September 16, 2022
Daily Devotion:
"At Peace..."
Luke 2:28-30
New International Version
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised you may now dismiss[a] your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
The initials R.I.P. are found on so many tombstones that they now appear on virtually all cartoon depictions of marble headstones in spooky grave-yards. By those initials the final farewell to the dead is: Rest In Peace. The idea, of course, is that death is a peaceful repose from the tumultuous cares of life. Imagining the souls of the dead actually lying there in the grave as prolonged snooze in a comfortable bed on a rainy morning -hardly speaks to the reality of the situation. Yet it is also true that the euphemism for death most often used in Scripture is “sleep," or perhaps “resting with his father's." So R.I.P. may not be as far off the mark as one might think, especially when considering the story of Simeon holding the baby Jesus in his arms. What a tribute to this man of faith -that God would have promised him a personal view of the Messiah within his lifetime! And what a thrill it must have been for him to literally hold the Savior of the world and see his tender smile. If ever there were an appropriate time for someone. Why was Simeon happy to die at that point? Because he had seen God's salvation brought into the world. So what would make us rest in peace? Having found the cure for cancer? Seeing children happily married? Maybe we're all thinking far too carnally. What possibly could make us ready to meet our Maker more than being assured of our own salvation?
The crucial question is: Am I sure I have personally held the Savior of the world in my own believing arms?
