My Eyes Have Seen

This message takes us beyond the familiar nativity scene to encounter two remarkable individuals who recognized what countless others overlooked: the infant Messiah in their midst. Through the accounts of Simeon and Anna in Luke 2, we discover what it means to live with spiritual eyes wide open. Both were characterized by righteousness, devotion, obedience, and worship. They didn't just happen upon Jesus—they had positioned their entire lives to recognize Him when He arrived. Simeon had been promised he wouldn't die before seeing the Messiah, and Anna never left the temple, devoting herself to fasting and prayer. Their stories challenge us profoundly: How many divine appointments do we miss because we're not spiritually attentive? The message calls us to four practical commitments for the new year: living an expectant life through prayer journaling, showing faithfulness in worship by prioritizing gathering together, serving God faithfully regardless of our age or season of life, and being ready to testify when God moves. These aren't mere resolutions but spiritual disciplines that position us to recognize Jesus at work in ways others might miss. Like that beat-up Toyota Corolla with surprisingly low mileage, the most valuable things in life often don't look impressive on the surface—they require discernment to recognize their true worth.