We are now past the Christmas day celebration. I have been focusing my devotional reading on some of the passages that deal with Jesus right after His birth. Yesterday I read over the text from Matthew about the wise men who came to bring Jesus gifts and in those gifts foreshadowing the life of Jesus including His death. Today I read from Luke 2 the story of Simeon and Anna and their response to the new born baby, God in the flesh.
The response from Simeon struck me today in a deep and touching way. Simeon responds to seeing Jesus stating, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory to your people Israel". Simeon was prepared to see Jesus. He was waiting his whole life for the coming of God into the world as a baby. Simeon knows now that he can die in peace because he has seen God entering the broken world and preparing His way for salvation. Simeon was prepared and ready for the coming of God. This thought got me thinking in 2 different ways.
First, am I ready for the return of Jesus coming in the clouds? God has promised in Revelation and other places in the Bible that He will one day send Jesus back to earth for His bride, except this time on a white horse with a powerful word. Am I ready for this moment? I believe that God is giving us this info so that we can do our very best to be ready for His return. Have I told everyone I know about this coming day and the grace waiting for them in Jesus? Have I lived my life to inspire others in the church to yearn for this day and be prepared for it too? Have I lead my family and raised my children to also be prepared for Jesus return and helped prepared their souls to meet their creator? Is my life in order for a return to my true home waiting for me to spend eternity with my Savior and have I any regrets that I can set strait now? Those are the questions that got me to think am I prepared to see Jesus like Simeon was?
The second thought I have is, am I prepared to see Jesus work in the world now? Jesus enters the world everyday and makes His presence know. Jesus is working in His church through His chosen people. Jesus, even through my life can make Himself felt. Is my life today prepared for His entering the world? Am I spending time in prayer continually talking with my Savior opening myself to Him and making His name great? Am I saturating myself in the word of God so that I know what to say and how to act so that God will get the praise and glory? Is my life in tune with the Holy Spirit so that I can walk step in step with Jesus and be His presence in the world today? Jesus is making a name for Himself in the world today with or without me, am I prepared to work for Him in the process? Those are some of the questions I had to ask myself when I think of being prepared for Jesus entering the world today.
Jesus is coming back someday and He is daily entering the world through His people. Are we prepared for it like Simeon was prepared for the birth of Jesus many years ago? Simeon could die in peace, can we enter eternity in peace knowing we were prepared for Jesus to?
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