Heroes of the Bible: Remaining Faithful Through Your Later Years Sample

Today’s Hero of the Bible: Anna

How old was Anna? Commentators disagree on her exact age but all agree she was an old lady. More particularly she was a very godly old lady. She spent most of her waking day in the temple area praying and engaging with other true believers. And she knew all about Simeon and God's promise to him that he would not die until he had seen the promised Messiah. So when she saw Simeon talking to a young couple who had a baby, she was all attention. She joined in and heard the most amazing things about this baby.

Her reaction was twofold. First, she praised God. What else could she do? What Israel had longed for and what the world needed above all things was taking place. The Messiah had come. Her joy was unconfined. Jesus, the Savior, was in the world; nothing would be the same again. So she rushed off to find everyone she knew who, like her, was waiting for the Messiah. And she spoke to them all, and no doubt anyone else who would listen, about the Savior.

What is so lovely about Anna is that her delight in the good news about Jesus meant she praised God and spoke to others. Isn't that an encouragement to you? What can you do in your last years? You can praise Him. And then you can talk to others about Him. You don't have to be able to answer all the questions people throw at you. All you need to do is speak about how wonderful He is. Rejoicing and testifying older people are rare. But they are a mighty influence for good.