Loved, Redeemed and Chosen

Day 243

'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.'
Luke 2:36-38

I chose to look at this passage because I find the character of Anna very inspiring. Despite the odds, she kept her faith and stood strong throughout her life as a woman of God. At this period in time, the society of most of the world was very male-dominated, and women didn't seem to have much of a say (This is not what God wanted though - I am certain he believes every person is equal). So for Anna to be brave enough stand strong, hold steadfastly to her beliefs and do exactly what God had called her to be.

So I think, as we go out today, and over the next few weeks, we should try and orientate our lives to be more like Anna's. The world we like in might not be (thankfully) as sexist and male-dominated as Anna's world, but in the midst of people judging us because of our faith, or whatever else, we should stand strong and be proud of who we are. Why? Because our God is King, he's our salvation, he's our hope, our love, our joy. He's our peace, our Father, our friend, our lover. He's our light and our saviour, and we will honour him forever. He has created us and given us faith, and we can be like Anna, stand in the light and worship the one who made us.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you that you are our King and our Father. Thank you that you have done so, so much for us. You deserve the glory, Lord. You deserve the worship. You are worthy, Jesus. I give my life to follow you. Please give me the strength to be who I am and hold my faith in any situation.

Amen