Take Time To Ponder

All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Luke 2:18-19

I want to be like Mary! I want to think often about who and what really matters in life.

In today’s verses, the Son of God was just born to Mary, a young teenager who was a virgin! How wild is that? I can’t imagine “all these things” that she was keeping in her heart, but I’m guessing she would have been overwhelmed by them had she not shared a deep personal relationship with her Lord.

When we have a close relationship with the living God, we, too, have hidden away what He says in our hearts. But let’s be really honest with ourselves. How much time during Christmas and Easter and every holy day God gives us on this earth do we spend pondering the real meaning of the holiday? The word holiday means “holy day.” We have been made holy through faith in Jesus Christ, so a holy day is personal to believers.

When we ponder His Word daily, we are thinking about Him often. We can even think of Him in the bustle of a busy office with clamoring coworkers or in a kitchen with busy hands and little helpers, as well as when we’re relaxing by ourselves in our favorite places.

Christ is our constant companion through all our to-do lists and pending responsibilities. He brings peace even in the midst of great unknowns, such as Mary experienced during the nine months the Savior of the world grew inside her. Just as Mary couldn’t snap her fingers for instant peace, we cannot create it in our own strength either.

Mary modeled the true meaning of Christmas through her quiet attitude of trusting faith. She was able to do so because she spent time pondering God’s Word in her heart. Instead of being swayed by the “what ifs,” she planted her mind solidly in God’s great throne room and let Him settle her heart. We can follow her lead and quiet ourselves with God through His Word this season.

Let’s take time today to ponder who God is and the power of His great love for all of us! Enjoy the quiet with Him.