Luke 2:36 – 38
“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, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 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.”
What do you do when you lose what is most important to you in the world?
How do you handle it?
The most devastating things to lose are those who we care about whether it is a person or a loved pet. We can find ourselves wondering if we will ever be able to move on.
Anna is married for seven years. In the first seven years of marriage, how well do you get to know your husband? You have started out your life together, you are a family, and your plans include that person for the rest of your life.
Then suddenly you are alone. You didn’t plan for it, but there you are.
How devastated Anna must have been. For the next 84 years she is facing the world as a widow. If she had married at 20 years old, she would have become a widow before she was 30.
What would you have done? I would have struggled with God and asked why He allowed my husband to be taken.
But where do we find Anna? The Bible says, “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” And when she sees Jesus does she yell at Him for what has happened to her? No. Amazingly we read, “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.”
How does a woman who has lost so much, be able to be so at peace?
The answer is in the text. She was in the presence of God. Even when you lose what is of the most value to you, God can fill that hole in your life.
David knew the power of God’s presence for he wrote:
Psalm 73:28, “But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.”
In our society where every burden is placed on your heart, learn to pray to God and give it to Him.
Dear Heavenly Father,
You love me with an everlasting love. You have asked me in the Bible to give you all my burdens. At this point I am struggling with _______ . You have promised that if I have the faith of a mustard seed I could move mountains. Lord please teach me to trust you enough to leave this burden at your feet, and to trust that somehow you will take care of that burden for me. Thank you for doing this for me.
In Jesus name I pray, amen.
