Waiting

Luke 2:36-38

We don’t know much about Anna’s life before her marriage. What we do know is that a grieving widow walked into the temple of the Lord, and she never left. Anna prayed for the redemption of Jerusalem, and for the long-awaited Messiah, the One who would change the world. She prayed morning and night for decades to no avail; yet, Anna continued to pray. Why? Because she worshiped a God who keeps His promises.

With every year that passed, Anna’s hope was stronger than her fear that she wouldn’t see her prayer answered. How do we respond in seasons of unanswered prayer? Do we assume God won’t answer us because it’s easier than hoping that He will? Waiting on the Lord is hard, but it is never impossible. If we want to learn how to wait, we need nothing more than to prayerfully consider Anna’s story. Can we hope like Anna did? Can we pray as she did? Can we praise God that we get to see Anna’s hope fulfilled, just as she did? In verse 38, we see her joyfully share the good news: The Messiah is here!

Prayer:

God, give me a hope like Anna’s and help me to trust in your timing today.

Question to consider:

What are you waiting on in this season? What would it look like for you to fully give it over to God, trusting His timing and His goodness?