Wednesday Reading: Luke 2:36-38
Key Verse: Luke 2:38
37 And she was a widow of eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, serving God with fastings and prayers night and day.
Devotion:
I would be glad to be able to reach the age of eighty four never mind being a widow for most of that time; but Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, had been so and still continued to serve God in the temple. For all that time she had dedicated her life to serving in the temple and praying with fasting day and night. That sort of dedication does not go unnoticed by God and she was one of the first people that Got to meet Christ as a young child; God blessed those who bless Him!
Our lives seem to revolve too much around the world and not enough around God. Yes we are surrounded by the world and we live in the world but that does not mean that we should be slave to the world! We have been told enough times that we cannot serve two masters, that we must choose to serve God or to serve man because the two are mutually exclusive in that we serve one or the other and not both! God continues to watch us and He knows exactly what we get up to but also the choices that we are given along the way. When we finally get to stand before Him, what will your answers be to the questions He asks of you about your service to Him?
Will you be able to tell Him of the times when you gave up your comforts just so that you could do something for Him, or will He have to remind you of the times when He had to give up His comforts for you? God chooses to show us grace and mercy and how are we repaying Him? God chooses to show us His love and yet we return indifference many times. In so many places we are reminded that God is also Good – that means that He does go out of His way for us at times and what do we do for Him in return? Anna chose to give up her own pleasures so that she could glorify God; she gave up her worldly life and chose a life with Christ instead. Not just that but she was willing to sacrifice her pleasures so that she could serve God. It is our reasonable service to off up the sacrifice of praise to Him continually (Romans 12:1-2) and for that He will take notice!
Points to Ponder:
What would you give up for God?
What has God given up for you already?
Key Verse: Luke 2:38
37 And she was a widow of eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, serving God with fastings and prayers night and day.
Devotion:
I would be glad to be able to reach the age of eighty four never mind being a widow for most of that time; but Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, had been so and still continued to serve God in the temple. For all that time she had dedicated her life to serving in the temple and praying with fasting day and night. That sort of dedication does not go unnoticed by God and she was one of the first people that Got to meet Christ as a young child; God blessed those who bless Him!
Our lives seem to revolve too much around the world and not enough around God. Yes we are surrounded by the world and we live in the world but that does not mean that we should be slave to the world! We have been told enough times that we cannot serve two masters, that we must choose to serve God or to serve man because the two are mutually exclusive in that we serve one or the other and not both! God continues to watch us and He knows exactly what we get up to but also the choices that we are given along the way. When we finally get to stand before Him, what will your answers be to the questions He asks of you about your service to Him?
Will you be able to tell Him of the times when you gave up your comforts just so that you could do something for Him, or will He have to remind you of the times when He had to give up His comforts for you? God chooses to show us grace and mercy and how are we repaying Him? God chooses to show us His love and yet we return indifference many times. In so many places we are reminded that God is also Good – that means that He does go out of His way for us at times and what do we do for Him in return? Anna chose to give up her own pleasures so that she could glorify God; she gave up her worldly life and chose a life with Christ instead. Not just that but she was willing to sacrifice her pleasures so that she could serve God. It is our reasonable service to off up the sacrifice of praise to Him continually (Romans 12:1-2) and for that He will take notice!
Points to Ponder:
What would you give up for God?
What has God given up for you already?