Anna and Simeon • Devotion 3

Exemplary Living for God
Sydney Kimball

Bear with me as I ask you a rather morbid question. I do promise you, however, that by the end of this, you will see my point in bringing up such a topic. My question to you is this, “What do you want people to say about you at your memorial service, or, better yet, how do you want to be remembered?” Now, many of us, when asked this question, will respond with answers that may sound genuine and inspiring, but our lives do not reflect the same notion. We will say, “I want to be remembered as a generous and kind person” or “I hope that when people think of me, they think of me as someone who truly lived for the Lord.” Unfortunately, as great of answers as they are, most often our actions do not coincide with our wishes. I want you to turn open to the book of Luke.

Luke 2:36-38 says, “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.”

You have just read about Anna, a patient and devout prophetess, who spent her life awaiting the arrival of the Savior who would redeem the people of Israel, God’s people. She did not concern herself with the things of the world, in fact, “She did not depart from the temple, [she spent her time] worshiping with fasting and prayer day and night.” She is a woman we all can look to as an example of an honorable life of devotion and service to the Lord. She may or may not have had a memorial service, but her devotion marked her life. Her faithfulness and exemplary love for the Lord and His plans found her a place in history forever. Every person until the end of time, who reads the Word of God, will read of her God-fearing nature and her patience in waiting on the coming of the Savior. Her close relationship with the Lord allowed her to immediately recognize what others did not see. Even while looking down on Him in His mother’s arms, she saw Him as the Redeemer He is and all He would do. You could see Anna’s love for God through her trust in Him, her devotion to Him, and her immediate recognition of Him. She never doubted that He was coming, no matter how long she had to wait. She would keep looking because He was worth it to her. His coming gave her purpose and kept her alive.

If we want to live a life marked by devotion and love for God, then we must look to Anna as an example. We too must not allow ourselves to be concerned with the things of the world but be so fixated on Jesus’ return that we are ready to recognize Him when He comes back again. We must devote ourselves to saturation in the Word with powerful times of prayer and fasting.

Take some time to reflect on the question I originally asked, “How do you want to be remembered?” Now, are you living a life that will result in your wishes coming true at your memorial service or in conversations about you after you are gone? If not, do not panic. Now is the time to make some changes. Devote yourself to the things that matter and live a life like Anna.