God is good
No doubt about it! God is good—
good to good people, good to the good-hearted. ~ Psalm 73:1 (MSG)
Simeon was a good man. He loved God and was waiting for God to save the people... ~ Luke 2:25 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God is so good that he is worth waiting for.
PRAYER:
Good God, I'm standing with Simeon -- waiting in confidence that you are going to save creation -- including the capstone of it all -- the people. At least I want to stand with Simeon. Sometimes my knees are weak and I trip and fall. I get distracted and I forget about the waiting. But you started the new creation rolling with the arrival of Jesus. And he was so faithful to us through his teaching and sacrifice. I'm counting on him to steady me and hold me up as I wait. And as I wait, I am trusting in him to transform me into a good and good-hearted person so that I can add to his honor. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
