Pondering Things in Our Hearts

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

This precious verse tucked in Luke 2: 19 reveals a great deal about the nature of Mary’s spirit. She was an inward person who “treasured” up all that happened to her simply because she was able to stop and ponder them in her heart.

The way I picture Mary is as a quiet woman of God who understood the gifts that were given to her more often than not, precisely because she allowed the Holy Spirit to help her digest them. Good AND bad, Mary took it all in as a blessing and for that she was blessed. Remember her statement when the Angel came to her and announced that she would carry God’s son in her womb. Regardless of the repercussions that accepting such a mission would have on her personally, from losing her reputation to the real possibility of even losing her life by stoning, after she listened to God’s messenger, she simply said:

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." 

Then the angel left her. Luke 1: 38

She accepted the task in humility, and even though she was left utterly alone after such a proclamation, she went on. Later she would show her ability to express the meditations of her heart when, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, she was able to exhort the Lord’s name in her Magnificent song spoken to Elizabeth in Luke 1: 46-55.

We too are endowed with the same Holy Spirit-inspired-ability to stop and ponder. This capability can allow us to clearly see the divine nature and the eternal magnitude of God’s plan for us even in the most dire of circumstances. When we reflect and meditate on life’s unfolding course of events, we learn to treasure them with the same dignity and humility that Mary displayed. And we see what a treasure they really were/are.

Today, as we are on the way to closing out yet another year, we praise Him for all that the now faded days, weeks, and months brought to us. Good and bad, we take some time to ponder them and to pray that we recognize the hand of God helping us along the way. He never let go of our hand and He never will. He was Faithful and He will continue to be. He never abandoned us and nothing will ever separate us from His Love.

Do you dread pondering the past? Do you avoid thinking about what has happened to you, especially the bad? Are you able to see value in taking time to reflect on what is now behind? It’s not that we are to dwell on it, not at all: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. (Isaiah 43: 18) But, do you see the importance of quieting our soul and meditating on God’s hand in our lives?

Linking with: Faithful Friday