December 24
“Mary treasured up all these things, and pondered them in her heart…” (Luke 2:19)
This is the one verse of the Christmas story that almost seems out of place. All these wonderful, amazing events are happening – the fulfillment of God’s centuries-old promise is finally taking place. God is at work, doing something that would literally change the world for all of time (and eternity!) and, through Luke’s account, we get to watch and listen as all these events, in their magnificence, are unfolding.
Then, almost as an afterthought (or a cameo) we get an addendum to the story. A look inside the heart of the mother of the Son of God.
And, as we really think about it, we begin to realize that this one verse is replete with wisdom for anyone, and everyone, who has an encounter with God.
The truth is that, for every believer, God is at work in each of our lives. He is doing things – even if those things are not of the magnitude of what happened in the life of Mary. God is investing in us, telling His story through us, just as He was telling a story through the life of Mary.
Our part is to take Mary’s approach… treasure what God is doing in our lives – and ponder those things in our hearts.
Life tends to push us away from this type of approach. Life bombards us with issues, circumstances, problems, responsibilities, conflicts – things that tend to shift our eyes away from God’s handiwork… and shift our hearts from taking the time to cherish all the good things God has done (and is doing) in our lives.
It is easy to get caught up in the cares and concerns of life – and lose sight that we each have a unique God-ordained purpose… and God is actually at work to reveal that purpose through our lives.
But, really, the only way we can appreciate what God is doing is to constantly treasure His handiwork… and remind ourselves (often) just Who it is that is “working out all things for good” in our lives (Romans 8:28).
When we received Jesus (and what He has done for us), God took us as His very own. And from that moment He set out to do what He has always desired to do through us… fulfill a plan and a purpose that existed before any of us ever existed. A plan that He formed from before “the foundations of the earth.” (Ephesians 1:4)
A plan and a purpose that is just as essential (to us) as it was for Mary.
The main “treasure” for Mary – is also the same “treasure” for each of us..
It is Jesus. Always Jesus.
She was used of God to bring forth the birth of the Son of God. And the Son of God grants us new birth in Him. So that HE can be incarnate within us, work through us, minister through us, and change the world through us.
And one of the most important keys of the Christian life is to actually SEE that happening through our lives.
I would just encourage us all… to live with Mary’s example ever-etched on our own hearts… Treasure what God has done, and is doing… and ponder those things often.
TheHeartseeker's Blog 
Amen! Wonderful post. 🙂