New Year Treasures

"And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem."

Luke 2:36-68

Anna was what we today would call a "Prayer Warrior". She spent over sixty years in the temple, fasting and praying; most likely interceding for others. To a lot of people in today's society, Anna's life in the temple would be considered a waste. But Anna didn't see it that way. ". . .if we look just below the surface, we see that Anna lived fully devoted to God. God commends her life to us. In the Bible, every fact is confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. Along with Simeon, God chose Anna to bear witness to the infant Jesus as the Messiah. Her life was well spent." -- Pastor Steven J. Cole 

Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)  Anna stored up her treasures in heaven. It's a new year. Where will your treasures be stored in 2012?

Learn to Share

"And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem."

Luke 2:36-38

Anna, descended from one of the twelve tribes, is a woman devoted to God. It seems from the text that the temple is her home. She is more comfortable there, fasting and praying, than anywhere else. When she sees Jesus she immediately gives thanks to the Father. Her passion is to speak of the things of God, and now that she has seen the Redeemer she tells others about Him. God may not call us to spend all of our time in church, like Anna, but He does want us to share the gospel of salvation with those around us.