Only three verses in all of Scripture about her, but I’m
convinced I would have loved her. Anna
was one amazing old lady in love with an amazing God.
Someone in her circumstances might have become overwhelmed, bitter,
and lonely, being married only seven years before becoming a widow, but not
Anna. She spent her time attached
to the Lord’s interests—and He communicated with her (she was a prophetess,
says Luke 2:36). Now as an 84 year
old, “she never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and
prayers.” (Luke 2:37) I wonder just how long she had been
doing this.
Nowadays, people twenty years younger than Anna was are
retired, but not Anna. She obviously
wasn’t sitting around at home doing nothing or feeling sorry for herself. No, she was in step with the
Spirit. “At that very moment . . .”
as Simeon was prophesying about little eight-day-old Jesus as he held Him in
his arms, she came up and starting giving thanks to God. Oh, to be so close to Him, so in step
with the Spirit, that when the Lord is doing something significant in my
vicinity I, too, would be in the center of it, and not missing it.
Most of the people on the planet, whether young or old, let
their own selfish purposes dictate their lives, but not Anna. Anna let God’s purposes direct her time
and energy. She “continued to
speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of
Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38) Interestingly, it was those who were
looking to see what God would do who got in on the news of what God was up
to. I wonder if the ones who
weren’t looking for the redemption of Jerusalem ever found out what God was
doing?
And that’s it.
Just three verses, yet her life has inspired and challenged mine.
Where is my focus?
On my situation or on the Lord’s interests?
Am I in step with His Spirit, or I am I too focused on me to
see what He’s doing?
What directs my time and my energy? Am I ready at any moment to step up and
begin giving Him thanks?
O Lord, in all my days, I don’t want to miss even one moment
of what You are doing or one opportunity to give You thanks!
Moment by moment, may I, too, be a praying woman who hears
from You, keeps on speaking of You, and gives You thanks that others can
hear. Shape me in such a way that
the simple snippets from my life would point others to bless Your name.
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the
Spirit.”
Galatians 5:25 (NIV)
