What happens when a seeking God finds a seeking man? Simeon was such a man. Scripture tells us that God revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. At the circumcision of Jesus, Simeon arrives. As he gazed into the eyes of baby Jesus, he spoke these words, “Lord, you can let me die in peace. I have seen your Messiah.”…

Because Anna faithfully lived in the spiritual presence of God every day, she was rewarded with the physical presence of God in the baby Jesus. This gift of Jesus’ physical presence, promised to every believer (John 14:1-4), is Heaven. Being and dwelling with Jesus forever is what every believer waits for…

Anna is different from all the characters in the nativity. She doesn’t learn of Jesus’ birth through angels or stars. She happens to overhear Simeon’s prophecy while she is working in the temple. But this isn’t accidental because Anna was always in the temple. Verse 37 says she served God night and day. Even though she was a widow at a young age, she never remarried, moved in with family, or had a career. She wanted more than anything to be in the presence of God every moment. So she moved to where He was and spent her life working in the temple…

It’s incredibly distressing to have an ailment for which there’s no known cure. Even more frustrating is having an ailment for which there is a cure, but you have no way of accessing it…

Merriam Webster defines the word hopeless as, “incapable of redemption or improvement.” It also says, “giving no reason to expect good or success : giving no ground for hope.”…

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,

who ordered all things far and nigh;

to us the path of knowledge show,

and teach us in her ways to go.

Through all the challenges Moses faced, he learned to trust the Lord. Though all the fear Moses experienced, he learned to seek strength from God…

Fear is crippling. It can silence us when something should be said and immobilize us when action should be taken…

Andrew’s story is a fascinating one. He was a fisherman along with his famous brother, Peter and Jesus called Andrew to be a fisher of men. Our text says that he left his nets and followed Jesus…

When God sought and called Samuel, he was a young man who didn’t understand the voice of the Lord. But God was patient and kept seeking. When he understood, Samuel said, “Yes, I will be a servant of Your will Lord, and I will listen to You.” For his obedience, God revealed to him the future and all of Israel recognized he was chosen by God to be their prophet, priest, and leader…

“I could never do that. I’m not talented enough. I don’t have the abilities that they do. If I could do that like they do, then maybe I’d be important.”…

As with gladness men of old did the guiding star behold;

As with joy they hailed its light, leading onward, beaming bright…

When God called Abraham from Haran and promised to make a great nation out of him, He didn’t provide a detailed road map of the future. Instead, God revealed to Abraham the steps he should take, when it was necessary…

Paul, possibly the greatest missionary to have ever walked the face of the earth, Paul was known far and wide for his zeal and passion. He faced some unbelievable odds throughout his missionary journeys: shipwrecked, bitten by a venomous snake, beaten nearly to death, and imprisoned. Through these many difficult circumstances, Paul never wavered in his commitment to God or his commitment to the churches…

David had sinned and was separated from God. That’s what sin does: it brings about separation and divides, it tears apart those who were one, and causes one to turn their backs on the One who loves us the most…

David, a man after God’s own heart, fell into deep sin. Instead of going to battle, he stayed home. Instead of leading the people to victory, he let his eyes lead him to defeat. An immoral act, an unplanned pregnancy, a murder, a pretend comfort, a marriage, and a promise of unrest in his family were the results of David sinning against God…

Naomi and Elimelech went to Moab to escape a harsh famine; however, Moab changed much for this family (Ruth 1:1-5). It brought foreign daughters-in-law. It brought the death of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion. It brought about bitterness (Ruth 1:20-21)….

Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing…

Jacob, much like Judas, was rebellious at heart. He had always wanted to do things his way; the birthright, deceiving his father (Gen 27:19), running from his problems (Gen 27:41-45), protecting himself against his brother…

“Judas.” Often used as a term for someone who has betrayed a close friend. We use that name because of the actions of a man long ago…