WHOLEHEARTED DEVOTION

Wholehearted Devotion

Anna, a prophet, . . . was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about Jesus to everyone who had been waiting for the promised King to come and deliver Jerusalem.Luke 2:36-38

Anna was wholehearted in her devotion, her worship, and her witness. For decades she had waited with hope. She worshipped the Lord with fasting and prayer. Though she was in one of the outer courtyards where women were allowed, not in the inner circle of priests, she was in the temple at the very hour and moment when the Christ child was dedicated. When she saw Jesus in the temple, she burst out with joy and praise, telling all who were waiting for the King about his coming.

We may think our lives are much more distracted and divided than Anna’s, and we are not widows who live in the temple. Yet God calls us to Anna’s place of devotion as well. When our hearts are divided, we can yield them to him again and ask him to help us and to draw us back to wholehearted devotion to him. When we do, the Lord gives us his grace and enables us to centre our lives in him.

LORD, I want to let go of my divided desires and be wholeheartedly devoted to you. Capture and renew my heart today. May I be like Anna, who waited joyfully for you her whole life. I may not yet see you with my physical eyes, but let the eyes of my heart be awakened to see you and to rejoice in you today. You are worthy of all of my praise and adoration!

GOD OFFERS HIMSELF, GIVES HIMSELF AWAY, TO THE WHOLEHEARTED WHO GIVE THEMSELVES WHOLLY TO HIM.Andrew Murray (1828–1917)