The Reason To Be Hopeful (#ChooseHope 2023)

We are preventing Jesus’s birth remembrance from getting extinguished by events, so we fight back. Jesus gives us hope!

Simeon was described as “righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 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” (Luke 2:25-26). Simeon was hopefully waiting for the promised Messiah!

After the time for purification, Joseph, Mary and Jesus traveled “to Jerusalem to present [Jesus] to the Lord…and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord…And [Simeon] 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, [Simeon] took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

            ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant

depart in peace,

                 according to your word;

            for my eyes have seen your salvation

                 that you have prepared in the presence

                        of all peoples,

            a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

                 and for glory to your people Israel” (vv.22-24, 27-32).

We don’t know how long Simeon had been waiting for Jesus or how old he was when he met Jesus, but we know he had hope. He trusted God in the fulfillment of His Word.

Can we still have hope amidst the dark circumstances in our lives? Jesus is saying “Yes!” He promised His followers, “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). Jesus is coming back for His people and our hopeful waiting will be rewarded with us dwelling with Him!

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Luisa Collopy, is the author of What Women Can Do When Life Falls Apart and When a Man Loves a Woman, and co-author of Thrive: Journey into Grace and Garden of God’s Grace with Darlene Sala and Bonnie Sala. She also produces Mula sa Puso, a daily three-minute Tagalog program heard over select FEBC Philippine stations and twr360.org.

Using her voice for chapter readings of the Book of Psalms for Cru’s her.Bible project, Luisa is always open to work with other ministries to help spread the Gospel. She also teaches a home Bible study for women.

Luisa loves hanging out with her family over meals and karaoke. She is also enjoying her new role as grandma to Josef Leif!