Reflection: What are you waiting for? What is not fulfilled in your life? What are you waiting for concerning hope and fulfilment?
Waiting can be a dangerous time. You can be tempted to give up on God and walk away from faith. When the Hebrew people gave up waiting for Moses and his God, they built themselves a golden calf—and ended up worshipping it and their own ideas. It is the oldest folly of humankind and many still do it today.
The Christmas story mentions two extraordinary people: Simeon and Anna. Both were very old. Both had seen the worst behaviour of religious leaders (with John Hyrcanus and Aristobulus II squabbling over who should be High Priest).
And yet, crucially, neither of them allowed the folly of the world’s events to blunt their hope. Both Simeon and Anna died, having seen Jesus––the hope of the world.
Please don’t die without having found Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Father,
I never want to give up on you, your truth, or your hope. Please keep me safe through this life so that I might finish well, and hear you say, “well done.”