Christmas Is for You: Joyful, patient, faithful—he was all three
Some Christians have a life verse that serves as a foundation and light for their daily lives. I have a friend, for example, who has memorized Romans 12:12. He repeats it to himself every day: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” I was so taken with what the simple sentence could mean to me that I made it the lock screen on my cell phone.
That means I see the verse several times each day. Sometimes I pause long enough to think what it could mean for the situation I’m facing that moment. Can I rekindle hope that the Lord will fulfill his promises to nurture those who love him? Will I remain patient despite seeing the afflictions of my wife’s illnesses? And if I’m facing temptation or sadness or disappointment or shame, will I seek our loving God in prayer?
Sometimes I fail on all three counts. So I’ve decided not to replace the verse on my phone; there’s nothing I see more than its illuminated screen, and there’s no admonition I need more as we approach another Christmas and a year ahead of unknowns.
It’s interesting to consider what this sentence could have meant to the aged Simeon we meet in today’s text. His life illustrates the verse, even though it wasn’t even written till decades after today’s incident happened.
He had been moved by hope in God’s promise that he would live to see the Lord’s Messiah. He had experienced the afflictions of old age and the burdens of living under pagan, authoritarian rule. But he never gave up on prayer, never turned his back on the God he trusted to fulfill his promise.
His example challenges us to similar faithfulness. We have far more reason for faith than Simeon had. The fulfillment of God’s prophecies Simeon noted had just begun when he took Jesus in his arms. Since then, we’ve seen not only how God humbled himself to become a vulnerable baby, but also how this baby, his Son, died a criminal’s death, and then left his grave and returned to Heaven. He has sent his Holy Spirit to give us comfort and wisdom as we face the challenges of our loved one’s decline.
We have good reason to remain “joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.” Bolstered by the example of Simeon, the testimony of Scripture, and the evidence of God’s presence in our lives, we move forward. Just like the old man Simeon, we, too, praise God.
Read: Luke 2:22-35
Pray: Thank you, Lord, for faithful believers like Simeon who trust you to be and do all you’ve promised. Help me this week to demonstrate that kind of faith myself.
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