“Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day.” Joshua 14:12 For forty long days, the twelve spies had searched the land of Canaan, and now they headed back to pack up their families and bring them across to the land the Lord had promised. As they journeyed, perhaps Caleb shared with Joshua his dream of Hebron being his inheritance. But as they returned to their camp and began to share what they had found with Moses and the rest of the people Caleb’s heart became heavy. They had all been impressed with the prosperity in…
“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36-38 Yesterday, we considered Simeon’s story, and it is important that we look at another person who was there, listening to Simeon’s prophecy and blessing. Today we will look at Anna and her place in God’s Word. Luke doesn’t tell us much about Anna, and she is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture. He does tell us she was about eighty-four years old. I just turned eighty-five this year, so we have something in common. But there are some differences. I have had a good life. God blessed me with a good husband, and we had 35 great years together. I have wonderful children, two of whom are active in the work of the…
“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Luke 2:25-26 There are many people who are only mentioned once in the Scriptures, but each one has a special place in God’s plan for mankind. Each one had a purpose to fulfill. Such a man was Simeon. Luke describes him as a devout man, waiting for the Messiah to come. At some point, the Lord had given him a promise that it would happen while he was still living and He would see Christ. We don’t know how long he waited, or how many times he had seen parents bring their sons to the Temple. Then one day, the Spirit led him to go to the temple. As Joseph and Mary arrived to present their son to the Lord, Simon stepped forward and took the baby in his arms. He worshipped the Lord and said: Luke 2:29-32 “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart…
“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11 Sarah is one of the greatest examples in the Bible of someone patiently waiting for a promise to be fulfilled. We can all learn so much from her. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for her to pack up her belongings and start out on a journey not knowing where she was going? Abraham had direction from God, and even though she may have disagreed with…
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:7-9. I love the Autumn. The days are cooler and there is a feeling of expectancy in the air. The farmers are busy harvesting their crops. The seeds that they planted so carefully in the Spring have produced bountifully. It has been a busy time, cultivating, weeding, watering, and whatever else they had to do to ensure that things grew as they should, and now they are seeing the results of their labour. The stores and market stands are filled with fresh produce for us to enjoy. Just as the farmer has a waiting period between sowing the seed and reaping the harvest, there are times in our life when we ask the Lord for something, and He allows us to go through a waiting time before we receive what we have asked for. For most…
“Let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:31b KJV) Whatever we DO—what we create and accomplish—should be of such quality and skill that it is always our BEST effort. Shouldn’t what we do for others be done so well that we would be delighted to receive it ourselves? Certainly, whatever it is, it is worth doing WELL as unto the LORD. This is actually an attribute of God. He made us with so much love and care that He DELIGHTS to look at us! He watches us, thinks about us, cares for us, and has sacrificed so much for us that He desires to receive us—for Himself—FOREVER! “The Lord takes pleasure in his people; he honors the humble with victory.” (Psalm 149:4, GNT) We are the delightful, lovable fruit of God’s hands! We further delight Him when we recreate delight out of OUR own hands. The work of our hands should be of such quality that it would be our own highest reward! Imagine the quilt-maker at the county fair who, after the judging is complete, is given the highest award possible—not only a blue ribbon, but the…