December 10: In the land of the living

Meet Anna.
"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. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸ Coming up to them (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) 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 2)
Anna's paragraph in the Bible is tucked into the Christmas story. She recognized the Messiah when she saw him as a young boy at the temple with his parents. From these few verses, we know so much about her faithfulness. We know that she was a worshiper who fasted and prayed. We know that she was a prophet, which means that she was wisely anticipating the arrival of the Messiah. We know that she was grateful when she saw the holy family. We know that she preached. Wow. She immediately told others about the child. She told those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Oh Anna. 
We are thankful that you did not lose heart. You prayerfully waited for Israel's rescue, and you were able to meet the young Jesus. What a thrill for you. 

What a thrill for us.  We will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13