Resounding Longing
Longing for Joy
We’ve been considering Simeon and Anna this week. Speculating on their lives and longings. Wondering what struggles they had as they waited for the Messiah. We only get to see their joy in Luke, as they recognize Jesus and rejoice with his parents and passers-by. Isn’t this often our experience when we observe others’ lives?
Especially in an age where we are more connected and more aware of each other than ever before, so often we only see the moments of joy and celebration. We are allowed windows into the triumphs and fulfillments, like Simeon’s smile as he cradles the infant, or Anna’s privilege as she announces Jesus’ arrival. But we are not told details of the years and decades leading up to those moments.
How, then, are we to learn the practices and disciplines needed to sustain us through our own years or decades of waiting and wanting?
Simeon and Anna were looking for the first coming of the Messiah. We await His return.
Our situation is much the same. A world filled with injustice, poverty, inequality, war, oppression, and so much of it out of our control.
Like Simeon and Anna, we can make small, consistent choices to turn our hearts to God over and over. To remind ourselves of the truth, and of eternity. To remember God’s character and promises.
For Anna, that looked like being physically present in the temple, worshipping, fasting, praying, and prophesying. For Simeon, we are not told the specifics, but we know he was attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and he responded when the Spirit spoke. Both of them had cultivated a deep, rich relationship with the Lord.
The New Testament writers offer many encouragements to us. They so often tell us to expand our perspective, and to put more time and energy into the Kingdom of God than the physical world we can see and touch.
Remember, they tell us, that this world is not all there is. This world is only part of our existence (we are physical beings, but also spiritual beings.) There is an end to everything tangible because it is all touched by the fall—sin and brokenness and death all leave their marks on every aspect of creation.
Don’t forget, we read, that one day, Jesus will return and make all things new. One day Jesus will return and execute perfect judgement and perfect justice. Until then, we only get to see in part.
And take heart, we are told, we are all in the process of being transformed into the image of Jesus, we are all on our way to becoming the people God had in mind when He formed us. But our struggles with sin, our struggles with these physical bodies, our struggles with other humans—these will never fully go away in this life. But God’s grace fills us and sustains us and enables us to do more than we could on our own.
Beyond all these we have each other, and we have the witnesses from earlier ages who are somehow watching us run the race as well. Above all, we have Jesus, who went to the cross for us and rose again and gave us everything we need to live and follow Him.
What do you do to recall these truths, to expand your perspective when life is hard, and the promise seems far off? Even though it seems as if evil is winning, it is not. Evil has already lost the war. Jesus has already won, and we are already free.
The worst thing that can happen to us will never happen to us. We will never lose God’s love, we will never be separated from God, we will never experience His judgement for our sins.
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Colossians 1:9-14 ESV [emphasis added]
The unseen and very real Kingdom of Jesus is what fuels our joy and enables us to endure and be patient as we wait and as we long for life to be different. Anna and Simeon got to see the promise of God in their lifetimes. Not everyone does.
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”
Hebrews 11:13, 16 ESV
I’m sure, despite seeing the Messiah in the flesh, Simeon and Anna both experienced other longings that were not fulfilled on earth. Perhaps Anna longed to get married again or have children. Perhaps Simeon prayed for life outside of Roman oppression.
We too, have longings that will not be fulfilled. And yet, we also have Jesus, who promised to never leave us or forsake us. In the middle of our pain, sorrow, and loss He is with us. In the middle of our anger, confusion, and helplessness He is with us. In the middle of our joy, celebration, and hope He is with us.
For our part, we simply need to remember and turn to Him again and again as we wait, as we wonder, as we want.
Emmanuel. He is with us in it all.
Consider & Comment Below
What is most helpful to you when you are struggling with waiting and wanting?
What truths in scripture?
What characteristic of God?
What ways do you hear and see God calling to your heart in times of waiting and wanting?
Do you sense Him creation?
Do you hear His voice in your heart and mind?
How do you turn your attention to Jesus when you are waiting and wanting?