Word@Work Luke27 - Luke 2:19-20
Published: Thu, 01/28/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
FUEL FOR MEDITATION
Luke 2:19-20 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 heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (NIV)
Luke's account of the nativity was so detailed and personal. After sifting through all the written accounts, he must have interviewed Mary (see Luke 1:1-4). When his 'notebook' was full of verbatim comments, we can imagine him asking, "So, after the shepherds had left, and there was just Jesus with you and Joseph, what did you think, how did you feel?" He simply recorded, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart".
A common business folly is to try to absorb too much information, filter out all you do not understand and then make a decision on what you already thought! But Mary was wise. In the past year she had seen an angel, heard that she was to be the mother of God's Son, risked a broken engagement, was sent away to her elderly relative who was also miraculously pregnant, received further prophecy about her future role, wrote a worship song, travelled more than 90 miles just before her due date, delivered the Saviour of the world in an outhouse and laid Him in an animal feeding trough, before shepherds came visiting on the instruction of a chorus of angels. All that was far too much information for the teenage mother to process and resolve; and she knew that all of it was so precious and must not be filtered out. So, she carefully filed the facts in her mind. Then she thought about each amazing message and event, and waited for God to show her what they all meant and how they fitted together: meanwhile seeking to know what she should do next to be obedient. The shepherds had less to process, but they meditated as they praised and told. And it is clear that Mary did the same while talking to Luke.
Meditation is essential for followers of Jesus. Of course, it is a very different kind of meditation than for those who believe it is about emptying the mind. Far from it! Godly meditation takes all the information God supplies, with the circumstances He allows. Treasuring them, the godly place them before the Lord, asking for His help to understand the next step, and trusting Him for all that we do not understand (see Deut 29:29). Mary was to spend her life unpacking that first year, and the many other surprises along the way, as the gospel accounts tell. But she had grasped one of the great secrets of godliness, to reject nothing God sends and to wait on Him for understanding and wisdom. That takes time and trust; but it is a true mark of godly men or women.
Prayer: Heavenly Father. Thank You for all You have taught me, as Your Word has placed life's experiences in a heavenly perspective. Please forgive my impatience in rushing my time with You and for the priority I have given to spiritually wasteful pursuits. Please give me a new desire to treasure all You have revealed to me, and a new peaceful confidence to wait until You fit the pieces together. Meanwhile, may I continue to hold everything with a tender preciousness, and seek my next step of obedience as I follow Jesus. In His Name. Amen.
Subscribe | View Archive | Donate | W@W Facebook Group
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Luke's account of the nativity was so detailed and personal. After sifting through all the written accounts, he must have interviewed Mary (see Luke 1:1-4). When his 'notebook' was full of verbatim comments, we can imagine him asking, "So, after the shepherds had left, and there was just Jesus with you and Joseph, what did you think, how did you feel?" He simply recorded, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart".
A common business folly is to try to absorb too much information, filter out all you do not understand and then make a decision on what you already thought! But Mary was wise. In the past year she had seen an angel, heard that she was to be the mother of God's Son, risked a broken engagement, was sent away to her elderly relative who was also miraculously pregnant, received further prophecy about her future role, wrote a worship song, travelled more than 90 miles just before her due date, delivered the Saviour of the world in an outhouse and laid Him in an animal feeding trough, before shepherds came visiting on the instruction of a chorus of angels. All that was far too much information for the teenage mother to process and resolve; and she knew that all of it was so precious and must not be filtered out. So, she carefully filed the facts in her mind. Then she thought about each amazing message and event, and waited for God to show her what they all meant and how they fitted together: meanwhile seeking to know what she should do next to be obedient. The shepherds had less to process, but they meditated as they praised and told. And it is clear that Mary did the same while talking to Luke.
Meditation is essential for followers of Jesus. Of course, it is a very different kind of meditation than for those who believe it is about emptying the mind. Far from it! Godly meditation takes all the information God supplies, with the circumstances He allows. Treasuring them, the godly place them before the Lord, asking for His help to understand the next step, and trusting Him for all that we do not understand (see Deut 29:29). Mary was to spend her life unpacking that first year, and the many other surprises along the way, as the gospel accounts tell. But she had grasped one of the great secrets of godliness, to reject nothing God sends and to wait on Him for understanding and wisdom. That takes time and trust; but it is a true mark of godly men or women.
Prayer: Heavenly Father. Thank You for all You have taught me, as Your Word has placed life's experiences in a heavenly perspective. Please forgive my impatience in rushing my time with You and for the priority I have given to spiritually wasteful pursuits. Please give me a new desire to treasure all You have revealed to me, and a new peaceful confidence to wait until You fit the pieces together. Meanwhile, may I continue to hold everything with a tender preciousness, and seek my next step of obedience as I follow Jesus. In His Name. Amen.
Your next Word@Work will be sent on
W@WLuke27 | Word@Work © Dr Paul Adams 2010 | Provided by BeaconLight | Contact us at wordatwork@beaconlight.co.uk
Subscribe | View Archive | Donate | W@W Facebook Group