God's Holy Fire: 'Righteously and Devoutly Waiting'

Simeon is one of my favorite people in the Bible. I love how he was described: "righteous and devout." What a great way to be known and described! And Simeon was doing something I don't like to do: "He was waiting ..." But there was a reason he was waiting: He was going to get to see God's Messiah. As much as we can describe Simeon as righteously and devoutly waiting, a greater truth defines his life: the Holy Spirit. Luke describes the glorious moment when Simeon meets "the Lord's Messiah" (Luke 2:26) in terms of the Holy Spirit's work in Simeon — "the Holy Spirit was on him" (Luke 2:25), "It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit ..." (Luke 2:26), and "Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts" (Luke 2:27), where he encountered Jesus as a baby. Of all the descriptions of Simeon that could apply to me, my deepest hope is that my life will be defined by the gracious presence, transformational power, and holy work of the Spirit of God within me! I thank God for older men and women who have influenced my life and who are like Simeon: righteous and devout, waiting for God's consolation, and influenced in every way by the Spirit's presence.