Anna's life is told in Luke 2:36-38. (There are some on-line Bibles if you need one.)
The text says, "she was very old." The real point here is that life doesn't have to stop at twenty something. If you think you have missed out, Anna was 84 when her big event happened! She lived life expectantly, 'looking forward.' If you're looking at your biological clock...does Anna' story give you any hope? How are you looking at people who have burned 84 birthday candles?
She found purpose in her life, after a huge setback. "She had lived with her husband seven years...and then was a widow." Some people bargain with God, 'If you give me a mate, I will follow you.' Anna spent most of her life single. She used most of her time in prayer and worship...conversation with God. How do you explain how bad things happen to good people? Do you think she was alone or lonely? How did she cope? How do you cope?
God had a surpise in store, seen in this last verse, "Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel" (Luke 2:38, NIV). The 'they' were: Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. The verse reminds us that we won't miss out on a real God given opportunity. One of baby Jesus' names was Emmanuel...which means 'God with us.' In this child's face, Anna looked into the face of God. She then told her world what she had seen. Does Anna's life speak to you?
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3 comments:
Hi Al,
I feel privileged to be the first ever commenter on your blog. These are great thoughts. How many people are willing to wait 84 years, actually believing they would see the Messiah? How many women would have remained a widow at such a young age? This passage reminds us of the rewards of living a life devoted and dependent on God.
I hope many others will join the dialog.
Unanonymously Matt
Hi Pastor Al,
Just letting you know that I have added a link for the blog on our church website. As for Anna, it looks like she understood the concept of living a holy life (holiness) and as a result she had the privilege of seeing the Messiah.
Pat
Phoney
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