Scripture:  Luke 2:19-20 (NIV) – “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Message: I have recently endured a long period of waiting, with no direct word from God; just the knowledge that He was doing a new thing and I had to trust Him for the best outcome.  He would not abandon me.  Now the waiting is over and He has fulfilled every promise given to me and showered me with abundant gifts beyond my imagining during the days of waiting.  Now I find myself sitting in His presence and simply pondering His goodness and faithfulness.

I think Mary must have done that for the rest of her life.  As she and Joseph set out for Bethlehem knowing that to fulfill prophecy their baby had to be born there; she could have had no idea of the wonders she would witness.  As she released her Son into His ministry, experienced the high points, the struggles, watched His rejection, death and resurrection; how she must have recalled those first treasured memories and drawn strength from God’s faithfulness throughout her life.

As she lived out her later years under John’s protection in Ephesus, I imagine her sitting and pondering on all God had blessed her with.  I believe she would have shared these treasured moments with the new believers.  What a privilege for them to be able to share in Mary’s witness, to be encouraged by her faithfulness during the darkest of times and the deepest of grief.

You cannot ponder quickly, it means to muse or meditate; the longer we spend pondering on God’s goodness the closer we become to Him, the more thankful we become and the more able to witness to others and glorify Him as those shepherds did 2000 years ago.  During Advent make time to ponder on God’s goodness to you and make time to share this with others.  During the most difficult of times, pondering on God’s past faithfulness is the road to victory.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, today I chose to spend time pondering on Your goodness and faithfulness to me throughout my life.  Draw me closer and open my eyes to previously unseen moments of blessing and enable me to bring those blessings to others.  Amen.

Jean Whiting
Henfield Evangelical Church
Henfield, United Kingdom

Revised: February 03, 2025

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