Dears in Christ

Greetings and blessings!

Luke 2:36-38 says

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 worshipped 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.

Let us look into the prophetess Anna's life and get encouraged today.

Anna was a prophetess and the only prophetess recorded in the New Testament. Luke the author takes time to record her father's name Penuel which means the face of God or the appearance of God and her tribe Asher which means the happy one or happiness. The next verse gives us a background of who she was and what she did but the greatest of all she got to be one in the two whom God chose to welcome His son on earth. She was one in the two God chose to bless His only begotten Son Jesus when He was being presented in the temple. What a grace! What a blessing to welcome the One who formed her!

You will agree to the fact that both men and women are much busier today than ever. But what makes me think is, how are we more busy when we have everything simplified. Technology has made everything easy for us today. I'm very sure that in most of the homes reading this post you have the machines replacing the work that was once done manually, from simple ones like grinding for cooking, women used to spend hours after hours doing it but now we have a blender/grinder, and it's the same with washing clothes and many others. Here is the question; having all these wonderful things that actually help us save time should we not be having more time to preaching than ever? Should it not be our generation who should actually be doing more for the Kingdom of God than our forefathers and mothers did? I will let you answer that. But we are the ones giving more excuses than before when we are called to the ministry.

It is good and important you spend time with your spouse, your children and do all the important needs of life but do you take the time to go and share the gospel to your friends? Women when called to the ministry excuse saying they need to save their husband first, children first. I am not against it, but should you not also think about others. As we think about Anna the prophetess today, you might say that she could be what she was because she had no family. My dear brothers and sisters let me be honest with you- by the grace of God I have spent time with many widows and widows who were of Anna's age above the age of eighty in my ministry and trust me- their life is hard. I have been with and spoken to people who have nobody to care for, nobody to wish them a happy birthday or buy them clothe for Christmas. I am sure you will agree when I say Life is hard not when you have a husband it's when you don't and it all together changes to a different state when you get married and you lose your husband. Having and living with your family is a blessing than to be alone. So, please do not bring the very blessing as an excuse when you are called to the Holy work. In fact, you should be doing more than a widow or a person who has nobody to live with does.

Anna lost her husband after seven years of marriage. I am sure that was not considered good in those days she lived in. She could have had many hurting words, she could have not participated in many functions in her own family and friends but she chose one thing- to fast and pray all her life. She continued in the temple night and day with fasting and praying. When the baby Jesus arrived, the passage ends by saying that Anna went out and proclaimed the good news to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. If an 84 year old woman, a woman who lost her husband very early, a woman who had nobody to ask her if she has had her food, a woman who is not very much welcomed in the society could evangelise, what is your excuse to pray and to preach?

Bro John Clement Amalanand

God’s love missions family

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