Advent Devotional Week Two: Waiting on the Lord’s Promises

Sometimes, waiting on God can be hard and leave you with the feeling of being on the edge. Whether you are waiting for an answer to a prayer, for a fulfilment of God’s promise or simply waiting for a change in your situation and story. Here is what we will be looking at in our Advent Devotional Series: Week Two – Waiting on the Lord’s Promises

Read Week One: Chosen by God

Advent Devotional Week Two: Waiting on the Lord’s Promises

Scripture:

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 on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. – Luke 2:25-26 

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying – Luke 2:35-36

Devotional Reflection:

What part of the waiting season is hardest for you? When you plant a seed in the ground, different thoughts may come to mind as you wait in hopeful expectation for your seed to sprout. You may worry that your seed may never sprout or see the light of day. You may also lose your patience while waiting for that seed to grow and begin to bear fruit.

Simeon and Anna are two people in the bible who lived in a time of great anticipation. For many years, the people of Israel spent their entire lives waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise – the coming of the Messiah. While Simeon clung to the Holy Spirit’s assurance that he would see the Messiah before his death, Anna chose to serve God faithfully while waiting for the Messiah.

In your waiting season, you can choose to anchor your faith on God’s word and trust that the Lord’s promises are true. You can also choose to be like Simeon who waited for the Lord’s promise with faith and expectation even when God’s timing seemed so long. Or perhaps, be like Anna, whose waiting season was marked with prayer, fasting and worship to God.

The waiting season gives you an opportunity to deepen your faith in God and strengthen your relationship with your heavenly father. Your posture in the ‘waiting room’ matters as much as your highest expectations. Are there ways that you can use the waiting season to your advantage? Your waiting season can become a birthplace of renewed hope, rekindled faith and having a greater understanding of the sovereignty of God.

And as you wait for the fulfilment of God’s promises for your life, let Simeon and Anna’s story remind you to wait on God actively with great faith and expectation. May this Advent season also help you see that God’s timing is perfect. He is never too late or early but always on time. As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, may we be encouraged to use our waiting seasons as opportunities for growth, building intimacy with the Holy Spirit and aligning our hearts with God’s will.

Application:

1. Reflect: Think about areas in your life where you are waiting on God. How can you use this time to grow in faith and patience like Simeon and Anna?

2. Action: Commit to one spiritual discipline this week (prayer, scripture writing, worship or fasting) as you wait on God.

3. Encourage: Share the hope of Christ with someone who may be feeling discouraged in their waiting season. Remind them of God’s faithfulness.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the examples of Simeon and Anna from your word whose lives were marked with faith and patient waiting. Help us to stay anchored in faith as we wait with hopeful expectation for your promises. Strengthen our hearts and help us to trust in your perfect timing while we wait. May we never be discouraged to the point of hopelessness. Fill our hearts with your hope as we wait for the fulfilment of your promises in our lives.

Read also:

Bible Verses for Hope this Christmas