The Long Wait

In recovery programs we’re always encouraged to pay lots of attention to “old timers” – people who’ve gathered years of solid living and have wisdom we can benefit from.

Every year I am so happy we can do that with people in the Christmas story.

I’m thinking of a woman named Anna who inspires me.  God made a promise that He would send someone to bring salvation to the world and the people of God waited and waited. 

For more than 60 years Anna waited for the fulfillment of the promise.  While she waited, she trusted God and served Him.  She didn’t get angry and complain and give up on God in frustration.  She just did the simple things she knew to do, one day at a time and waited.

We are introduced to Anna who was in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus there a few days after he was born.  Here’s her story:

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four.

She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.  She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Luke 2:36-38

Here was a poor woman of no social standing who had made a choice to honour God with her life.  God watched her every day for 60 years as she was watching and waiting and praying to the Lord every day for those same 60 years.

And even though she must have wondered, “How long” there came the day when Jesus was brought to the temple and God revealed to her and Simeon that this was the promised Messiah!!  60 years she waited and God was faithful.

Loving God, Regardless of what each of us is waiting for today, I pray that our hearts will turn towards You and Your promise to fulfill all Your good plans for us. 

We don’t know how long all that will be but we know that Your promises are trustworthy. Your plans are perfect, and Your timing is right..  In this waiting time, between what is and what we’d like things to be, will You help us to wait with peaceful and patient hearts. 

Help us to walk with You and do the ordinary things You have instructed us to do. Help us to just do the next right thing.  Amen

Well I know that as we do what Anna did we will also experience the best life possible today and each day of the upcoming year. 

Further Encouraging Thoughts For Today

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