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Pondering Hearts
Dec 07, 2017
“Christmas is not about me – it is about Christ revealing Himself in me and to me!”
(Joy! to Your World! A Countdown to Christmas devotional)
For the last few years, as we enter into this Advent Season, I am pulled between the hype of Christmas and the spiritual meaning of Christmas.
According to those that have done research, Jesus would not have been born around 25th December, but somewhere around the summer or even early Autumn. But apparently there was a pagan festival which was celebrated around 25th December. So somewhere along the line, someone decided that 25th December was a good time to make it formal and celebrate Jesus’ birth.
But whatever really happened, and whenever it really happened, Advent certainly is a time to get caught up in something. For a lot of people (Christians included), Advent is a time of getting really caught up in Christmas shopping. Going into the shops, or going online, and spending money. Buying gifts. Spoiling people. Getting in all the food necessary to feast for days on end.
Now I’m not against all that. I am one who loves buying gifts for people and spoiling them. I love the ‘challenge’ of trying to find the gift that will really bless the person that I am buying for. I love watching people’s faces as they open their gifts and respond to the gift by their facial expressions. I love spending Christmas with family and friends and eating and fellowshipping together.
But the last few years God has stopped me short, and questioned me on how I approach Christmas.
Do I bring Him in on every decision I make, or is this a time that I forge ahead on my own and do what I want to?
Luke 2:19 has become a special scripture to me – “But Mary treasured all these things in her heart and often pondered what they meant.” (The Passion Translation).
“But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart.” (Amplified Bible)
As Mary, after the birth of Jesus, stopped to think about all that had happened to her in such a short time, I now stop and think about Jesus, the Christ-child, and what His birth has meant to me. What His coming into this world has done for the world. What His life has shown me and what His death gave me. The Father has given us the greatest gift of all – Jesus.
But this morning as I was reading my devotion for the day, God took me back to when He, through the Angel Gabriel, came to Mary and told her she had been chosen to give birth to Jesus. And He showed me that when I read this account, I always only read it from Mary’s perspective. And God then dropped a question in my heart – “Have you had a ‘Mary-Experience’”? Well, of course, my initial response was ‘No, of course not’. But then God made me really think about it.
And so I give you my account of Luke 1:26-38
“One day, God sent His messenger to me, Jean, who was, even as a young teenager, married to the world. In spite of going to Sunday School and Youth Church, the things of God were not yet real. And God’s messenger spoke to me, about the love of Jesus, and told me that Jesus wanted me to be His very own.
But I was not sure at first, and kept on asking God if this was really real. And He comforted me and told me that God has chosen me to carry His Son, Jesus, in my heart for the rest of my life. That I would live for Him and serve Him as He called me to. And He would reign in my life, and His light would shine through me. I would be a carrier of His Kingdom, of which there is no end.
And I asked God how He would use me. I was young, and was scared of being in the public eye.
But He reassured me that when I accepted Jesus, His Holy Spirit would come and live in me, and guide me into all truth, and give me everything I needed to do the work that God has planned for me. “For Nothing is Impossible with God”.
My response was “As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” (Passion Translation of vs 38(b)
And so I accepted Jesus into my heart, and we are still writing history together.”
God showed me that I had indeed had an encounter with Him, just as Mary did, when I was told about the good news of Jesus Christ. I was chosen, and highly favoured, just like Mary. I was anointed to carry a message of God to the world, and to be the one who would share Jesus with the world.
Everyone who has accepted Jesus into their hearts has had an encounter just like Mary. What a wonderful thing to ponder in our hearts and treasure as we continue to prepare for the celebration of Christmas, with the giving of gifts and the sharing of Hope.
Take time this Advent Season to ‘give careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart’ as you prepare for the joy of the season.
May you be blessed this Christmas time. May you find favour with each other as you share the love of God and the Hope of Christ with people. May you draw closer to God as you ponder Him and treasure Him in your hearts. May you find Him as you seek Him with all your heart.
God bless you.
Jean
For the last few years, as we enter into this Advent Season, I am pulled between the hype of Christmas and the spiritual meaning of Christmas.
According to those that have done research, Jesus would not have been born around 25th December, but somewhere around the summer or even early Autumn. But apparently there was a pagan festival which was celebrated around 25th December. So somewhere along the line, someone decided that 25th December was a good time to make it formal and celebrate Jesus’ birth.
But whatever really happened, and whenever it really happened, Advent certainly is a time to get caught up in something. For a lot of people (Christians included), Advent is a time of getting really caught up in Christmas shopping. Going into the shops, or going online, and spending money. Buying gifts. Spoiling people. Getting in all the food necessary to feast for days on end.
Now I’m not against all that. I am one who loves buying gifts for people and spoiling them. I love the ‘challenge’ of trying to find the gift that will really bless the person that I am buying for. I love watching people’s faces as they open their gifts and respond to the gift by their facial expressions. I love spending Christmas with family and friends and eating and fellowshipping together.
But the last few years God has stopped me short, and questioned me on how I approach Christmas.
Do I bring Him in on every decision I make, or is this a time that I forge ahead on my own and do what I want to?
Luke 2:19 has become a special scripture to me – “But Mary treasured all these things in her heart and often pondered what they meant.” (The Passion Translation).
“But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart.” (Amplified Bible)
As Mary, after the birth of Jesus, stopped to think about all that had happened to her in such a short time, I now stop and think about Jesus, the Christ-child, and what His birth has meant to me. What His coming into this world has done for the world. What His life has shown me and what His death gave me. The Father has given us the greatest gift of all – Jesus.
But this morning as I was reading my devotion for the day, God took me back to when He, through the Angel Gabriel, came to Mary and told her she had been chosen to give birth to Jesus. And He showed me that when I read this account, I always only read it from Mary’s perspective. And God then dropped a question in my heart – “Have you had a ‘Mary-Experience’”? Well, of course, my initial response was ‘No, of course not’. But then God made me really think about it.
And so I give you my account of Luke 1:26-38
“One day, God sent His messenger to me, Jean, who was, even as a young teenager, married to the world. In spite of going to Sunday School and Youth Church, the things of God were not yet real. And God’s messenger spoke to me, about the love of Jesus, and told me that Jesus wanted me to be His very own.
But I was not sure at first, and kept on asking God if this was really real. And He comforted me and told me that God has chosen me to carry His Son, Jesus, in my heart for the rest of my life. That I would live for Him and serve Him as He called me to. And He would reign in my life, and His light would shine through me. I would be a carrier of His Kingdom, of which there is no end.
And I asked God how He would use me. I was young, and was scared of being in the public eye.
But He reassured me that when I accepted Jesus, His Holy Spirit would come and live in me, and guide me into all truth, and give me everything I needed to do the work that God has planned for me. “For Nothing is Impossible with God”.
My response was “As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” (Passion Translation of vs 38(b)
And so I accepted Jesus into my heart, and we are still writing history together.”
God showed me that I had indeed had an encounter with Him, just as Mary did, when I was told about the good news of Jesus Christ. I was chosen, and highly favoured, just like Mary. I was anointed to carry a message of God to the world, and to be the one who would share Jesus with the world.
Everyone who has accepted Jesus into their hearts has had an encounter just like Mary. What a wonderful thing to ponder in our hearts and treasure as we continue to prepare for the celebration of Christmas, with the giving of gifts and the sharing of Hope.
Take time this Advent Season to ‘give careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart’ as you prepare for the joy of the season.
May you be blessed this Christmas time. May you find favour with each other as you share the love of God and the Hope of Christ with people. May you draw closer to God as you ponder Him and treasure Him in your hearts. May you find Him as you seek Him with all your heart.
God bless you.
Jean
xxx
