Simeon and Anna: Amazing Patience

What an incredible privilege! Simeon, a devout man of Jerusalem, had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before his death. We don’t know how long he waited for this promise to be fulfilled, but we do know that on the day Joseph and Mary took young Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, Simeon was moved by the Holy Spirit to go to the temple courts. There, he saw the child and, taking Jesus in his arms, praised God joyously. Anna, too, received the wonderful gift of seeing the young Savior. Widowed after only seven years of marriage, the prophetess lived at the temple of the Lord, praying and fasting constantly. At the ripe old age of eighty-four, she met the Messiah of the world. Immediately, she gave thanks to the Lord and began telling those around her about the child. What incredible faith and patience they must have had! Simeon wholly believed that what the Holy Spirit had revealed to him was true, and Anna waited for decades before she finally saw the Christ. Their inspiring, yet often overlooked, tales are a testament to the amazing faith and confidence they had in God. Their stories of patience are certainly not the only ones in the Bible. Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Zechariah, and Elizabeth—all these people waited in patience, resting in their faith in the Lord and His promises. As Christians, we are in a season of waiting for our Savior to return. So, as we wait, we can rest in this promise: our Savior will finish what He started (Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). • Aleia Lenz • What are some things you’re currently waiting for? • Why is patience so hard to practice at times? • Read Romans 8. How can these promises from Jesus uphold you while you wait? Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You, too, be patient and stand firm, for the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:7-8 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Luke 2:25-38