Do you want an Advent mindset? The hope of Simeon and Anna will help you look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises in your life.
Happy fourth week of Advent! I’m happy to delve deeper into the biblical accounts with you during Advent.
We’ll be taking a closer look at what was going on in the mindset of people in the biblical account before and during Jesus’ birth. Then we’ll discuss what their mindset can teach us about how to think during Advent.
An Advent Mindset: The Hope of Simeon and Anna
Both Simeon and Anna were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the promised Messiah. You can read their story in Luke 2:22-38. Both received prophetic words from the Lord. They were both devout followers of God and spent much time at the Temple in worship and prayer.
What stands out to me is how dedicated both Simeon and Anna were to the visions God had given them. It reminds me a little bit of how I lingered outside at dusk last night, waiting and hoping to see the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on the horizon. I didn’t want to miss this sight that hasn’t appeared in 800 years, and won’t reappear until 2080. Once I glimpsed this star, a joyful and reverent awe rose up inside me. I’m glad I waited around until I could see it, and I’m certain Simeon and Anna didn’t regret their dedication either!
The hope Simeon and Anna displayed about the coming Messiah is inspiring to us. We live on the other side of the cross, when we are awaiting Christ’s return to establish a new heaven and new earth. The Bible specifically tells us to set our hope on Christ’s return (see 1 Peter 1:13). Do you intentionally place your hope there too? Are you eagerly awaiting your promised future as a believer in Jesus, when he will make all things new?
The hope Simeon and Anna displayed about the coming Messiah is inspiring to us. #hope #advent #inspiration Click To Tweet
Their Hope Was Realized
Simeon rejoiced at the sight of baby Jesus. When he took the child in his arms, he spoke prophetic words of praise and wonder. Surely he felt honored to give a blessing to the Christ-child and his family.
Anna also rejoiced when she saw Hope himself. It’s likely God gave her a vision of Jesus’ arrival, since she prayed and fasted night and day in the temple. Though she was an old woman, she had not given up hope of glimpsing this child who would grow up to save the world.
Today in my Facebook memories, a treasured photo memory popped up from 16 years ago. It was the first Christmas in our new home, when it snowed 11 inches (that’s fairly rare in southeast Missouri). My firstborn son, 9 months old to the day, crawled on his belly toward the Christmas tree. It’s one of my favorite memories of all time.
That photo represents great hope to me. When our son was born, he brought hope as the first grandchild and great-grandchild on both sides of the family. Our broken family tree needed new life, and his arrival gave us hope. I remember eagerly anticipating that first Christmas with him, because I knew how much joy he gave his grandparents, aunts, uncles and other family members. How much more hope and joy did baby Jesus bring to the whole world!
Babies still give us renewed hope. I think about the babies born in 2020, such precious treasures in a difficult year. They are living proof that God is still preserving hope for us. Proof that he wants us to know new life is possible, and to remind us to place hope in the future he will provide. Maybe that’s one reason Jesus came as a baby – to always remind us that new hope is possible. I’m glad Simeon and Anna held onto their hope for so long, as an example to us.
Simeon rejoiced at the sight of baby Jesus. Anna also rejoiced when she saw Hope himself. #rejoice #christmas #hope Click To Tweet
Their Praise Was Exuberant
Simeon and Anna naturally responded to Jesus’ arrival with praise. Simeon praised God while giving a blessing to the baby. Anna’s praise overflowed as she shared the good news with everyone nearby who would listen. They couldn’t restrain their praise over this wondrous occasion.
Are you exuberantly praising God, as if you can’t hold it in, this Advent? I believe in this challenging year our praise is one of the greatest gifts we can give to God. There is always reason to praise God because his character never changes. Psalm 150 is an excellent psalm to inspire your praise today. In which areas can you praise God for the things that happened in 2020, not in spite of them?
My reasons for exuberant praise in 2020 include the following:
- an especially lovely spring, summer and autumn in southeast Missouri
- completing my book manuscript for publication in 2021
- becoming a Stephen Minister
- seeing a long-awaited turnaround in my difficult marriage
- co-hosting a local writers conference
- starting my podcast for adult children of divorce
- unspoken treasures just between God and me
Can you quickly name two, five or 10 things for which you can praise God that happened in 2020? Praise you can’t help but share?
Our Advent Mindset of Hope
I read a wonderful devotion of hope yesterday from a book that just arrived in the mail this week. It’s called Restoration Year, and it’s based on one of my favorite books from 2017, All Things New, by John Eldredge. I want to share this excerpt from the Dec. 21 entry to inspire the kind of hope Simeon and Anna had in you:
“Dear friend, you will be greatly helped by filling the treasury of your imagination with images of the coming Renewal; without them, it will be night impossible to make this the anchor of your soul. If you would take hold of this hope with both hands and never let go, you need to know what it is you are taking hold of. If you can’t imagine it, you can’t hope for it. The foggy and vague do not inspire, ever.
Ask God to show you his promises, and then hold tightly to them.”
The coming Renewal of which he speaks is the new heaven and new earth, as Jesus promises to us here. We are visual creatures, and perhaps you need to make a vision board of the promises God has made for you. See a quick example of a vision board on this post and get more ideas here. This could be a very fruitful and enjoyable end-of-the-year project for you to do with your family (children would love to help!).
By putting images of hope in your literal vision, your mindset can become more hopeful. I plan on creating my first vision board for 2021, because I always need more reminders to put my hope in the Lord. Question for you: What’s your favorite Scripture that inspires hope? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
By putting images of hope in your literal vision, your mindset can become more hopeful. #vision #hopeful #visionboard Click To Tweet
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An Advent Mindset: The Hope of Simeon and Anna
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