“The Holy Spirit was upon him.” (Luke 2:25)

Does the way God works ever surprise you? If not, read this pas­sage more closely. No doubt, Simeon was surprised when he came to the Temple that day, saw Jesus, and was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the unexpected fulfill­ment of a long-awaited prophecy that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. We might be a bit sur­prised too if we realize that Simeon became a “Spirit-filled” believer while Jesus was still an infant, well before the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles at Pentecost.

Simeon certainly wasn’t the only figure in the New Testament who was touched by the Spirit outside of normal channels. Cornelius, a centurion from Rome, was an up­right and God-fearing man who had not been baptized nor heard the complete gospel, yet the Spirit fell on him and he began to praise God and speak in tongues (Acts 10:44-46)! There are dozens of Old Testament figures as well whom the Spirit used powerfully: Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samson, David, and Daniel, not to mention the prophets—all before the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost!

God is not bound by our lim­ited expectations or by our opinion of how he should act. It can be easy to fall into a trap of thinking that he works only in certain ways, or only for those who are spiritually “ma­ture.” Often, however, he is waiting for us to admit our weakness and to cry out: “I can’t do it, Lord!” before he will move. Humility is the key, for it is only when we are weak that we are open to his strength. It is only when we see our need that we are able to surrender to his Spirit.

Christmas Day may have passed, but God still wants to bless us— maybe even surprise us with an unexpected outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What do you really need? Maybe you know someone with a serious illness who needs healing. Maybe you’ve been praying for years that a relative would give his or her heart to the Lord. Or maybe you are hoping for victory over a sinful area that keeps tripping you up. Don’t box God in. Instead, expect the un­expected—just as Simeon did.

“Holy Spirit, thank you for showing me your love. I give you my whole heart, and I believe that you can move any mountain in my life!”

1 John 2:3-11; Psalm 96:1-3,5-6