Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled Great Expectations was written by Patricia Rabin.

On a busy day before Christmas, an aged woman approached the mail counter at my crowded

neighborhood post office.

Watching her slow pace, the patient postal clerk greeted her.

Well, hello, young lady.

His words were friendly, but some might hear them saying that younger is better. The Bible inspires

us to see that advanced to age can motivate our hope. As the infant Jesus is brought to the

temple by Joseph and Mary to be consecrated, two elderly believers suddenly take center stage. In Luke chapter two,

Simeon, who'd been waiting for years to see the Messiah, took Jesus in his arms and praised

God, saying, sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have

seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations.

Then Anna, a very old prophet, came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph. A widow who'd been married

only seven years, she'd lived in the temple to age 84. Never leaving, she worshipped night and day,

fasting and praying. When she saw Jesus, she began praising God, explaining about the child to all who were looking

forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

These two hopeful servants remind us to never stop waiting on God, no matter our age, with great

expectations.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Luke chapter 2, verses 25 through 32,

and 36 through 38. Now there was a man in

Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of

Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.

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