December 23, 2023: True Treasure Is Kept In The Heart

"But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19, ESV)
 
What sets Mary apart from so many others is that she discovers and keeps true treasures in her heart. For such a young person, Mary is filled with God, encounters angels, carries the Christ child, is surprised by visits from excited shepherds, and is honored by wise men. In all this, she does not become proud but humble. She treasures all these things in her heart. What are you storing in your heart? What have you hidden away in your heart that God has given you?

"The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil." (Matthew 12:35, ESV). It matters what you put in your heart. Mary pondered these things in her heart. To ponder means to think about. It is not just about thinking but about connecting the things that are thought of. Mary wanted to 'understand' what all of this meant. What are the implications of these things? 

When God is working in our lives, we are hearing His voice and being led by Him in supernatural ways. We, like Mary, should treasure these things in our hearts because they are from God! It is in the pondering that we discover more of God's plan. In the pondering, the treasure is locked away for another day, in which we will need understanding. May you find and keep the true treasure of God.