the attention of heaven
"The Bible was written in tears and to tears it will yield its best treasures.
God has nothing to say to the frivolous man."
A.W. Tozer
"The LORD confides in those who fear him;
He makes His covenant known to them."
Psalms 25:14
One of the most important things we can learn in our attention economy is that God does not pay the same attention to what we do. Much of what is loved by the world is overlooked by God, and much of what is loved by God is overlooked by the world.
But God never overlooks the hungry man.
Simeon is a case study in this.
Simeon is one of the most overlooked men in the Bible. Most people don’t even recognize his name, but Simeon teaches a vital lesson about being men of passion in a time of mediocrity. Simeon is mentioned only briefly in Luke 2. We don’t know much about him—his life span, his hobbies and passions, his wife, or his family. However, God knew Simeon, and as far as the attention of heaven is concerned, this is all that mattered. Luke 2 records…
"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.
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him 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: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel."
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The majority of people missed the birth of Jesus. God snuck into our world almost unnoticed. But there were a few people who were let in on the secret of His coming. A few people who beheld the miracle in their midst while the world moved slowly on. Simeon was one of them.
The priests dedicating Jesus didn’t notice the Messiah in front of them.
The Pharisees didn’t notice Jesus in their quest for holiness.
The Sadducees didn’t notice Jesus in their navigation of Roman power.
The Essenes didn’t notice Jesus in their protests against compromise.
But Simeon did. A normal, godly man held the Messiah in his hands.
What set him apart? Why did God tell him what He withheld from others?
His hunger.
Simeon's heart was set on the consolation of God's people.
While other men his age were concerned with the normal pursuits of life, Simeon’s heart longed for more. He wanted to see Israel redeemed and restored. His personal peace was tied to his people’s peace. His heart was connected with God's larger concerns, not just his personal problems.
A.W. Tozer wrote a book called God Tells the Man Who Cares. It was an invitation to walk deeply with God and escape the trivial nature of contemporary life, and it’s an invitation that God extends to us today.
When we take time to step back from our lives and look at what matters to us, we are often drawn to the larger moments—success and failure, sorrow and joy. We review our choices, our ambitions, and our disappointments, trying to make sense of the story unfolding before us. Yet, it’s easy to evaluate everything through a human lens. We can measure success by comfort, productivity, or recognition, and miss the deeper question of God's subtle work in our lives.
Jesus warned that even the simple "cares of life and the desires for other things"can choke what truly matters. We can organize, plan, and strive while quietly leaving God out of the conversation. We can fail to pay attention and miss the miracles happening in our own midst.
What if you paused this week and asked God what He’s doing in your life right now? What if you looked at the larger cultural movements not through a sensational lens but through a kingdom lens? What if you asked Him to show you where His kingdom is breaking in below the sensationalism, controversy, and larger cultural agendas?
Leighton Ford said, "Perhaps inattentiveness is our greatest sin, not only against God but against ourselves." That means that attentiveness may be our greatest opportunity, learning to see and cultivate where God is at work in and around us.
Who knows, maybe God will let you in on some of the things He is doing that others fail to see.
God rewarded Simeon, and God wants to reward you, too.
He rewards those who diligently seek Him.
He speaks to those who care.
He guides those set on doing His will.
Rise above the frivolous masses.
Be a man who cares.
Cheers.
Jon.
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Discussion Questions:
What are some of the frivolous things you tend to get sucked into that rob you of paying deeper attention to God? Why are they so appealing?
What three categories tend to dominate your attention? What role does social media, YouTube, and Netflix-type entertainment play in your attention?
When was the last time you slowed down long enough to sense the Holy Spirit’s direction instead of just reacting to the circumstances around you?
What would need to change in how you spend your time and attention if you actually want to live as a man whom God confides in?
What’s one practical thing you can do this week to be more attentive to God?