At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. Luke 2:25
Now comes crunch time. Just 6 more sleeps before Christmas. Everyone is waiting. A big part of the Christmas story, when you stop and think about it, is about waiting. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", the 12th century Latin hymn, speaks of the longing anticipation of God's saving presence and hope.
Waiting, for Christians, is actually twofold. Every year we wait to celebrate the coming of the Messiah, God's Son, Jesus Christ. But this time of advent reminds us we are now waiting for Jesus' second coming.
Waiting is a difficult experience. For children they must wait as they anticipate gifts. As we get older our waiting goes deeper. We wait for hope, peace, joy and love.
Waiting on God is a regular refrain in the life of faith. It is an expression of the healthy heart’s desire: “O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul” (Isaiah 26:8). And it is an echo of the unparalleled power and grace of God, “who acts for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4). (David Mathis in his article "Waiting is the Hardest Part" desiringgod.org)
So we wait: in hope, trust and thanksgiving to God.
Prayer: Renew our strength, O Lord, as we wait upon you to fulfill your kingdom work in our lives and our world.
Gift to others: Allow someone else to get in the shorter line during these final crazy shopping days.
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