"Call To Duty"

   Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
   and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
   And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38

Today I would like to share a couple of thoughts or rather observations I was thinking about today after I read these few verses about Anna. First, Id like to make the observation that ...and I know that it seems like an obvious observation, but I still think it bears remarking on. Anna was a prophetess! That means she knew His heart. She spent time listening to and sharing His words. I know that I have read this fact about her countless times before but until today it never really hit me about what it means. She knew! She knew Jesus was there. I think I always kinda figured that God allowed her to come along at just the right time to reward her faithfulness to Him for all her years of fasting and praying and spending her time in his presence. 

It says that for eighty-four years she served faithfully day and night seeking Him with fasting and prayers. It says that, "coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." She was a prophetess, which means it wasn't this happenstance blessing that she came along at the right time to be blessed with seeing the Messiah but God had told her! She was there because God had revealed His presence to her. It says that she came in that instance and began to give thanks and that and that she immediately started telling people all about Him.

Not convinced? Check out this verse ... Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Hosea 3:7 This verse tells us that He lets the prophets know whats going on! The first thing we find out is her name is Anna and she is a prophetess. Would He not tell such a faithful witness where she could find him? Personally, I believe that He told, she listened, and then ...she faithfully testified!

Anna, the prophetess, answered her call to duty this day. How about you and I in our day? Are we listening?  Do we know what He is actively doing in the earth today?