"She spoke about the child.." Luke 2:36-38 (CEV)

The general effect that Jesus seems to have on everyone that meets Him is that they are changed; they become believers who recognize that God is in Jesus and that He is to be worshipped and praised. Even as a young child, Jesus had this effect on people who desired to know the heart of God.

The following is a short story of Anna's life that I put together about her life in Jerusalem.

Anna got married when she was a young woman, and she pursued the desire that God had placed in the hearts of most men and women to become united as a couple before God. 

Anna had no idea what her life would be like as a covenanted woman, but she was willing to pursue it, for God had purposed this desire for her, and she knew it. 

Anna was a dedicated woman even before she married, and she would be fully committed to her husband, for she knew that she wanted to fulfill what God had placed in her heart.

Anna's marriage was happy and joyous, for she was singly focused on desiring what God had given her in a husband and as a woman of God. 

Her lot in life was a good one, and the Jewish leaders favored her as being a woman of integrity. Her husband was a good provider and she was contented with being provided for by the resources that her husband could bring home to support her; this added to her joy, knowing that the Lord would provide for her needs through her husband.

After seven years of marriage, her husband took ill and died, this devastated Anna for she had hoped that the Lord would continue to bless her and provide for her needs through her husband well into her senior years, now that hope was gone. What would she do now? Should she remarry? It seemed like the only appropriate thing she could do in this type of situation; in fact, it indeed seemed like that it was the only thing she could do.

Anna had a strong relationship with the Lord, and she fasted and prayed to entreat an answer from the Lord in her life's circumstance, the Lord in His usual way began to meet Anna at her deepest need and began to console her broken heart. 

The Lord revealed to Anna that her marriage wasn't between just her and her husband alone, but was a marriage between her, her husband, and the Lord. There was a deeper purpose for marriage being revealed to her than she had originally realized, marriage was a physical union of a spiritual covenant or commitment. 

Everything that she vowed in her wedding had included the Lord, and He was always there in her marriage, but now with her husband gone, it was just her and the Lord to sort out what was to come next. 

Anna was devoted to the Lord as she spent her time at the temple seeking Him. The Lord, on the other hand, was pursuing Anna and letting her know that He had not forgotten her, and He was more than sufficient for all of her present and future needs. 

The Lord's presence brought much comfort to Anna, so she began spending more and more time at the temple. The leaders in the temple started to notice that Anna was spending more and more time there, and it undoubtedly concerned them. Still, as they began to see that as she spent her time with the Lord, they noticed that she began speaking from His heart for other people, and this led to her be called a prophetess.

Anna served in the temple for many years until now she was eighty-four years old, for she had found her true husband in the Lord. As she went about her daily routine of praying and fasting before the Lord, she noticed a young couple had brought their child to be dedicated to the temple, as was the custom in the Jewish culture. This was Mary and Joseph bringing their young son Jesus.

Simeon, an old prophet had come before this young couple and was saying some things to them, Anna noticed from a distance but could not hear what was being said for she was not close enough to hear them. 

Simeon had left and gone his way, and the couple was again alone with their child, Anna felt compelled to approach this couple and see this young child, so she walked over to the couple and introduced herself to them. As she gazed on their child, the Lord spoke to her heart, "I have come to earth, and I am in this child, who is to be the savior of Isreal." Her heart leaped for joy, and she began praising the Lord with all her might and speaking and prophesying about this child who was born who is to become the one "who would set Israel free from their bondage."

Anna in this story represents every believer who meets Jesus, for He reveals who He is to us, and we become aware that Jesus is our only savior, and that He is the savior of the world, we can't help but tell others the good news.

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett