The widow Anna never left the temple. She worshiped night and day in fasting and prayer, which led her to recognize the Messiah. Jesus grew in divine wisdom, for God’s favor was upon him. When the Lord was found in the temple, he asked his parents, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know I must be in my Father’s house?” Are our thoughts and deeds aligned with heaven? God wants to transform us into his likeness. This is the final fulfillment: coming to share in the divine nature of God. The Lord has come to liberate us because of his love for us. We are able to know him because his Word is pulsating within us and his law is in our hearts. However, our relationship with the Lord is at risk from the overwhelming power of the world. “To be a lover of the world means enmity with God” (James 4:4). I was a victim myself: loving the flesh, the world, and devilish promptings. The Lord, in his mercy, set me free.

Abba Father, set me free. Amen.