, as if “where else would you expect me to be?”
Application: Are our expectations filtered through our faith? How can we align our expectations with God’s intentions?
Brian Ralston
Prayer Focus: Filtering our expectations through our faith
Community Prayer Focus: Essential workers at Casa De Modesto
Community Prayer Focus: Essential workers at Casa De Modesto
