The Joy of “Pondering”

I’ll start this morning by asking you a personal question…”How much do you ponder?”  I will admit that in my own life I think that I ponder far too little.  In today’s world of entertainment and immediate access to information and “noise” the practice of “pondering” has diminished.  I think it takes special effort to “ponder”; a sort of “planned pondering” is required.  For me, I seem to do my best pondering while I’m walking.  Yesterday, I had a chance to go out “pondering” as I went for a walk and I thoroughly enjoyed it…of course, a brisk walk also gets you ready for more Christmas candy when you are finished!

Let’s read verse 19 of Luke 2:  19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  In the past nine months Mary had a lot of things to ponder.  She had an angelic visitation.  Joseph had an angelic visitation.  Mary visited her relative, Elizabeth who had her own special baby story to tell.  Mary had just given birth to a baby.  The shepherds then show up and share with Mary and Joseph what they had seen and heard from the angels.  Lots to ponder.

When we ponder I think it’s important that we see the purpose in pondering.  I don’t think the purpose is to get a lot of answers.  I don’t think Mary had a lot of “answers” as to how her life was going to unfold over the next 33 years.  Rather, I think the purpose in pondering is to communicate and get to know God.  It is to allow Him to show us His perspective on our world.  Pondering helps us to gain an understanding, even if it is a small one, of what God might be doing in our lives.  Answers?  Sometimes but for me, not that often.  Relationship?  Definitely…every single time.

So, now that Christmas is over, perhaps consider spending some time “pondering” what God has in store for you in 2014.