The God Who Draws Near for a Purpose ✨

Luke 2:25–35

Most of us would say we want God close. 🙏

What we usually mean, though, is that we want Him quiet, predictable, and comforting.

We ask for His presence, but we do not often stop to ask why He draws near at all.

In Luke 2, God does not draw near to impress a crowd or simply make people feel better. He draws near with purpose. Through the Spirit-led words of an old man named Simeon, we see that God’s nearness fulfills promises, reveals salvation, and exposes hearts. And when God draws near like that, no one walks away unchanged. ❤️‍🔥

God’s Nearness Is Never Accidental ⏳

Luke introduces us to Simeon as a just and devout man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He had lived faithfully through a long season of waiting, trusting that God would do exactly what He said He would.

We are told something important again and again.

The Holy Spirit was upon him.

Truth was revealed to him by the Spirit.

He was led by the Spirit into the temple at just the right moment.

None of this is random.

God fulfills His promises deliberately and faithfully. Simeon’s hope was not tied to politics, circumstances, or timelines. It was anchored in God’s Word 📖.

God draws near first by promise, then by fulfillment. He is never early. He is never late.

God’s Nearness Reveals His Salvation ✝️

When Simeon sees the child Jesus, he does not debate or analyze. He takes Him into his arms and blesses God.

Salvation is no longer an idea to discuss. It is a person to receive. 🤲

Simeon says he can now depart in peace. Not because life is finished, but because God’s promise is fulfilled. Peace does not come from having everything figured out. It comes from seeing and receiving what God has provided.

And this salvation is not narrow or exclusive.

Jesus is revealed as:

God’s prepared salvation.

A light for the Gentiles 🌍.

The glory of Israel.

Jesus is not Israel’s possession or humanity’s achievement. He is God’s gift.

God draws near not to be admired from a distance, but to be received personally.

God’s Nearness Exposes Every Heart ❤️‍🩹

Then Simeon turns to Mary, and the tone changes.

This child, he says, is set for the fall and rising again of many. He will be opposed. He will divide. And through Him, the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

Jesus never leaves people neutral.

Some rise.

Some fall.

Some receive Him.

Some resist Him.

Even Mary will feel the pain that comes with God’s plan. Following Jesus does not remove cost. It reveals it.

This is not failure. It is design.

Jesus divides not because He is unclear, but because He is true. When God draws near in Christ, He brings what is hidden into the light so real redemption can begin. 🔍✨

A Life Changed by God’s Nearness 🌊

John Newton spent years around Christianity without surrendering to it. He knew Scripture. He prayed when things got scary. He believed God was near.

But his life was restless and divided.

Everything changed during a violent storm at sea. In that moment of helplessness, Newton stopped resisting what God had been showing him all along. Later, he would write that grace did not just rescue him. It confronted him.

Peace did not come before repentance.

Peace followed repentance.

God had been near for years. His nearness simply had not yet accomplished its purpose.

How Will You Respond? 🕊️

God draws near to fulfill His promises.

God draws near to reveal His salvation in Jesus.

God draws near to expose our hearts so that we will respond without delay.

If you have never received Jesus as God’s salvation, this is your moment. He did not draw near to admire you. He drew near to save you. Jesus lived the life you could not live, died the death you deserved, and rose again so your sins could be forgiven and your heart made new. 🙌

Turn from your sin.

Trust Christ alone.

Receive the salvation God has already prepared.

And if God has been gently, but clearly, exposing something in your heart through this message, do not resist Him. Respond now while He is drawing near. ❤️

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