Monday, February 3, 2014

May we all Wait Expectantly for Jesus: Anna in the Bible

We named Annabeth Sage after beloved family and friends however, we also loved the story of Anna in the Bible.

This week our pastor's sermon* was about Simeon and Anna and their wait to meet Jesus. What a great reminder of how to live a life of faith:

"When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[a]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” ... 36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 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 Jerusalem."
Luke 22: 22-24 and 36-38 (source NIV - New International Version)

Until she was 84 years old, Biblical Anna had waited at the temple, worshipping night and day, fasting and praying until she was able to see Jesus face to face. Face to Face. She was able to speak to Joseph, Mary, and Jesus about "all who were looking forward to the redemption of Isreal." What a powerful place in history she held. What an amazing faith she had.

Although I love the Lord, I do not find myself worshipping or praying night and day. I do not even find myself doing this half of each day. 

I pray that I, that all of us, would be more like Biblical Anna. That we would spend our time doing worthy things such as worshipping, praying, and serving our precious Lord and Savior and His people, all people. Amen. 

*If you live in the Indianapolis area and are looking for a home church or a church to visit, we invite you to ours! Christ United Methodist - Indianapolis 

No comments: