So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about the child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:16-19
The shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks one night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them. The angel told them not to be afraid; a baby had been born in Jerusalem and He was the Christ, the Son of God. They decided to go and see the baby, and they found Jesus lying in a manger. Afterward, they spread the word about Jesus and everyone was amazed. The Scriptures do not say that Mary was amazed, but instead state that she pondered all of this in her heart.
Have you ever sensed God speaking to you and you did not even want to share it with anyone else? His words were too precious, too personal, too close to home. Do you ever read a Scripture and the words lept off the pages into your heart and you know God is speaking? Or perhaps a friend tells you something and you know that God is speaking to you through that friend? Sometimes a circumstance in your life points to the voice or thumbprint of God. And yet all you can do is treasure His Word in your heart, pondering what it means and weighing it carefully.
Years ago I read a passage in Isaiah and I knew that God was speaking to me. I sensed that He was giving me direction for the future, but it did not make sense at the time. I did not share it with anyone because it made no sense to me and I was not able to even articulate what I thought it might be saying. As the years passed, that same verse would come back to me.
On several occasions, friends would share this verse with me and say that they thought it was for me. All the while, I meditated on it, pondered and treasured it in my heart. A few years ago, the verse began to unfold, and the years of treasuring it in my heart began to find wings.
Mary knew that what the angel had told her had come true. Now she listened as others recognized her son as the Messiah. She held onto the words of the angel; she held on to the words of people, pondering them in her heart. She did not rush out to make it happen. She just waited. And God fulfilled all of His Word that He had spoken to her heart.
Heavenly Father,
I am clinging to Your Word. I will treasure Your Word in my heart and trust You to fulfill Your promises.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
