Today we are looking at Anna’s role in the Christmas story. Anna was a woman who trusted God with her life after suffering a tragedy.
If you’d like a bit of background about Advent, please read Day One’s entry. Keep persevering in your desire to draw closer to God during this season of Advent.
To read today’s entry, simply click on the link below.
What do you live for? Is there something that you often say you can’t live without? For many of us it’s coffee! In the Bible, Anna lived for something much more significant than coffee. As a matter of fact, she spent her whole life waiting for one beautiful moment. To do the study One Anna, One Purpose just click on the link!
Join Jane and Mary as they discuss the people God used in the miraculous story of Jesus’ birth. What’s so interesting is that God uses everyday people to bring about His plans in the world–and He wants to use us too!
We discuss Zacharias, Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, the Wise Men, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. Find out what lessons we can learn from each of their lives as we delve into their parts in the Christmas story.
You can listen a couple of different ways. Simply click on the sideways triangle button below to listen right on your computer. Or …
Follow this link to Talk Shoe’s page, and you’ll be able to download the podcast or add it to your iTunes account.
Please click on the link to access “The Christmas Story: Illustrated in Names”
Merry Christmas!!
Mary and Jane
Scripture:
“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; 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. 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
Focus: Hope
These short three verses in the Bible hold out much hope for us. Here is a woman who was married for only seven years when her husband died. Rather than living in misery and despondency, Anna chose instead to live a life to glorify God. She walked so closely with God that when Mary and Joseph arrived in the temple to present the baby Jesus, Anna recognized Jesus as the redemption of Jerusalem. She had the privilege of looking upon the Savior and knowing Him.
I can only wonder how many people’s lives Anna touched. How many young mothers and widows might she have encouraged in her lifetime because of her close walk with her God?
During this time of Advent, take some time to reflect on a disappointment or life change you may have suffered. How are you handling this? Are you allowing God to use this in your life, or have you become bitter over it? Pray and ask Him to open your spiritual eyes, as He did Anna’s and look for ways that God can use this disappointment for good.
Prayer: Dear Lord,
We pray for the spiritual eyes to see how you can use our disappointments, life changes and even tragedies to bring about good. Help us to trust you to bring a blessing out of them, and make us wiling to be used. Amen.
Pray on!