"Pondering"

I have a confession to make… as I sat down to write today’s devotional I really didn’t know what to write! If the medium were speech instead of written, I guess you could say I was speechless! And, as soon as you finish laughing at that, please continue.

I found a list called “The Top 147 Things to Ponder.” The top five things are: “(1) Why are there locks on the door of stores that are open 24/7 365 days a year? (2) If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? (3) Why are there Braille dots on a drive-through ATM keypad? (4) If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2? (5) Is there another word for synonym?” As I continued to read the list, I began to ponder. The definition of the word is “to chew over, or reflect deeply on a subject.” In fact, the Greek root of the word is that which gives us the word “ruminate.” And, that brings me to the devotional… God just does that sometimes!

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. (Luke 2:15-20 NASB).

It is just October, but the stores have already begun to display their Christmas wares. The hopes for a brisk sales season are high. I certainly hope we all begin to see a turn in our economy. There are so many families who are going through very difficult seasons in their lives. You may be one of those. Without lessening the challenge you face, may I remind you of the challenge Mary faced that first Christmas? This young unmarried woman had given birth to her son in a dirty, smelly barn, surrounded by animals. Her thoughts were not of those deficiencies though. She saw the hand of God at work in her life and “treasured” the things of Jesus’ birth. She stored them in a very safe place so that she could spend her time “chewing” on them, pulling every thought and blessing from them.

That is the thought for today. In the midst of our challenges we need to learn the art of treasuring and pondering each experience. Mary could have focused on her surroundings and circumstances; instead, she chose to focus on God’s message of hope. My life has been filled with unusual and unexpected turns in life. Some of them have not yet lost their “surprise”! But this I know… as I hide them away and chew on them, I find the incredible hand of God in the midst of it all. That gives me hope, joy, and peace. Maybe it’s time for you to do a little pondering!