Christmas To Do-ers List
Day 7: Serve Him
36 “Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”
Luke 2:36-38
There are over 120 miracles recorded in the Bible. Memorable deeds, acts of bravery and great faith which are recorded for all eternity in God’s word: Moses parting of the Red Sea, Peter walking on water, David slaying Goliath. Saints brought down walls, survived fiery furnaces, raised the dead and healed the sick.
There is one woman we must remember,
Anna the prophetess. Remember her miraculous deed for the Lord? I didn’t either at first. What did Anna do?
She fasted and she prayed.
For over eighty years, she lived in the temple and served God. Eighty years of fasting, praying and serving? That’s a miracle.
What did Anna pray about?
I imagine as Anna was constantly in the temple, she saw many people come with their sins and their sacrifices. Perhaps some with tears and anguish mingled on their faces. It would not be unlikely to assume Anna watched and prayed for these people as they worshiped.
I also think Anna spent much of her time praying for her nation and for the coming Savior. Because she was constantly in the presence of God, her heart was tender to His sudden appearing with His mother and father, Mary and Joseph.
Tweet ThisThe heroes of old listed above were blessed because they saw the hand of God in their circumstances. Anna, after a lifetime of service, was blessed to see the face of God in her Savior Jesus.
Action Points:
- Who needs a little help today? Perhaps an elderly neighbor needs help wrapping presents, baking cookies or shoveling snow. Be the hands of Jesus and serve a neighbor.
- Who in your family needs a little help today? Does your spouse need help with a chore or their to-do list? Does another family member need encouragement? Be the hands of Jesus and serve your family.
- Pray and ask Jesus to show you someone who needs help today. Be looking for opportunities to share the love of Christ. Be the hands of Jesus and serve a stranger.
Please comment on how you plan to serve other today.
Serve others by serving Him. Merry Christmas.
Please enjoy the Christmas music below.
Love this reminder, Mary.
Today I was privileged to attend a beautiful Christmas concert in our community. After it was over, I passed an older woman by herself who looked like she stepped out of a Victorian painting. She was wearing a long, beautiful red wool coat, and a bright red hat sat atop her white hair. I walked past her, but the Holy Spirit nudged me to go back and talk to her. I touched her arm and told her how much I liked her beautiful red coat and hat and how pretty and Christmasy she looked in them. Her whole face lit up and she smiled a huge smile. She thanked me for stopping her and said that made her day happy. I wish I had done more. I wish I would have invited her out for hot chocolate or something, but the whole thing happened so fast I didn’t know how to ask. I can’t stop thinking about her and hope that we will cross paths again.
Thank you for your wonderful story, Jane. You are just like Anna, always looking for someone to help!