Treasure and Ponder December 24, 2016

¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
Luke 2:19 ESV 

A group of smelly, rough-hewn shepherds are the first recorded visitors to worship at the feet of our Lord and Savior.  After hearing the declaration from an angelic host that "a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" was born in Bethlehem, they "went with haste" to visit the newborn laying in the manger.

History does not record who they shared their angelic revelation with, but I would assume it was perhaps many of those they met on the way to Bethlehem.  And most certainly to Mary and Joseph.  Luke records that Mary "treasured" and "pondered" the shepherds' message.  

I wonder how Mary would have reacted in 2016 to such news.   Likely there would have been a selfie or two.  Then a Facebook post.  Perhaps a Tweet followed by an Instagram post.  Soon CNN and People Magazine would have clamored for an interview.  A fifteen-minute news sensation.

Luckily none of that was available 2000 years ago.  Mary received news that reinforced the angelic message of nine months earlier.  Her son was destined for greatness.  Her baby was going to change the world.  But she treasured and pondered.

Do we treasure and ponder God's Word?  Perhaps during our quiet time we will reflect on a verse or two.  We might pray over a verse or two.  But treasuring and pondering?  

We live in a day and time when it become increasingly difficult to shut our noise, information, and interruption.  Phones are attached to our ears, news is 24/7, the Internet is a source of more information that any society could ever need.  To find the time to really digest and plum the depth of God's words takes a very intentional effort.  Take a walk WITHOUT the cell phone.  Sit around a campfire WITHOUT a Bluetooth speaker.  Relax on the deck WITHOUT a Kindle.  

Take time in 2017 to "treasure and ponder" what the Lord want to reveal.