Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Angels, from the Realms of Glory
By: James Montgomery, 1771-1854 (1816)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone. Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here. Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library. We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant! Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

We continue our journey to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of our Savior. This week we consider the saints who are bending their lives to the will of God at the altar of God. Their role in the story shows us that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Tuesday, we looked at Simeon. Today Anna. Let’s think about this.

Anna

We looked at Simeon on Tuesday and were challenged to hold on to our hope of seeing God’s salvation in our lives. We know a little more about Simeon than we do Anna, including the prayer he offered in praise to God for fulfilling His promise. Still, there are a few things we see in Anna’s life which make me so thankful she is included in the Luke account of Jesus’ birth.

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.^[a]She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 (ESV)

Looking into her Response

What do we see about her in this passage?

• She was a prophetess.
• Though married, she had long been a widow.
• She never left the temple.
• She was poised to praise.

What do we glean from these things?

• She spoke for God. And that was a dangerous thing for if one of the “thus sayeth the Lord” statements did not come true, she should have been stoned. People who speak for God sometimes have very challenging lives because the messages they are compelled to share are sometimes difficult for their listeners to hear. We do not know anything she said, but she was obviously regarded as a person who spoke from God and had nonetheless lived a long life.
• She had lived many years alone, with no companion but God. Such a journey tends to have one of two effects on people. They become either bitter or better. And being a widow, let alone a prophesying widow, in that day would not have easy. Still, she remained faithful to God.
• So abandoned was she to the Lord that she never left the Temple. Some commentators argue that this means she was there every time the doors opened, but we know there were rooms within the temple complex and it is possible someone of her renown and station may have actually lived there.
• Though she likely lived a challenging life, had God alone as her life-long companion, and spent all of her time in the temple, she was still poised to praise God for sending His Messiah. “At that very hour” she began to praise and speak to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Israel.

Waiting Like Her

So, on the heels of yet another celebration of the appearing of the Savior, what will you learn from Anna? Are you willing to wait as she did. Are you poised for praise now, and will you commit to still be ready decades from now?

Let’s think about this.

Do you realize you are called to speak for God? You may not consider yourself a prophet, but in becoming Jesus’ disciple, you were invited into a believing family that has been commanded to share everything we know as often as we have opportunity about our Savior. Scripture says effectively, as you are going, or along the way, make disciples. [Matthew 28:19] Are you willing to engage in that process?

Are you finding your satisfaction in God alone? Married for only 7 years and a widow at 84, we assume Anna was alone with no companion but God for possibly 60 years or more. Whether it is a relationship or some other affection, is your desire for God greater still, and can you say He is enough for you. If you are compelled to find satisfaction in something besides God, you may not be emulating Anna’s desperate dependence on Him in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how consuming is your passion for Him alone?

Going Deeper

Ok, I am not saying you should live at the church, but what might be a parallel in modern day for Anna’s abiding in the temple? Well, the Scripture ask the question, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” [I Corinthians 6:19] Whoa! That brings it close to home. We do not have to live somewhere else to be near God. Quite the contrary, we need to be mindful to make our bodies and our lives places where it is obvious God lives. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you today if there is anything hindering your living out the reality that He is living in you, believer?

Anna obviously had ears to hear what the Spirit was saying to her [Matthew 11:15], and had lived a life of sharing that with others. She immediately began to share what God had revealed to her in the sending of His Son as proclaimed by Simeon. We are commanded to do the same, as we teach others everything the Lord has shown to us. [Matthew 28:20] Are you willing to follow Anna’s example and join Jesus in the work that He has entrusted to us?

These are some big questions to ponder as we round out the Christmas celebrations. May they serve to lift your spirits as you consider the fact that, like Anna, you are invited into something much bigger than yourself. Merry Christmas my friends!

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Image Attributions
Anna and Jesus - https://susanmcgeown.webs.com/apps/blog/show/39188112-faith-s-attitude-at-christmas
Living Like Anna - http://www.biblewalking.com/blog-morning-minute/anna-the-prophetess

Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Angels, from the Realms of Glory
By: James Montgomery, 1771-1854 (1816)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read. Please make certain to enjoy the video log below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone. Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here. Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library. We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant! Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

We continue our journey through Advent as we look at the second part of this stanza. We started with the shepherds’ location and activity, and now shift to God’s arrival on the scene and the change that occurs. Let’s think about this.

God with Us

Stop for just a moment and think about those three words. Seriously. I will wait. “God with us”.

That is some amazing stuff right there.

When Jesus was laid in that manger, God was fully present there, making His dwelling among us. He demonstrated in the Incarnation that He was not far off, but was with us. The One who made the sun, which grew the hay, that made the bed, now laid asleep upon it. Mind-boggling.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23 ESV

He is with us, ergo He is with you. I think the first part of that is easier for each of us to accept. Ok, God came to dwell among us. But the second part gets a little harder. God is with me? I believe it. Spirit, help me receive it. And He will.

Think about the one who first heard these words, quoted from Isaiah 7:14. Joseph. He was in a bad spot. His betrothed had told him she was pregnant, and he had not yet been with her. No to mention she insisted God was the Father. Think about how crazy that must have sounded.

He was likely trying to figure a way out of this difficult decision. Then an angel appeared to him and said these words. And as far as we know he never wavered from his resolute decision to stay by her side; after all, months later it is clear he is still beside her in the Bethlehem stable when his stepson is born.

So what about you? Do you find yourself in an unenviable situation? How is God showing you He is “with” you? Will you remain resolute like Joseph, trusting that God is there through even confusion and pain? Take a moment and think about your circumstance, and invite God to be Immanuel to you today.

Infant Light

This is another beautiful thought. The star could be referred to as the infant light, in that it was His natal star which the wise men said announced His birth. At the same time Jesus is also the infant light Himself, Light of the World, in infant form.

This image nicely captures that duality. While the star is absolutely shining down on that manger, the manger has an internal glow emanating from baby Jesus. This makes me think of how God shined His light that night, and set a precedent for how He wants to shine His light still, in our darkness.

The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned. Matthew 4:16 ESV

The people dwelling in darkness. That is us. And what is that darkness? It is darkness of soul caused by the shadow of death. Until we find the Light of Jesus, we live in the region and shadow of death. The NLT says “those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow.” That is a very powerful and clear picture. Or is it?

If we are living in a land where death casts its’ shadow, my first question is what is the shape of that shadow. What does the shadow of death look like? The shadow of a hand is easy to picture. The image here makes that clear. It is almost as if you can imagine the shadow picking up the leaf. But it can not.

It may seem very real, but a shadow is powerless, other that to block out light from the area equal to the shape creating it. Death casts a large shadow but it is not powerful. Once we see the Light of Jesus the shadow of death can be clearly seen for what it is, a powerless two dimensional thing.

Yonder shines the infant Light. Jesus at His birth was the light that dawned. We while walking in darkness have seen a great light because Jesus revealed it to us. The shepherds were the first to see it, and they told everyone what they had seen, so the light began to spread. Will you shine that Bethlehem Light?

What shadow is death casting over you today? More than just physical death, there are relational, emotional, psychological deaths. Where do you need to see the Light of Jesus shine? Will you invite Him to come and shine into that circumstance or situation? He wants to show you His light. Ask Him today.

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness? Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Image Attributions
Now Residing - https://pixabay.com/photos/living-nativity-nativity-creche-3885693/
Yonder Shines - https://pixabay.com/illustrations/jesus-christ-god-holy-spirit-3852478/
Shadow - https://pixabay.com/photos/reaching-shadow-heart-silhouette-454808/

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Angels, from the Realms of Glory
By: James Montgomery, 1771-1854 (1816)

Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read. Please make certain to enjoy the video log below.

Below is content always available to Subscribers, sometimes to Free Members, and occasionally to everyone. Want to learn more about accessing all the additional material in the Subscriber Content Library, click here. Or check out some other samples at our Free Member Content Library. We have lots of tools and lots of options designed to help you be Resonant! Check them out today!!

Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.

We continue our journey through Advent as we look at the second part of this stanza. We started with the angel host, and now consider how they were there at the creation, and also present to herald the coming of redemption in the birth of Messiah, the anointed One of God. Let’s think about this.

Start at the Very Beginning

It’s a very good place to start. And that is where the praises of the angels began. They sang creation’s story as it unfolded.

When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:7 ESV

Angels are referred to in many different ways throughout Scripture, but one of them is “sons of God”. Here we read that they “shouted for joy” at the creation of the world.

Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created in Christ. They were there when He was making all things, and they are still there as He is remaking all things through His work of redemption. If you listen closely, you can almost hear them singing today as their echoes ring across eternity.

But what does this mean for us? The ones who were offering praise to God as He created all things, were still the first in line when it came time to offer praise for His sending His Son. We should follow their lead. They joined the stars that first morning, and continued their praise, even upping the ante by revealing their glory to the shepherds, in the moment Christ’s natal star appeared. We encourage them to continue to offer their praise, but must be willing to add ours to it.

So will you? Today, join your voice in extending the invite to come and worship to someone. How can you do that? The Christmas season provides many opportunities to invite people to join in the worship of the Christ. How can you invite someone to join you in it? Maybe an event at church or in the community? A Christmas Eve celebration? Commit to find some way to invite some more character’s into this greatest of stories.

Join the Praise

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14ESV

These are the words the multitude of angels sang in grateful chorus the night of Messiah’s birth. To proclaim it best, they gave glory to God first, and then extended peace to all who choose to please God. May we always start by giving glory to God, then extending the offer of peace to all who will walk in God’s ways.

• He was worthy at creation. So they praised Him.
• He was worthy in Bethlehem. So they praised Him.
• He is worthy today. So they praise Him.
• He will be worthy eternally. So they will praise Him.

When you give glory to God by praising Him for sending Jesus to us, you are joining the eternal praises of God offered specifically for the Incarnation. God became flesh and dwelt among us. It is as if you are actually singing your praise with those angels over the pasture outside of Bethlehem. Incredible! But that is not all…

You also enter into those moments when you extend peace by sharing what Jesus has done for you. If you have decided to spend your life ascribing to God the worth that is due His name He is pleased with you. Even though chaos may develop in our lives at times we can still have peace despite those circumstances. When you live that out before others, they see that something is different about you. That gives you the opportunity to speak of the peace you have found in Christ, and that in turns gives Him glory.

It is a powerful cycle we are invited to step into, and welcome others into as well.

Have you ever shared with anyone the peace you have found in Christ? As you consider inviting someone to join you in giving God glory with you at some point in the season, pray about an opportunity to share with them the peace you have found. It may just make al the difference in whether they are intrigued enough to check it out for themselves.

Are these thoughts helping you to develop greater spiritual awareness? Sign-up in the form to the right above to get updates of new tools to help you be Resonant.

Image Attributions
Ye Who Sang - https://pixabay.com/illustrations/music-clef-musical-note-background-2087771/
Creation’s Story - https://pixabay.com/photos/meadow-green-meadow-flower-meadow-2401911/
Messiah’s Birth - https://pixabay.com/illustrations/jesus-christ-god-holy-spirit-3852478/