Seeing truth.
Luke 2:36-40 (ESV)
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
Anna’s life story is important. If she got married at 17 (which wasn’t early in that era), she would have been a widow for 60 years. That’s harsh. Life in the first century was like Les Miserables for many folks.
But she’s actually incredibly blessed. Being a prophetess means she has a direct channel to God, and now she has seen the Christ child. She gives a beautiful testimony to that.
And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
There’s not an ounce of self-pity anywhere in Anna. Others may see her as an object of pity, but not she does not.
That’s why she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.
Prophets don’t so much see the future as they see the truth. This enables them to ignore the silly things that we can’t ignore. They aren’t distracted from what’s really important by the things that scream at us all day.
This is why quiet times are called quiet times. You can’t get close to God while the phone’s ringing.
How can you make your quiet times holy to the Lord? Is there something you need to get rid of to make your quiet times more productive? Is the time right? The place? Are the electronic distractions as far away as they should be?
It’s important to be strategic about your time with the Lord. It should be a first fruit, not an afterthought. Spend some time meditating and praying about how to make your quiet time most productive.
Note: it’s okay to fall asleep during a quiet time. Not everyone has the time for that, but when you do, this can be a blessing.
Some people make a habit of praying themselves to sleep when they go to bed.
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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays’ by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here:Â https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community
The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, are here:Â https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NASB stands for the New American Standard Bible. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.
