Ponder the Treasure
Day 35: Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
I’VE OFTEN pictured Mary looking at her baby and considering all the events that have lead her to this moment. Or would she have been thinking about his future—and her future. Would she be thinking about her family’s future and her people’s future? I think she thought of both.
As Luke uses the word “treasure” it indicates to us that Mary is putting great value on what God is doing. God came to her, a virgin, and he guided her to the miracle of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. He lead Joseph to accept a pregnant bride, and he took them to this manger this night with the glory of the Lord all around.
Putting these events together, she most assuredly knew there would be many more miracles to come. She, of faith, would treasure God’s choosing her and treasure his plan for her future and Israel’s future. I believe she was emotionally and spiritually preparing herself for a life that would witness the Savior of the world growing into manhood. She knew that each day, each moment as she gazed upon this child, she would celebrate what God had done.
And she would anticipate what God would do.
That is the message of Advent. Open your eyes, heart, mind and soul to celebrate the miracles of life God has given you in his Son the Savior. Anticipate the eternal gift of life God has given you in his Son the King.
Pause and Consider: the gift is getting more personal. Are you ready to open it?
God Protects His Church
Read Revelation 12
Rev 12:10 “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.”
JESUS’ AUTHORITY triumphs over the devil. This scripture summarizes the events of Chapter 12.
The woman is the church. The dragon is the devil. The church is in heaven because Jesus has won victory over evil and ascended to heaven. The devil in his awesome power, symbolized in Rev 12:4 “His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky”, goes to heaven to try to defeat the church.
But the power of heaven defeats the dragon and sends him to earth. In the meantime, God has sent his church to the desert, far away from the dragon in the sea. God’s protection of his people in the desert mirrors the Exodus. God’s people then were released from slavery and the devil’s hold in Egypt. They are now released from and protected from the devil for 3 ½ years of extreme persecution.
And again, the theme is clear, amid this great persecution, God protects his church. Jesus’ blood and resurrection is the eternal triumph. All forces of evil will battle against our Lord. And he will overcome.
Live with Jesus. Trust in his victory. Overcome the evil that wants to destroy you.
Pause and Consider: how being in a “desert” can bring you closer to Jesus.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment