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Here Day 10 Simeon

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Here Day 10 Simeon

Briana Almengor

December 20, 2019

Believe,Called,Deliver,Faith,Gospel,Journey,Legacy,Ordinary,Powerless,Prophecy,Purpose,Redemption,Significance

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 52:13-53:1
Luke 2:22-35
Isaiah 25:1-9

Though I often stumble as I amble because I am an old man,
today I could run like the youth and fly like an eagle. (Isaiah 40:31)

I have seen the salvation of my people!
He came in flesh, wrapped in linen, carried by a virgin. 

Oh, the miraculous grace of my Lord!
Oh, His kindness that He gave sight to my faith. 
Oh, the wonder of how this baby will save my people and more than I can imagine. 
Oh, the heartache his mother will bear, his father will not be able to spare her from. 

I endured a fitful night of sleep, woke early, and felt I must go to the temple right away as the Spirit led me. As I watched precious parents parade into the temple with lambs, or turtledoves and pigeons for those of meager means, I spotted Him and my heart quickened as God’s Spirit moved within me, opening my eyes to see His Promised One.

I stood for a few moments, taking in the scene before me. So long have I waited. So long have I prayed. Shamefully I recall my doubt when the years stretched on without answer. Yet, despite my doubt, the Lord has proven faithful. Tears stream unabashedly down my beard as my eyes drank in the long-awaited sight of the Messiah.
His mother so attentive to His cry, His father so attentive to His mother, and I marveled at the miracle of it all. 

The Messiah!
How many have waited for this day right along with me, and yet, as I looked around at the crowd, my heart broke with agony.

They do not know! The ONE we have waited generations for is here, in our midst! Yet, they carry on. Oh Lord, make them see, I breathed.

The priest accepted their offering, 2 turtledoves, the offering marked out for the poorest of the poor. (Leviticus 12:8) Emotion flooded me as I realized Yahweh’s powerful grandeur lay before me wrapped in peasant flesh. Here. He was here with us.

And suddenly, overwhelmed by the Spirit, I moved forward with eyes only for the small, poor, sacred family of three as they left the altar. I approached, gently inquiring if I might prophesy over their child. They eagerly handed Him over as though they knew already what I was going to say. Had they been visited, too? Did they know Whose tiny fingers gripped theirs? Did they see how the One who held all things together was now being held by them? Unfathomable!

Nevertheless, I took this boy, just eight days old, raised him in the air and proclaimed by the Spirit,
         Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have
         seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—a light for
         revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.        

I returned the boy to His parents, having held the Author of Life in my hands. Though my tongue had now stilled from the Spirit’s work, my heart continued in prayer as my soul lifted to heights I’d never experienced.
The wait was over, Hope was here!

Yes, this baby will bring joy, peace, and salvation, but His life will also perplex, anger, and confuse others. He will not rise on the accolades of all, nor fall from the targeted anger of those He offends, but He will live out His destiny. 

And now I have lived out mine. You promised, my God, that my faith would be given sight. You promised I would see Your Salvation.
You promised I would see the Messiah.
You promised, and though it felt like I might have misheard you at times for the longing of it, and the waiting for it, You have kept your promise. You have kept Your word.
You are faithful!

Here I am, an old man fulfilled in your kept word. 
Here I am, a man whose life has been devoted wholly to you, satisfied and finding it all worth it. 

The questioning, the doubting, the mocking at times by my own? 
All worth it. 
You kept your word. 
You are worthy. 

For those who have yet to experience You and Your faithfulness,
may Your grace be upon them. 

For sweet Mary, whose heart will near break in two at the fulfillment of your word,
may Your grace be upon her. 

For Joseph, just a man called to raise the Son of Man,
may Your grace be upon him.

For all those who will question the life of this baby, the far-reaching grace of His life,
may Your grace be upon them to believe. 

For those who will be questioned in their belief because they do not fit the mold of your Promised people,
may Your grace be upon them to persevere in hope.

For those who will condemn and betray this Messiah because He is not who they want Him to be, may Your grace be upon their souls. 

Have mercy, dear God, upon all
just as You have had mercy on me. 

And, now, I am at peace.
However much longer my days, I know a peace that nothing can pierce for my hope has been realized. Give this peace to all who may look upon the eyes and life of this baby and hope as I have, now, and for all time to come.  Amen.

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Here Day 10
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Simeon shows us how we should await this second arrival, with faith, patiently, yet expectantly anticipating His return. We should be ready just as Simeon was ready. Simeon’s faith in God and His character wasn’t in vain, and should give us assurance that God will once again keep His promise. The return we are awaiting will happen in all the glory that Christ has promised. He has not left us here forever, there is something better waiting, just as there was something better waiting for Simeon.
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Prayer Day 8 Forgive Us

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 6:12-14
Matthew 9:1-8
Psalm 32:1-7
Exodus 34:6-8
Ephesians 4:31-5:2 

Prayer, Day 8

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) 

There are some concepts that are easily grasped, and there are others that are difficult and may take quite a bit of additional effort to adopt.
In my humble opinion, forgiveness is at the top of the list.

A friend of mine asked a very important question regarding this concept,
“Why do some people find it hard to forgive?”
Well, forgiveness isn’t always straightforward friends; it is as nuanced as the individuals involved on either side. Forgiveness takes effort and intention, often meaning that the end result may simply take time.
Maybe if we let ourselves off the hook by thinking of forgiveness as a journey,
rather than a destination to be reached,
we can release some of the difficultly associated with it. 

Our central verse is at the heart of a teachable moment Jesus is having with the disciples who have just asked him how they should pray. The prayer ends with Jesus’ plea for forgiveness of debts, but not just forgiveness on its own.
It is coupled with,
and dependent upon,
the action of the pray-er.

“And forgive us of our debts,” Jesus says,
“as we have also forgiven our debtors.”

Jesus has instructed His disciples to
1.) forgive others
2.) then ask God for our forgiveness
3.) repeat as necessary.

Forgiveness is one of the bookends of the model prayer,
which places it at a high importance for how we should model our lives.
Why exactly would Jesus end the prayer with forgiveness rather than begin with it? Maybe He wanted it to be the last thing they heard.
Maybe it held the greatest weight.  

Forgiveness is mentioned in various forms (forgive, forgiven, forgiveness, forgiving) in the Bible many times (at least 150 times).
Why?
Because forgiveness is at the root of restoration and healing.

A man who came to Jesus for physical healing, found himself hearing that his sins had been forgiven (Matthew 9:2).
A woman caught in the act of adultery and brought before Jesus, realized she had been restored, when He told her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11, ESV).
Jesus Himself embodied and represented to us the ultimate act of forgiveness in our restoration at Calvary, when He pleaded with His Father to “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. (Luke 23:34) 

Forgiveness is also about relationship.
Peter needed some clarity on this also. In Matthew 18:21 (NIV), he asks Jesus how many times he must forgive someone (most translations say brother or sister) who has sinned against him. He throws out what he probably feels is an acceptable number: Seven. Jesus counters back and astonishes all within earshot, that he would need to multiply that number times 70 (verse 22).
Why?
Because we shouldn’t be able to keep count of the times we are called to forgive others, unless we are willing to have God do the same for us. 

Forgiveness is the work of a lifetime, and it frees us from emotional bondage. Sometimes it is immediate, and sometimes years pass before we can admit to ourselves, and to others, that we have forgiven them. I must raise my hand and admit that I am still struggling with how this practically looks and feels in my life. This rings especially true in areas of great vulnerability for me such as friendships and family relationships.
I have given myself grace, because that’s what God does for me. 

Just as Jesus calls us to forgive others before we ask forgiveness for ourselves, He reminds us that we are only able to forgive because we have been forgiven much. Our sinful nature places us precariously in the line of righteous judgement, but God through the blood of our advocate Jesus Christ, extends forgiveness to us.
How can we not do the same for others?

We would be no better than the wicked servant Jesus describes in
Matthew 18:23-35.
The man was forgiven much more than he could repay,
but refused to offer that same forgiveness to his brother, who owed him little. 

Sisters, I do not in any way want to trivialize the hurt we encounter along life’s journey.
I want you to know God doesn’t either.

In fact, Psalm 56:8 lets us know how important our pain is to Him.
He keeps track of our sorrow,
He collects our tears in a bottle and records them in a book.
What a loving God! 

There are some events and people that may seem beyond forgiveness,
yet forgiveness isn’t just for them, it’s also (often to a great degree) for us.

I can tell you what un-forgiveness is like.
It’s a prison of your own making.
Work toward forgiveness daily, being mindful of how you have been forgiven,
and renew your commitment to forgive even if it hurts – actually as often as it hurts.
We’re in this together! 

Forgiveness is still working in and through me seventy times seven.
What about you? 

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Woven Day 14 The Good Shepherd: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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1 Samuel 16:1-12 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.”

2 Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!”

The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.”

4 Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?”

5 “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him.”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

8 Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. 9 Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” 10 After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” 11 Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” 12 So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance.

Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”

The Questions

1) Why did the Lord reject Saul?

2) What is the significance of the phrase, “…humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart”?

3) Why was the youngest son not included in the festivities until after all of his brothers had been presented to Samuel?

The Findings for Intention

1) Why did the Lord reject Saul?
In just the previous chapter, 1 Samuel 15, we read of the Lord’s command to Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites. The Lord was issuing forth justice for their sneaky, from-behind attack on the Israelites as they journeyed through the Promised Land many generations previously. The Life Application Study Bible notes that “God knew that the Israelites could never live peacefully in the Promised Land as long as the Amalekites existed. He also knew that their corrupt, idolatrous religious practices threatened Israel’s relationship with him. The only way to protect the Israelites’ bodies and souls was to utterly destroy the people of this warlike nation and all their possessions, including their idols.” However, Saul did not completely destroy the Amalekite nation; he returned with their king, Agag, and many animals. When Samuel confronted Saul about his disobedience to God’s command, Saul tried to lie his way out of trouble by saying the animals were for sacrifice. This was not the first act of disobedience, though. Samuel had given instructions to Saul in chapter 10 which included going to Gilgal and waiting seven days for Samuel to come and sacrifice offerings (1 Samuel 10:8). Saul followed the instructions to the point of going to Gilgal. But he did not wait for Samuel to arrive; he sacrificed the burnt offering himself, which was against God’s laws. Only the priest was allowed to sacrifice. In short, Saul was rebellious and stubborn, and his heart was not seeking after God. He insisted on putting himself before God.

2) What is the significance of the phrase, “…humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart”?
Saul was tall and handsome (1 Samuel 9:2), appearing to be capable of being a great king. But he was impulsive and self-serving. As Samuel was presented with Jesse’s sons, he was struck by the physical appearance of the first and thought Eliab must be God’s anointed.
Ironically, the son of Jesse who was anointed by God to be Israel’s next king was indeed handsome with beautiful eyes, as the text states. Good looks must have run in the family. But, looks weren’t what mattered; what set David apart was his heart for God.

3) Why was the youngest son not included in the festivities until after all of his brothers had been presented to Samuel?
Truly, there is no clear answer to this question. One can only speculate that Jesse didn’t consider David worthy. Thomas Constable’s note from www.studylight.org suggests this may have been the case, referencing Psalm 27:10 where David wrote of his parents forsaking him. In the social structure of ancient Jewish culture, shepherds were not high society. (Think about the Christmas story, in which the angels visited the shepherds first, which was regarded with shock because they were lowest-class.) It is possible that Jesse never thought to include David because he believed a shepherd boy could never be king.

The Everyday Application

1) Why did the Lord reject Saul?
The text says that Saul was rejected “because He did not believe the word of the Lord.” (I Samuel 15:22-23), and the same is true for us. When we do not believe the Lord for who He has proven Himself to be, when we choose to trust ourselves over the God of the Universe, we leave God no option but to reject us! The writer of Hebrews says it like this, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6) Saul was disobedient to the Lord’s Word again and again, and in that disobedience, Saul shunned the Lord with everything he had, choosing himself over God. Ladies, let us be very careful here! God does not require all your “boxes” of “good things” checked off in order to please Him, but He does require your faith. Your willingness to choose Him over yourself. In what areas are you already doing well in this? Consider some areas where you are holding onto your own way, instead of surrendering to His.

2) What is the significance of the phrase, “…humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart”?
As humans, it is so natural to make snap judgments about situations or people based on what we see. We don’t have supernatural power to discern the heart of someone at first glance, only the Lord does. In the case of David, the text amplifies the fact that God is all-knowing, even into the very core of someone’s heart. Though it’s so tempting to make flippant judgements about another, discipline yourself to pause, and remember that it’s only the Lord who sees and knows not only their heart, but yours. Determine to give others the benefit of the doubt in your relationships, praying for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to new perspectives.

3) Why was the youngest son not included in the festivities until after all of his brothers had been presented to Samuel?
No doubt about it, David was the least likely to become king, no matter who was sizing him up, even his own father. But how the Lord, who knows the intimacies of our hearts, delights in using the least to bring about His greatest! Jesus used 1 boy and his small lunch to feed thousands, 12 un-popular, un-educated men to launch the New Testament Church, countless other real-life stories, and He still loves to use the least! Your gifts, your talents, your heart’s passions, God has a specific intention for each of them. When we choose obedience to His Word and faith in Him, trusting that He truly does have the power to use our “least” for “much”, He will use us to bring Him glory! (Which also happens to bring us extreme satisfaction and delight as well!) Where are you struggling with your “least”? Where are you worried that you aren’t “enough” for God to use you? Pray deeply over these, surrender them in faith to the Father who sees your heart!
*Written by Rebecca Chartier and Rebecca Adams

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Woven Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Woven!