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JUNE 2, 2011
THE SPIRIT’S WORK
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the
Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the
parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God… (Luke 2:25-27, NIV)
Many who follow Christ do so with the plain view of Jesus before their eyes. After all, His story is right there in the
Gospels, episode upon episode, teaching upon teaching.
But when it comes to the Holy Spirit, many believers are as mystified as when a modern golfer holds a 2-iron in his
hands, wondering what to make of that tiny, thin clubface.
Most know that the Spirit is represented in Scripture by wind, in all its unpredictable characterization.
Indeed, the Bible’s original languages offer Hebrew (ruach) and Greek (pneuma) words that can mean wind, breath, mind and spirit. That’s a combination with a lot of breadth, leaving little wonder that it can be hard to know what the
Spirit is up to in our lives.
But the brief description of the life of Simeon is very informative.
Here was a man whose heart wanted what God had promised: the consolation of Israel through the Messiah. We are told, as
was often the case of Old Testament leaders and prophets, that the Holy Spirit was “upon him.” Here was a man specially chosen for God’s insight.
Note two key aspects from Simeon’s late life:
- It had been specifically revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had personally
witnessed the Messiah.
- When the Messiah had come in the form of the child Jesus, the Holy Spirit specifically prompted Simeon to go to the
temple that day, in order that he might see Jesus and praise God for the child who would be the consolation of Israel.
Now let’s put some pieces together. The Holy Spirit no longer comes upon one person here and another there.
Rather, the result of the Pentecost at Jerusalem after the ascension of Jesus was that the prophecy of Joel was fulfilled: the Spirit was poured out on all people, men and women, young and old. That
means that if you have declared believing allegiance to Jesus, you have the same Spirit in you that rested on Simeon.
And because that Spirit is God never-changing, you can anticipate specific revelation from the Holy Spirit for your
life and specific prompting from the Holy Spirit as you are attentive to His voice. This may not be a frequent occurrence, but it is something we must always anticipate.
This does not, perhaps, make the work of the Spirit in you any less mysterious. After all, our God is far beyond us; we
will never nail Him down. But it does allow you to recognize that God works in ways that guide us, in the same way that He has guided so many other men and women in His kingdom.
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Jeff Hopper
June 2, 2011
Copyright 2011 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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