Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- December 21, 2010
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Luke 2:25-26
The first Christmas was an exercise in waiting for God, as His people had been anticipating the arrival of Messiah for hundreds of years. They longed and looked for their Lord to come as sovereign ruler and king. But instead, God’s son entered earth in a humble manger, secured by a simple stable.
His parents were not royal or regal, but righteous, yet a little rough around the edges. The ethos of Jesus’ birth was unexpected, but He arrived at just the right time to redeem the souls of men. The Bible says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law…”(Galatians 4:4, NKJV).
God is worth the wait, because He is never late, but seldom is He as early as men may ask. What are you waiting for right now? A job? A wedding? A class? Forgiveness? Peace? Love? Whatever your situation, wait for the Lord to lead you into His opportunities, and, by faith, you will find fulfillment. Waiting for God is worthwhile.
God is worth the wait, because He gets you to where you need to be, without relying on the delay of human hassle. People are pawns in the hand of Providence; so do not trust in them for peace or progress. God will bring just the right relationships and resources into place in His perfect timing. Trust Him to be your provision, for He will provide what you need in the nick of time. You can stare down fear by the inner strength of the Holy Spirit.
Confide in Christ as your confidant, and He will counsel you in the wise way to walk. Wait for God’s best, and, in retrospect, you will have no regrets. Look for Him in humble people and simple situations, as pride and sin seem to over-complicate circumstances. Jesus was worth the wait at His first coming, and He will be worth the wait at His second coming. In the meantime practice His presence in the present.
Prayerfully follow the Holy Spirit’s leading during times of waiting, and you will walk in the ways of the wise. The Bible says this about a saint who profoundly understood waiting for God, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in His time, Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). This Christmas: wait on Christ to show you His next steps for your life.
Where do I need to be patient and wait on God to fulfill His purpose in His timing?
Related Readings: Lamentations 3:25; Acts 1:4; 10:2-22; Titus 2:11-14
Join me and your fellow wisdom hunters, as we walk where Jesus walked in Israel and Egypt, April 27 – May 8, 2011. Visit http://wisdomhunters.com/holyland2011/ for more details. Limited spaces available, deadline to sign up is January 14th
