The Greatest Gift

“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You may now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation.” Luke 2:29-30

The Gospel of Luke tells us of an elderly man named Simeon, who spent his whole life in the season of advent – waiting on Christ’s arrival. You see, God had made a specific promise to Simeon, that he would not die until he saw with his own eyes the promised Messiah. Once God fulfilled that promise to him, Simeon was ready to die. He was ready because he had seen the one thing that everyone should see – the salvation of the Lord.

Simeon knew what we all must personally come to understand – that salvation is the greatest blessing anyone can ever receive. The greatest problem in the world today is sin. Your greatest problem and my greatest problem is that we are all sinners. Therefore, our greatest need is a Savior…not any savior, but the only Savior who can bring salvation from sin – Jesus.

If you have received the salvation of the Lord then you literally live in the blessing of the Lord every single day. You live under the blessing of His presence. Once God saves you, no matter what happens you will never be lost and you will never be left. There is no enemy that has not been swallowed up by Christ’s salvation. That is why David wrote in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me…”

I don’t know how much longer Simeon lived after the day he met Jesus; but I know his days were never the same. His life was never the same. He never saw a sunset or sunrise the same again. He never went into the Temple with the same mindset. He knew from that moment on the blessing of God was always on him, because of his salvation.

Dear Lord, I don't want to believe the lie that there is blessing that the world has to offer that I would rather have in exchange for my salvation. Help me to remember that the only thing that lives and lasts forever is a saved soul. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus' name, amen.