Righteous - Devout - Watching - Filled - A great testimony!

March 10th, 2023
by Steve Marshall

January 25, 2019

Hey GCT: God loves it when His people live holy and righteous lives in the ordinary, mundane routine days, months and years that we live. This week as we pick back up in Luke 2, we meet Simeon. A man that shows up in the story of the Gospel and then leaves as quickly as he arrives. We do not know much about him but he is righteous, devout, watching for the Messiah and the Holy Spirit was upon him (Luke 2:25). That would be a tremendous testimony to have as a believer. Do you know what devout means? Devout means committed, fervent, heartfelt. We don’t know Simeon’s occupation because it does not matter. It does not matter if he was a tent maker, shepherd, carpenter, or fill in the blank. What matters to God is that he was righteous, devout, watching for the Messiah and used by the Holy Spirit. This kind of life was counter-cultural to the society that he lived in. It was even counter-cultural for those in Israel. He was most likely a senior adult. Simeon was a very important witness to recognize and affirm that Jesus was the Messiah. The Senior Citizen Simeon was used by God at affirm Jesus as the Son of God. Simeon had a great task given to him that he worked hard to fulfill even late in his life.

The Gospel story gets sweeter and sweeter as we study Luke. Pause and think about the people and their ages in the Gospel story so far.
Zechariah - Older righteous man
Elizabeth - Older righteous woman
Mary - Young righteous girl
Joseph - Young righteous boy
Simeon - Older righteous man
Anna - Really old righteous woman (Coming Next Week)

66.7% of those listed are most likely above the age of 75 years old. God has great plans for all of His people no matter their age. There is no retirement from being His obedient people, the household of God, His Church as He seeks to use all of us no matter what our age.

Are you pursuing to Iive righteous and devout lives for Christ today?
Have you retired from God’s work?
Are you watching faithfully for the return of the Messiah?
Are you living in the power of the Holy Spirit?

Let our testimony be Righteousness - Devout - Watching - Holy Spirit led lives at any age.

I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday! - Steve

2 Comments

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Otto - February 2nd, 2025 at 3:31am

Where does it say that Simeon was old? All I read is that he was righteous and devout. Thanks.

- February 2nd, 2025 at 1:52pm

Luke 2:25-32: "Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

n

n 29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

n according to your word;

n 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation

n 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

n 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

n and for glory to your people Israel.”