Overcoming Obstacles
Day 32 • March 6
Overcoming Obstacles –
God’s Story
Simeon and Anna
Luke 2:27-28 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…
In the fast-paced world of 2014, most of us are not very good at waiting… and we don’t have to be. We eat instant dinners cooked in microwave ovens. We travel in vehicles which reach speeds our ancestors would never have dreamed possible. We send instant messages, log onto high-speed internet, and receive breaking news updates as they are happening. In this high-tech age, we seem equipped to do anything imaginable… except wait.
prayers (and He is), can we trust His timing? Do you have the strength to seek Him even when you cannot see what you are looking for?
In the second chapter of his Gospel account, tucked away in the narrative of Jesus’ birth, Luke mentions two people who could teach us all a few things about waiting. Their names were Simeon and Anna. To our knowledge they were not related, but they did share one thing in common: they both eagerly awaited the appearance of the Messiah promised by the Old Testament prophets. Unfortunately, after many years of waiting, He still had not appeared.
Luke writes: “Moved by the Spirit, (Simeon) 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, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation…’” (Luke 2:27-30).
Luke tells us that Anna was very old. He does not say the same about Simeon, but Simeon seems to hint that he is near the end of life, too. Try to imagine how these two saints had spent the last part of their lives. Each day, they would get dressed walk out in the Temple. Anna was a widow, which meant she had no standing in the culture of that day, but she had standing with God. Her eyes daily scanned her surroundings, looking for some hint of God’s movement. Likewise, Simeon spent his days watching and waiting, praying and reading, and probably pleading with the same voice as a child on a long road trip, “Lord, are we there yet? Is it time?” Waiting for God can be grueling, can’t it? I can identify so many seasons of life when I prayed day and night for God to move, but no matter how hard I looked, I could see no evidence of His movement. Those seasons tested my faith and revealed my spiritual resolve. If God is really listening to our
Simeon did. In fact, God had revealed to him that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. Anna did, too. As the months turned into years and the years into decades, they continued to pray and to watch the horizon expectantly. As a result, one blessed day, their prayers were answered.
Moments later, Anna happened to walk past. She stopped, allowing her eyes to drink in the sight, and then spoke to everyone around her about the true identity of this baby. Are you waiting on God to move today? If so, follow the example of Simeon and Anna. Talk to God daily and serve Him faithfully, trusting that He has a purpose for His timing. Wait expectantly, and position yourself to see His answer to your prayers. The Psalmist wrote: “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 NASB) God has so many great things in store for us if we will only endure the wait.
Overcoming Obstacles – Simeon & Anna
Day 32
My Story
Judson & Kristi Bell For more of Judson & Kristi’s story, go to www.Pinedale.org
You know the deal: Married, two and half kids, good jobs, a house in the suburbs, and a dog – the American Dream, right? Well, we had the house, advancing careers, a beautiful black cocker spaniel, and we had been married for five years. It was time for the 2.5 kids. We were finally ready… or so we thought. The truth is, we could never have prepared for the journey ahead of us. Fast forward many years. On a cold winter day in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Kristi and I walked out of our meek apartment and joined the hustle and bustle of everyday life of this small third-world country! We waited on the corner for our driver and interpreter, people we had only met just 6 hours ago at the airport – after traveling for 22 hours. Now, we joined them in the car for a 1.5 hour drive - one that we would repeat many, many times over the next 53 days. We left the city and watched the strange scenery pass by - open fields, distant mountain ranges, and small communities showing signs of the old USSR. When we finally arrived at the Baby House, we met with officials to go over the logistics of the next few weeks. Then it happened – a nurse entered the room carrying our son. Sleep deprivation and exhaustion – both physical and emotional – disappeared. There he was… this perfect little creation… for us… in our arms. After years of disappointments, here in our arms was God’s answer to the simple prayer, “God, please let us be Mommy and Daddy.” We studied his face. 9 months old, this baby boy had been in the Baby House for all but one week of his life. At this moment his eyes looked empty and lifeless. Well, that did not last long. I laid him on the floor and unzipped the 3 layers of onesies, tickled his little belly. The result – a big grin and baby giggle!! Gone was the heartache of negative pregnancy tests. Forgotten were the months of Clomid to increase our chances of getting pregnant. Weeks of administering painful shots 3 times a day to my wife, who does not do shots, seemed like decades ago. All of the events of the past several years became distant memories as I looked into those gorgeous brown almond eyes!
I watched as Kristi picked him up and held him close, rocking him and letting him know that “mommy is here now.” Tears slowly trickled down both cheeks. I wondered: Does she even remember the tubal pregnancy that nearly took her life? Does she recall the shots in her stomach, thighs and hips? As I watched her inhale that baby smell and rub her teary cheek against his smooth baby skin, did that lowly, dreadful day even cross her mind - the day we were going to check how many of the 3 eggs that were implanted had “taken” after finally receiving a positive pregnancy test? She had stretched out on a table during a very invasive ultrasound, digesting the news that the only egg that fertilized and implanted properly had stopped developing. It was the lowest day of our lives. I remembered the emotions from the DNC and its aftermath – “passing” the undeveloped child. Where were those hurts right now? In the joy of this glorious moment, they were gone – erased and forgotten. We prayed for kids… we wanted to be Mommy and Daddy, we just didn’t know what God had in store for us to make that happen. 52 days later, Kenneth Richard (Ricky) Bell was in his new home… our home… with his forever family. Now, every year on May 8th, we get to celebrate “Gotcha Day” together. Read Psalm 30:5 again. What does that verse mean to you? ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________
Daily Scripture Reading: Luke 2:22-39
Overcoming Obstacles –
God’s Story
Simeon and Anna
Luke 2:27-28 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…
In the fast-paced world of 2014, most of us are not very good at waiting… and we don’t have to be. We eat instant dinners cooked in microwave ovens. We travel in vehicles which reach speeds our ancestors would never have dreamed possible. We send instant messages, log onto high-speed internet, and receive breaking news updates as they are happening. In this high-tech age, we seem equipped to do anything imaginable… except wait.
prayers (and He is), can we trust His timing? Do you have the strength to seek Him even when you cannot see what you are looking for?
In the second chapter of his Gospel account, tucked away in the narrative of Jesus’ birth, Luke mentions two people who could teach us all a few things about waiting. Their names were Simeon and Anna. To our knowledge they were not related, but they did share one thing in common: they both eagerly awaited the appearance of the Messiah promised by the Old Testament prophets. Unfortunately, after many years of waiting, He still had not appeared.
Luke writes: “Moved by the Spirit, (Simeon) 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, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation…’” (Luke 2:27-30).
Luke tells us that Anna was very old. He does not say the same about Simeon, but Simeon seems to hint that he is near the end of life, too. Try to imagine how these two saints had spent the last part of their lives. Each day, they would get dressed walk out in the Temple. Anna was a widow, which meant she had no standing in the culture of that day, but she had standing with God. Her eyes daily scanned her surroundings, looking for some hint of God’s movement. Likewise, Simeon spent his days watching and waiting, praying and reading, and probably pleading with the same voice as a child on a long road trip, “Lord, are we there yet? Is it time?” Waiting for God can be grueling, can’t it? I can identify so many seasons of life when I prayed day and night for God to move, but no matter how hard I looked, I could see no evidence of His movement. Those seasons tested my faith and revealed my spiritual resolve. If God is really listening to our
Simeon did. In fact, God had revealed to him that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. Anna did, too. As the months turned into years and the years into decades, they continued to pray and to watch the horizon expectantly. As a result, one blessed day, their prayers were answered.
Moments later, Anna happened to walk past. She stopped, allowing her eyes to drink in the sight, and then spoke to everyone around her about the true identity of this baby. Are you waiting on God to move today? If so, follow the example of Simeon and Anna. Talk to God daily and serve Him faithfully, trusting that He has a purpose for His timing. Wait expectantly, and position yourself to see His answer to your prayers. The Psalmist wrote: “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 NASB) God has so many great things in store for us if we will only endure the wait.
Overcoming Obstacles – Simeon & Anna
Day 32
My Story
Judson & Kristi Bell For more of Judson & Kristi’s story, go to www.Pinedale.org
You know the deal: Married, two and half kids, good jobs, a house in the suburbs, and a dog – the American Dream, right? Well, we had the house, advancing careers, a beautiful black cocker spaniel, and we had been married for five years. It was time for the 2.5 kids. We were finally ready… or so we thought. The truth is, we could never have prepared for the journey ahead of us. Fast forward many years. On a cold winter day in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Kristi and I walked out of our meek apartment and joined the hustle and bustle of everyday life of this small third-world country! We waited on the corner for our driver and interpreter, people we had only met just 6 hours ago at the airport – after traveling for 22 hours. Now, we joined them in the car for a 1.5 hour drive - one that we would repeat many, many times over the next 53 days. We left the city and watched the strange scenery pass by - open fields, distant mountain ranges, and small communities showing signs of the old USSR. When we finally arrived at the Baby House, we met with officials to go over the logistics of the next few weeks. Then it happened – a nurse entered the room carrying our son. Sleep deprivation and exhaustion – both physical and emotional – disappeared. There he was… this perfect little creation… for us… in our arms. After years of disappointments, here in our arms was God’s answer to the simple prayer, “God, please let us be Mommy and Daddy.” We studied his face. 9 months old, this baby boy had been in the Baby House for all but one week of his life. At this moment his eyes looked empty and lifeless. Well, that did not last long. I laid him on the floor and unzipped the 3 layers of onesies, tickled his little belly. The result – a big grin and baby giggle!! Gone was the heartache of negative pregnancy tests. Forgotten were the months of Clomid to increase our chances of getting pregnant. Weeks of administering painful shots 3 times a day to my wife, who does not do shots, seemed like decades ago. All of the events of the past several years became distant memories as I looked into those gorgeous brown almond eyes!
I watched as Kristi picked him up and held him close, rocking him and letting him know that “mommy is here now.” Tears slowly trickled down both cheeks. I wondered: Does she even remember the tubal pregnancy that nearly took her life? Does she recall the shots in her stomach, thighs and hips? As I watched her inhale that baby smell and rub her teary cheek against his smooth baby skin, did that lowly, dreadful day even cross her mind - the day we were going to check how many of the 3 eggs that were implanted had “taken” after finally receiving a positive pregnancy test? She had stretched out on a table during a very invasive ultrasound, digesting the news that the only egg that fertilized and implanted properly had stopped developing. It was the lowest day of our lives. I remembered the emotions from the DNC and its aftermath – “passing” the undeveloped child. Where were those hurts right now? In the joy of this glorious moment, they were gone – erased and forgotten. We prayed for kids… we wanted to be Mommy and Daddy, we just didn’t know what God had in store for us to make that happen. 52 days later, Kenneth Richard (Ricky) Bell was in his new home… our home… with his forever family. Now, every year on May 8th, we get to celebrate “Gotcha Day” together. Read Psalm 30:5 again. What does that verse mean to you? ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________
Daily Scripture Reading: Luke 2:22-39
