It is common to wonder about God’s apparent absence amidst tragedy, hardship, and atrocities across the globe...why evil people seem to prosper and go unpunished. We must remember, however, God's perspective and understanding infinitely more complete than ours, and while we are often very quick to focus on the evil around us that requires judgment, we are less apt to want judgement on the sin inside our own hearts. God mercifully delays His judgement and graciously blesses in the meantime, but we must be careful to not mistake the delays and the blessings as approval of sin...ours or the world's. Make no mistake, God's judgment will fall upon all of the evil in this world, in each of our hearts, and it is only by being washed clean in the cleansing, sacrificial blood of Jesus that we may be found holy and righteous in God's sight.
We conclude our Advent series by looking at Luke 2, witnessing the beautiful passing of the torch from the Old Covenant saints to the arrival of the Messiah.
We look to Simeon and Anna, who faithfully waited into their old age for God's promises to be fulfilled. They remind us that Jesus is the Consolation of Israel, coming to bring comfort to a weary world filled with darkness, grief, and exhaustion. Jesus comes as the Light of the World, bringing clarity, warmth, and beauty into our lives. While we often fear the light because it exposes our hidden sin and shame, we are reminded that His light is not meant to condemn us but to free us.
We are called to come out of hiding and let His light frame our sorrows and heal our internal struggles. We must not be a "cul-de-sac" of God's blessing, keeping it to ourselves, but rather a "through street," acting as a chosen race and royal priesthood to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.
