Treasure and Ponder

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  -Luke 2:19

After the shepherds had seen Jesus they hurried off to tell others about the child...."and all that heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them." (verse 18)  But Mary "pondered them in her heart" (verse 19).

Mary had been given a great honor to birth the Messiah.  Now she was to raise Him.  This must have felt daunting to her.  Anyone who has had a child will understand the feeling, but not to the extent Mary must have felt knowing this child was born to save the world!

Yet, each of us in a sense births the Saviour in our hearts when we receive the Holy Spirit.  We are charged with nurturing our newfound faith and trusting God to help us every step of the way.  For us Christmas represents each of us.  We must treasure and ponder what we have heard in our hearts so that the Holy Spirit life in us might be fulfilled.

I am grateful that the new life born within me is nurtured every time I trust God.