25-32In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God: God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I've seen your salvation; it's now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel.
33-35Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother, This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel, A figure misunderstood and contradicted— the pain of a sword-thrust through you— But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are.
36-38Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:25-38 found in the Bible
Hope: To desire something with some confidence of fulfillment. A desire supported by some confidence in its fulfillment. A ground for expectation. To look forward. Expectation. Confidence. Anticipation. "Be joyful in hope..." Romans 12:12 "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 "..my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:5b
-
We finished up our series Just Walk Across The Room this past Sunday. The finishing of the series is really the beginning of the living of ...
-
Thursday, May 3, 2007 is National Day of Prayer in the U.S. May we spend time throughout the whole day in prayer for our nation. May we bles...
-
Click on the link and begin to pray. 18 Things To Pray For Your Church
No comments:
Post a Comment