Luke 2: 36-38
"Today we will look at one more example, of a woman who shared the good news of the gospel of Christ with others. Her name is Anna, and there is much we can learn from her in these three short verses.
Anna was the female counterpart of the prophets of her day. There were future spiritual events that she knew in her spirit because of her gift of prophecy, which came from God. The prophetic messages that God had given her always pointed to just one major event: the redemption of her city, Jerusalem.
Her life had not been an easy one. She had found the one true love of her life and married him, but she became a widow just seven years into her marriage. Now she was a much older woman, eighty-four to be exact, and she had never remarried. She was committed to the Lord her God alone, and she never stopped offering prayers and fasts over the things her God had told her. Night and day she prayed. Often she fasted as she waited on God. Her eyes were not only fixed on God, her hope was in the good news that had been most assuredly promised to her people. She waited and prayed and fasted for the Redemption of Jerusalem.
On this particular day she was where she had been every day since her husband had died. She was in the temple offering her prayers again, that the Redemption might come to Jerusalem. All of a sudden she heard the familiar voice of her kindred spirit, Simeon, praying aloud. Anna looked up and saw him speaking to a woman she did not recognize. The beautiful young woman was holding a tiny infant in her arms, but her eyes were locked on Simeon.
'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise (resurrection) of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed, and a sword will pierce even your own soul, to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.'
Anna's spirit leapt within her, and she jumped up from her bowed position of prayer and ran up to Simeon and the woman with the Baby. Through her tears, she began to give thanks to her God for showing her the Light, the Redemption of Israel. Out of her mouth spilled the prophecies that had been her hope for so many years. A crowd gathered quickly to hear the words of this faithful woman, for they too had been waiting and watching, wondering when and if the Redemption of Jerusalem might come.
Like Anna, we have experienced the presence of the Redeemer in our own lives and hearts. Jesus, our Light, is our hope, the One in whom we trust. There are those around us as well who are looking for the Redeemer. They have no hope. They have no one that they can fully trust and rely upon. God is calling us all to bring the good news to the lost by speaking more about Him to those who are in our midst. Will you be found to be faithful in sharing your Hope with this lost and dying world this Christmas? If we would be bow ourselves to the Lord each morning, asking Him to put one hopeless person in our pathway, He will be faithful to do that according to His perfect plan. If we prepare our hearts to minister, and God prepares a heart to receive the good news, then we can trust Him to accomplish all that He said He would. Let's open our hearts to Him, through waiting, praying, and even fasting in His presence, so that He will open our eyes to see the need of Christ in the people we come in contact with. They are all around us."
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