Pondering

Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  (NKJV).

In just a few more sleeps it will be Christmas for 2017.  If you’ve already seen a few Christmases like me, you might be pondering again the meaning the message and majesty of the Christmas story.

After all the years I have celebrated Christmas since I was born again, I think it always moves me in a special way.  The power of the message of this time of year always seems to touch me deeply.  I always pass through the Christmas season having thought deeply about God loving me enough and sending Jesus Christ to the earth, to live, die, and rise again for me!

When the Archangel Gabriel (notice whenever he turns up in Scripture, he’s always got something important to say!), spoke to Mary that she would become pregnant with the Saviour, the Scripture says she “ … pondered them in her heart … ”.

What a good thing to do!  We don’t have enough ‘pondering’ in our lives today.

When was the last time we ‘pondered’ something deeply and meaningfully?

Ponder – to consider something deeply and thoroughly, meditate, to weigh carefully in the mind, consider thoughtfully.  (www.dictionary.com).

My pondering of Christmas time this year can be identified in three areas.  Can I suggest them as a good start for you too for some good-old-fashioned pondering?

Reflect.  This Christmas as in most, I spend time in the quiet moments of the day reflecting.  I specifically and intentionally think back, and look over the year that has been, not wanting to go back there, but to prayerfully ask God is there anything I need to repent of, anything I did and said I should not have, anything I did not do I should have – not a morbid witch hunt, but to have a clean slate before God for the new year.

Using the intelligence we have been given, and in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can learn some important points that will help us for the next year.

There is also bound to be many things we cannot help but be thankful for, and simply worship God for His faithfulness as we look back and see His hand at work in our lives.

Reassess.  When we look back and look over all we have done, all we have said, all we have achieved and not achieved, there will be things we need to reassess.  Do we really need that in our life?  Is that commitment going to add or take away for our life next year?

Does our diary, our activities and busy-ness, reflect the values we live by, the purpose we are called to live to, and the destiny God has for us?

This can be a tough and painful process.  If you are like me and have trouble saying ‘no’, it’ll be a little unnerving.  But immensely rewarding.

Recommit.  Having pondered, reflected, and reassessed our values and core beliefs, maybe we need to think through the things we are committed to?  Do we really need so many commitments?  Perhaps if we had fewer, but were more committed to them, we would see the blessing of God more in our life?  Perhaps less is actually more!

The older I get the more I am realising that if I am committed to less things, the better I will be and the better those commitments will turn out.  And I am wondering if this is what the Lord really wants for me!

Christmas time is a great time to ‘ponder’.

To reflect, reassess, and then recommit to things we know God wants for us, things we know will benefit others and us too.

Perhaps we need a ‘Gabriel moment’, so that we too can then take the time to ‘ponder’, and think through, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us about the specifics of our future?

There must have been some HUGE questions and issues Mary just could not work out.  But we discover that she didn’t question the intention of the Lord for her, she pondered and thought them through, she weighed them up in her mind.

Whatever she was thinking, she was obedient to the Word of the Lord!

The part we play in the scheme of things in God’s universe, may not be as earth moving as Mary’s, however, it will still have ramifications and influence beyond our lives.

I want to be like Mary!  There may be a heap of questions I just can’t work out, but, I want to be able to ‘ponder’, and with God’s help think about them, then, with God’s empowering be who I am meant to be and do what I am meant to do!

That’s my ‘pondering’ this Christmas!

Wendy and I pray that you, your family and loves ones, will know God’s best blessings, His peace and empowering this Christmas time!  Thank you for being part of the “Brief Word” family!

Issue #73 DECEMBER 2017. Brief Word comes out every month. Feel free to forward, photocopy and/or post this Brief Word to your Friends. You may be the very means God uses to impact someone’s life with the reality of the love of Jesus and the life changing power of God’s Word. If you wish to be on our regular E-Mailing list, please use the SUBSCRIBE form . If you would prefer to receive this E-Mail in Plain Text, please inform us. If you no longer wish to receive the Brief Word, you can unsubscribe at any time. Check out www.goodwords.nz for free articles, archive copies of Brief Word and other resources.