Lent: Anna

Luke 2:36-38

image credit

I'm a skeptic by nature. I like to have all the evidence possible before making my decision. I don't trust my emotions and I assume that an immediate reaction is based on my emotions rather than empirical evidence, so I prefer to have time to sort through what I know and get back with you later with my processed reaction. It's actually quite amazing to me that so many recognized Jesus' divinity at their first encounter with Him. Anna didn't take time to get to know Him; she didn't question His parents; she didn't second guess the possibility that this little baby was unlike any other. She believed.
.
There is a time to be skeptical (Ecclesiastes 3:1), and there is a time to step forward in faith. Although our world gives us many opportunities to practice doubt and skepticism, God is so completely reliable that every confrontation with Him should inspire us to step forward in faith. We don't need to hold back when we meet the Lord. We don't need to wait for further evidence. When God makes Himself known, He is all the evidence we need. Anna, and many others who encountered Jesus in the flesh, recognized God's call immediately and so did not hold back.