When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. – Luke 2:15-20
I have always loved these verses. The way each responds to the word inspires me. It makes me reflect on how I respond to things. The shepherds never doubted what was told to them. They went with haste to go see it. Then they told everyone what they had been told. It makes me think, do we doubt the word of God? Do we believe what the bible says, or do we dismiss what we don’t like or agree with? Do we immediately do what He tells us we should, or make excuses why we can’t. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to do something like reach out to a friend or neighbor because something is going on, do we do it right away? When God reveals something or gives us insight into a situation, do we respond as the shepherds did and make haste to take action? Not only did they immediately respond, they told everyone about what was told to them. How many people do we tell the word of God to? I want to be more like these shepherds who instantly responded to the word of God that was given through the angel and told everyone. Wouldn’t it be amazing if all those who were told what God has done were in wonder over it?
I absolutely love how Mary responds, she “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” So often what people hear and see remains head knowledge. They don’t allow the word of God to sink into their heart. When something remains head knowledge only, we often don’t act on it or respond to it. However, when it sinks into our heart, we respond because this knowledge affects us differently. It affects what we do and how we do it. When we allow God’s word into our heart, this is when we become doers of the word and not hearers only. Not only did Mary let what God had done sink into her heart, she pondered it. She took time to think about it carefully. She did not quickly jump to a conclusion. When things are quickly decided, oftentimes they can be quickly let go. However, I notice whenever I have taken time to think on something before making a decision, I don’t have second thoughts or doubts about it later. I am confident in my decision.
I pray that we would all take the time to be in wonder and ponder God’s word for us to see what He has done for us, allowing it to truly sink into our hearts. As we do, we would be confident as we share God’s word and what He has done with all those around us. That we would stand in faith as we pray and see God’s miracle working power displayed
Written By Rebecca Murzin
