So he came by 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, he 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
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.” – Luke 2:27-32
Simeon, a man led by the Holy Spirit, walks into the Temple at the exact moment Mary and Joseph arrive with the infant Jesus. God orchestrated every step. Jesus is brought for the purification rites, and right then, Simeon enters. “He took Him up in his arms and blessed God” (Luke 2:28, NKJV). Imagine that scene: a stranger lifting up their baby and bursting into praise. But Simeon wasn’t just any man—he was a man who had been waiting his entire life for this Child. The Spirit opened his eyes, and he knew instantly he was holding the Messiah.
Simeon had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he saw the Lord’s Christ. And when that moment came, peace washed over him. “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation” (Luke 2:29–30). He wasn’t guessing or hoping—he knew. His waiting was over. His heart was at rest. And his song wasn’t just worship—it was prophecy. He declared that Jesus would be “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). Simeon saw what many in Israel missed: Jesus came for the whole world. His use of the word “depart” paints a picture of release, rest, and freedom—like a ship untying from the dock or a weary animal finally unyoked. Simeon was ready because he had seen Jesus.
Maybe Simeon had grown weary in the waiting. Maybe he wondered if God had forgotten him. John the Baptist felt that way in prison—discouraged, confused, asking Jesus, “Are You the Coming One?” Yet Jesus pointed him back to fulfilled prophecy, and John’s heart was strengthened again. Sometimes God allows us to reach the end of ourselves so we can finally see Him clearly. Simeon lived Proverbs 3:5–6—trusting, waiting, and letting God direct his steps right into the arms of the Messiah. As Matthew Henry wrote, “How poor does this world look to one that has Christ in his arms.” When Simeon held Jesus, nothing else mattered.
Sometimes Jesus brings us to the end of ourselves so we can finally see Him. Sometimes He uses painful, confusing, or unexpected circumstances to lead us to the place of surrender—where our eyes are opened and our hearts find rest. Have you seen Him today? Have you recognized your Messiah? Simeon’s story invites you to the same assurance, the same peace, the same hope. May you behold Jesus and say with confidence, “Lord, now I am ready.”
“Suffering is never for nothing. God never wastes pain; He uses it to bring us to the end of ourselves and into deeper fellowship with Him.” – Elisabeth Elliot
surrendered devotions 