Life in Service – Part 2
Luke 2:37 (NKJV)
“and this woman…served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” – Luke 2:37 (NKJV)
As we continue to learn from Prophetess Anna, the passage of Scripture in Luke 2:36-38 – records her as being married for seven years before being widowed. At that time, the common age for women to wed was around fourteen years old, making her just about twenty-one years old when she was widowed. The passage further indicated that she was a widow for approximately eighty-four years. Anna may have been over a hundred years old when she met Jesus’s family.
Can you imagine an old, wrinkled woman never leaving the temple (from a young age), worshipping with fasting and praying night and day? When she went into the temple on the day that Jesus was taken there, she saw what others could not. The very moment she arrived, she began to praise God and talk about Jesus “to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” – Luke 2:38 (NKJV).
Anna was certainly called and responded with a life of service; so are we! Anna’s life was one of devotion to prayer, fasting, and service in the house of God. Do you know anyone with similar traits? What about you?
Though being widowed at such a young age, Anna didn’t exercise self-pity, complain, grumble, or fall into depression; instead, her choice caused her to show up at the presentation (dedication) of our Lord and Saviour. She was a woman full of hope and purpose. She did not become bitter with her situation but sought the Holy Spirit daily, and He accompanied her daily. Can you think of women you have encountered along life’s journey who do not have any bitterness in their hearts but seek God’s face above all else?
Anna, the prophetess, teaches us that the same expectations and beliefs with which she lived her life are still available to us today. She is a template of what committed Christian discipleship looks like – fasting, continual prayers, and sharing the Good News with others. She is a perfect example of what it could be for us to rely solely on our heavenly Father.
Anna has surely found her place in biblical history. What is that to us? She has shown that a life lived in expectation and godly service will be rewarded.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give us the desire to live a life of devotion to You. May we have that steadfast faith like Anna. I pray we continue to examine the expectation of the living hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ. May we all continue to live a life in service to the kingdom of God. We wait expectantly for the glory and goodness of God in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read: Deuteronomy 10:12; Matthew 5:14-16
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 74:1-9; Acts 9:32-43; Acts 10:1-23; 2 Samuel 23:8-39; 2 Samuel 24
