April 20
Anna
Now there was one, Anna… (Luke 2:36 NKJV)
The name Anna means “grace,” and that seems all the more appropriate when we consider the character of Anna, who graces Luke’s gospel. Not a lot is recorded about her. She only occupies three verses (Luke 2:36-38), but within those verses we get a portrait of someone special.
For starters, we’re told that she was a prophetess (Luke 2:36). In other words, she was a woman who was consistently proclaiming the Word of God. She knew what the Word said, and she was willing to share it with others in a way that was applicable.
We’re also told she was a widow of great age, 84 years old according to Luke 2:37, and that her husband had passed away seven years into their marriage. According to custom, Anna was probably married before she was twenty. So when we do the math, we see it’s likely she lived as a widow for more than fifty years.
But instead of going through life as a bitter and lonely woman, Luke tells us she lived a full life—she stayed close to the Temple and served God through fasting and praying night and day (Luke 2:27). Though single for the vast majority of her life, she wasn’t defined by a man’s absence but instead was defined by God’s presence.
And it’s to this woman, who had been faithful for so long, that God granted the blessing of being able to behold Jesus as He was being dedicated as an infant (Luke 2:38). True to form, she was at the Temple. And true to form she prophesied that this Babe from Bethlehem would be the Redeemer of Israel (Luke 2:28).
Although He certainly isn’t obligated to do so, God has a way of blessing those who base their lives on Him, and Anna’s long life is a shining example. Whether we’re young, old, or in the middle; single, married, or widowed…may we be occupied with the things of the Lord, and may He bless us according to His extravagant grace.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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