Sovereign Lord… 

 I have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!

Luke 2:30-32 NLT

When Simeon, a devout Israelite awaiting God’s Messiah, saw the baby Jesus he took Him in his arms and praised God. In our passage today we see Simeon’s proclamation of who Jesus is and why He came. God’s salvation, a light to reveal God to the nations, the glory of Israel; Simeon offered a heartfelt description of the Messiah. Known as the “Canticle of Simeon: or the Nunc Dimittis, (which are the first words of his prayer in Latin – “Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant…”) it is still sung in evening prayers in orthodox churches representing the confession and experience of believers.

The Savior of the world came through the Jewish nation. Sadly, although they knew the Old Testament prophecies, many did not receive Him. Jesus was the crowning glory of God’s people Israel, for through them came the Messiah – Jesus the light to all nations.

This is an excerpt from Karol’s Devotional, Pursuing God in the Quiet Places