A Moment

Luke 2:36-38 says, "There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, 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." I get it. She hoped for what the Scriptures promised. She waited for "the redemption of Jerusalem." The most important fact in all of this for me is that she spent her days in the temple worshipping, fasting, and praying. Today our church is fasting and tonight we will all be praying in a worshipful gathering. Our actions are based on our hope in Christ. We wait for the redemption of Goodwill Church. We each wait for many other things as well, whether they have to do with what the whole world is going through or what we alone are going through. A lifetime of worship, fasting, and praying can sometimes be only about a moment. Anna's moment is recorded in Scripture. Ours will not be, but Scripture teaches us that if we want to live a life for God we have to be willing to have it all boil down to one grateful moment. Sometimes hindsight can show us that everything we do is really only about a moment.

When you read about Anna do you see her life as unfortunate or blessed? Are you willing to do everything you do for God for one moment? When you worship, fast, and pray, what is it you seek?