Keeping promises is tricky business. We like the concept. But sticking to our word can prove a bit more difficult. As kids, we try setting ourselves up for a better success rate by creating failsafes, like the infamous “pinky promise.” Because, as everyone knows, if it’s a pinky promise, it can’t be broken.
I know some people who are really good at keeping their word. Their promises aren’t unrealistic because they recognize their own limits, but the ones they do make are meant to make a difference. I promise to support you in any way I can. I promise to hold you accountable. I promise to let you know if there’s anything you can do for me. These statements reflect more about the person’s commitment than their ability to carry it out. After all, even the best of friends can’t keep a perfect record.
Simeon’s story is a beautiful account of someone who not only received a very personal promise from God, but also had the joy of seeing it fulfilled during his lifetime. He is depicted as a sort of spiritual elder, being ”righteous and devout” and “looking forward to Israel’s consolation” (Luke 2:25). With tenderness, we see Simeon take the object of his affection into his arms and say to the Lord, “You can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have seen your salvation” (vv.29–30). He was one of the first to recognize Jesus for who He really was.
Can you imagine the joy, as well as the relief? The Holy Spirit’s promise was that Simeon would pass away only after seeing the Messiah, and he responded to this promise with trust (v.26). Although seeing the Messiah with his own eyes didn’t mean he was doomed to die the next day, it did mean God’s promise had been fulfilled. Simeon’s trust in this promise had been rewarded. Even if he didn’t live long enough to see how his words of prophecy played out, he was blessed to know that the consolation of Israel was here.
The same was true for widowed Anna, the prophetess who was “well along in years” (v.36). She stayed in the temple, serving God day and night. Though it is unlikely she lived to see the redemptive story of Jesus unfold, we do know she joyfully bore witness to the Christ child in her advanced age (vv.36–38).
Remembering that God is the one who makes and keeps the biggest promises—including the ones that will outlast us—helps to strengthen our hope for today. In what ways do you need to trust in Him today? Grab hold of His promises. Even when we can’t see the full picture, God is our great Keeper of Promises.
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57 thoughts on "Anna & Simeon"
I suck at trusting God fully when the rubber meets the road but He is the great Promise Keeper, the one who I SHOULD lean on whole heartedly
Promise keeper, thank you Lord
I love the fact that if God promise us something He will do it.
With my child— I need to trust Him with my child.
I love that God is a great keeper of promises. Others will let us down, but God’s word remains true!
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I love that God is a Promise Keeper. I love the certainty I have in him whether I can see the end game or not. Lord, even if I don’t see completion in my lifetime, I know your promises are true! ♡
I’m so thankful for God’s word that keeps me grounded during times of loss. My dad passed away last week, and I’ve been so thankful that I already had this bible study planned. Having a plan is so helpful in our spiritual walk. I’ve been walking with the Lord a long time but for some reason, it has only clicked in recent years that having a plan of Bible reading set ahead of time helps me stay consistent and is key to my spiritual growth. Thank you SRT for all you do.
I’m sorry for your loss and will add your family to my prayers.
What are Gods promises on friendship?? Feeling hurt and bitter towards a friend who hurt me. Please pray for my bitterness to be healed and love and forgiveness be in my heart
Hi Jay. You are right about this connection between forgiveness and love, God’s love in our hearts. For sometimes we love others just because we love Him. There was a time I thought I could go through this process of forgiving (sometimes it’s a process), by asking for His love in me. Lately it has been more about surrendering to His love for me that enables me to love others.
I meant to leave my reply to Diana Fleenor’s post.
Thank you! Beautifully phrased my thoughts.
God keeps His promise we just need to watch for them.
Jesus is the only way to true unity.
KARA: Yes, indeed, we need to listen more diligently to the voices of the oppressed — not doubt! And there is a way to demonstrate righteous indignation as Jesus did — I agree. However, we need to be careful to take sinful anger responses and equate them with righteous ones. A difference I see in Jesus’ response is that while he did flip tables to make his point, he did not kill anyone and he did not steal from anyone. In other words, his anger wasn’t about his personal gain, but about defending truth and righteousness for the glory of his Father. is this the motive behind the violence we are seeing today?
As a sinner who has suffered my own kind of oppression, I very much understand the anger and hurt which boils up in a person. I made some very foolish sinful choices as my eyes got off the hope of the gospel. In his graciousness the Lord has forgiven me and washed my sins away! Therefore, I don’t come into this conversation about oppression with self-righteousness, but with a heart to want others to repent of sinful ways of responding to the oppression while we fight together for justice and reconciliation the gospel way. I truly believe that racism (or any other kind of oppression) cannot be truly eradicated from people’s hearts without being born-again through faith in Christ. Not everyone believes this.
And as I stand on this truth, I also state that daily I am praying for wisdom of a greater understanding of how this is to be enacted practically. I do not profess to know all there is on this topic (or any other), but ask the Lord for a heart ready and willing to learn each step of the way.
So well said, Diana!
I think we all need to pause and ask WHY there is “anger rule through violence and crime”. We have an oppressed people whose voices have not been heard and whose blood is being poured out in our streets. An African Proverb states “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth”. Jesus flipped over tables in the temple to get attention, we have not been paying enough attention so the tables are getting flipped over so we finally take a look at what in the world has been going on.
I have struggled with infertility just shy of four years. I do feel that I will have a baby, but it’s God’s timing. Throughout this journey I have cried out many times asking for reminders of this promise. Just recently I prayed this again, and reading this was the reminder I needed. Things come to fruition at just the time they are intended. The waiting can be agony, but God always shows up and always reminds me. Sometimes it’s a whisper and sometimes it’s loud. I’m thankful He always follows through.
We have been on the same journey for about the same length of time. I just started IVF and in the midst of this, my husband lost his job. I’m struggling with not knowing how this will work out, but I’m trying to trust that if God brought us this far, He will see it though.
Praying that you will see God’s miracle show up soon and you take heart you aren’t alone!
Sorry to hear of your infertility and the inevitable pain that it brings. We had 3 miscarriages before our now 14 month old came along. It’s so hard when you see people around you seeming to pop out multiple babies before you even have one or someone gets pregnant who isn’t even wanting children! God does see you. During our journey of wanting to have kids I was always encouraged by the “old” women in the Bible that God allowed to have a baby after many years of barrenness. I think in pain you totally have to reorient yourself to what it means that God is sovereign, good, all-powerful and yet here you are without something that he affirms as good and part of his will for his people (to be fruitful and multiply!). No neat answers but He offers himself to us.
Hi Aubry
We had a 6yr journey with infertility.
I think the waiting got sweeter over time as my faith in infertility started as a walk on water to a realisation over time that I could trust God and he was a firm foundation to stand on and trust with my hopes, decisions, dreams,failures and tears.
I don’t believe that the be fruitful and multiply commandment still stands in the same way as it was the way in the OT God grew his people he loved as a nation. We now have the New Testament “go out and make disciples of all people”.
I do however love the stories of all the barren women in the OT because rather than always giving you their reason for infertility we are told “God opened their womb” it’s a great reminder God can and does the impossible no matter the hurdle.
You are bearing fruit sister by trusting Jesus. He is growing you so much. Some of the ways I reflect on growth are-
Being more outward focused and not just having friends in the same age and stage as me. I found it challenging to see alot of my friends be on the journey I desired and we intentionally prayed God would put new friends and people in our path to befriend and love.
Trusting and being able to testify that whether with plenty or in want God is all satisfying and the relationship most important to me.
Time to work further and enjoy our marriage. We never cried together so much or comforted each other or read so many great Christian books or just loved each other for better or worse.
2 Cor 1:3-11 xx
I’m so afraid that we are inviting tyranny by giving up our freedoms and losing equal protection under the law. We are giving up on the rule of law for the rule of some people who are in favor until they say the wrong thing. I pray to be like Simeon and Anna, to endure much until salvation and consolation comes.
This reading brought to mind a beautiful song by Michael Card, “Simeon’s Song.” Please check it out and be blessed! Ever thankful for our Promise Keeper!
I join you ladies who have expressed the heaviness of the tribulations of our time. It is good and right for us to lament these things and I’m grateful for the psalms which give us an affirmation of the lament of the saints as well as words to express it. As I consider our trials, whether it’s the pandemic, racism or any other systemic and/or personal ones, the one thing that is often missing in conversations about the need for change is the gospel.
Recently, I have read how some are accusing the church of being without action because of the emphasis on the proclamation of the gospel to be of first prominence. I would agree that if JUST preaching the gospel was the mindset, a change in perspective is needed. However, what I believe to be true is that without the gospel message of Christ’s person and work to be the power for hearts to be transformed, we will not see lasting true change.
Letting anger rule through violence and crime will not produce the righteousness of God. We don’t need just a little cleaning up; before Christ we are dead spiritually and are unable to combat the sin in our own hearts much less than that of others. We need to be born again in order to have our racism dealt with, our fears surrounding the pandemic to be abated and to be freed from any other sinful heart issue.
So, for all my sisters here, I pray that as we face these hard and heavy issues with others, we do so in remembrance that it is the Holy Spirit who ultimately awakens the spiritually dead. There are times we are to speak and there are times where we are to be silent. According to Scripture, as women we have different boundary lines than men. May the Lord reveal clearly to each one of us where those boundary lines lie. I see Anna’s devotion to the Lord through worship and service in the temple. She was given a notable outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a beautiful way. It’s my hope and prayer to be a like-minded devoted woman of God who is humble before him and filled by his Spirit!
This is so beautifully stated, thank you!
I needed to read that. Thank You
Casey Hicks, in response to your question yesterday, I think some of it may have to do with Zechariah was quite a bit older than Mary and also he was priest, so the angel Gabriel and God may have expected more out of Zechariah.
This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible but for some reason today I thought to myself, would I just let someone grab my baby out of my arms, even if it was at my church or synagogue. Then I got to thinking back then custom and ways were very different then our own. But still how did Mary feel when Simeon came and took infant Jesus out of her arms. Then Anna took Him. I know how the “pass the baby” game goes. When my two boys were young I would go to a small church near the downtown area of Kansas City with my mom (she played the piano there) and that would happen with my sons. I was still a little scared but I trusted them because these were people my mom trusted.
The picture of strangers taking the baby into their arms : abruptly made me realize how Jesus did belong and does belong to everyone, despite being born into a specific human family. Mary and Joseph were not going to be able to keep him only for themselves; human family commitments were not going to have precedence over the needs of all the others. It’s a way of looking at our own born-again lives in Christ also; we are part of a new extended family of God and our lives are not only our own or our family’s, but should be “used” for the service of others, overcoming any selfishness we feel to keep our time and resources for ourselves. What a difficult calling for me in my humanness, unless I can let the Spirit take over
Wow! What a great insight! Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Now that’s powerful ❤️
Amen!! Simeon saw Jesus! God’s promise and we have Jesus salvation. Thank you Tina. Your words really blessed me this morning. What an awesome God we have. How blessed we are to see the fruit of Jesus salvation and to have theHoly Spirit to guide us. Hallelujah, He is risen!
Praying for you Sarah D as you talk to your campus pastor at Liberty! My sister just graduated from there and had similar feelings regarding their lack of acknowledgement of racism. Praying for wisdom and strength to voice your concerns, for uplifting conversation, and that change IS made!
Also lifting Dorothy up in prayer as you get ready to move this weekend. Praying for peace as I’m sure this weekend will be very hard for you and your family.
Praying for your son Traci Gendron! That he comes back to the loving arms of the father.
Heidi – Thank you for sharing. I love the way the SRT team, through their podcast and Instagram, has shared recently that when we lament the heaviness of this world, we are living according to God’s will and Word. There is a book (by some of the SRT devotional writers of studies past) that I think might provide you with strength and peace during this time: “The Book of Comforts: Genuine Encouragement for Hard Times.” May the God of all comfort bless you, sister!
I love seeing the Holy Spirit referenced before Pentecost. We saw it in John the Baptist within Elizabeth’s womb and we see it now in Simeon. As Christians, the Holy Spirit is an integral part of our being – we are united to the Father through the Spirit that He graciously imparted to us. That Spirit can NEVER be taken away from us. When we remind ourselves that we have immediate access to the Father through the Spirit, we can allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit and rest in the mighty will of God. I want to turn my eyes within to look for the Spirit’s guiding in my life, and to trust God enough to follow in obedience.
Love the question about reflecting on areas I need to trust God in my life today. Definitely going to ponder it.
Lastly, for those who have not read through the Promises of God study that SRT did a few studies ago, I would highly recommend it!
Praise the Lord, (1 Peter 2:9) we can know Him and trust His promises.(Luke 2:29-30) The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6-7) We don’t always understand His ways, but He is full of justice and righteousness, loving freely (Hosea 13-14) and His grace is sufficient and perfectly planned (2 Corinthians 12). (Psalm 31:14-15)
Loved this. And what spoke to me is the small verse tucked in Luke 2, verse 27, that said, “Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple.” I want to be like that….allowing the Spirit to guide and lead my every move. Wonder how my life would look if I practiced this every day.
Beautiful!!
Thank you for seeing this verse and sharing.
Prayers appreciated as my friends and I talk with our campus pastor on how to act against racism at our school! I feel like a Moses, but trying to give over the reins to the Holy Spirit, and praying he would speak through us and he would be in our conversation.
This was very good to read and be reminded of today… Simeon’s discernment was touching and encouraging. God’s faithfulness to him was uplifting as well.
Lately I’m struck harshly by the events and injustices across our globe and in the US. Injustice isn’t new to our world I know, but it just seems so incredibly heavy lately. I know He promises to be with us and be for us… and I also know we’ve been promised there will be injustice and pain and tribulations to be experienced on this earth and THAT is what weighs me down. It weighs me down for those suffering personally and intimately, and it weighs me down thinking of the future for my own small children. The distinction between darkness and light is getting much greater. It’s good we’re losing a lot of the “grey”, but I fear (and yes, there is part of the problem right there) about the growing “darkness”. I’m claiming the fact that no matter how small the “light”, I KNOW the darkness will NOT overcome it…
Amen sister! Well said!!
I feel the same way. Everything that’s been going on has been weighing on me heavily. I’ve been feeling traumatized. It seems that even with people’s best efforts it’s getting worse. What has really helped me is making an effort to be more eternally minded. I find myself praying more and more for Jesus to just come back already, but then I’m reminded of everything will take place before that happens. That things will get worse before they get better, that it will be like labor pains. But when things get better, they will be perfect. Jesus will reign supreme. No more injustice, no more racism, no more hatred, no more sin. In the meantime we have work to do <3
Amen!
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I like that Simeon and Anna are very regular people. We don’t know anything else about them except:
Simeon was righteous, devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, he had the Holy Spirit & a promise. I imagine Simeon to be a quiet, reserved person – he held his Lord and in an intimate moment spoke declaration and praise over Him.
Anna was well along in years (84 + 7 + 13-16age they usually married = 104-107 ish) who spent her days and nights serving God, fasting and praying. She was apparently more vocal, and thanked God and speaking about Jesus to everyone looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Their legacy, faithful trust in God.
When I am Home, I would like to be remembered not for things accomplished, but for my God and faithful trust in Him.
Lately it has been difficult to not lose sight of God’s promises, and yet this story reminded me that they do hold true- though we may not easily see them. Praying for Holy Spirit to bless us with discernment and eyes to perceive the fulfilment of his promises through Jesus on earth as they continue to this day. He is not absent in anything but in everything he is fully aware and in our midst.
Amen!
I need a daily reminder to hand over my worries of the future (big and small). God is God. He knows what is going on. He sees me and others. He is working in my life and in others. My worry will not add to any of the things that seem to me to be “up in the air.” He is good. Always and forever.
The more I study and learn about the Holy Spirit, the stronger I feel as a person. The fact that the I have an ever present comforter and director given to me by out Lord and Father gives me peace beyond my comprehension. He cares that much for each of us, it never ceases to amaze me!
Simeon and the Holy Spirit are inseparable. You cannot speak of this devout man without also talking about the Holy Spirit. Simeon listened and believed that which the Holy Spirit imparted to him. Simeon didn’t waver. How many couples presented their sons and the Holy Spirit said “this is not the One”? Yet Simeon, day after day, waited and watched. He went about his business, doing what he had always done, what his ‘job’ demanded until that day. Oh that day. When faith became sight. Steadfast in the Spirit, Simeon beheld the One promised, the One long awaited. May we too hold on to the promises of God, walking in the Spirit throughout our ordinary days. I imagine that Simeon got up the day after and went about his business as he had always done but perhaps with a contented gratitude for having met the Messiah. May we do the same.
My father, a good man, promised my grandma was not that Ill, and that it will be alright to finish what I was doing..
Same father,to calm a daughters heart, promised he would wait for me to get there..
My ex husband in front of others promised to love and take care of me..
My daughter promised she would be around to see me old..
I promised God and myself I would remember no more the past in the negative, but as an experience and a contribution to who I am today…
I promised my grandson I would teach him how to make risotto…
We absolutely can make promises, with good intention. With a heart full of love and excitement we can promise the world, and yet, the promise can only be acted upon, when all things fall into place.. Take the promise to teach my grandson to make risotto.. time, right place and circumstance has gotten in the way of that coming to fruition..
Our promises, though meant, and with good intention, have a way of going off course..
But God..
OH, But God..
He is a promise giver.
A promise keeper.
A promise holder..
When He says, He will.. He does.
When He promises I will never leave you, nor forsake you.. He means it.
When He promises to provide, He provides, and abundantly too.
When He promises to give peace and rest.. we need only trust Him for He is good..
God is a promise keeper, then.. now… and forevermore..
My promises and the promises of loved ones, are made with good intention, hand on heart stuff, and yet.. we struggle, to make the mark..
But God..
Thank you Lord God, that your promises are for the then.. the now..always! When you promise, it is a yes and an amen, with double blessing… thank you Lord God. Thank you..
Sending out a big hug to each of you and praying Gods blessing over you.. with love… always ❤
Thank you for sharing. Gods promises cannot be matched by our earthly promises. I have struggled at times through some promises but through His Word and deeper study and meditation I see how a ‘broken promise’ (in my mind) is actually God keeping His promise – within His will for my life. ❤️
Remembering our SRT study on God’s promises, & how they are “yes” in Jesus. Our promises are affected by our human frailties. God’s promises never fail, even though we may not see them come to fruition. I love this teaching on Simeon & Anna-faithful & trusting servants. May we also be so.
Thank you for this. ❤️
I think the reference is actually Luke 3…