ETERNAL HOPE
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19, ESV
Theme: Keep treasuring the blessings and confirmations God has given you. They will fill you with faith and hope for the future.
MARY’S MAGNIFICAT – Luke 1:46-55 (NLT)
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
We all know someone who doesn’t speak a lot, but when they do, everyone listens. I can’t know for sure what kind of personality Mary had, but that’s how I picture her. When Luke gives his account of Mary, he speaks of her “wondering,” “marveling,” “treasuring,” and “pondering.” Mary was a thinker. She took time to process information and thoughts, and when she spoke, we can be sure that her words were coming from a place of deep understanding.
Mary’s Magnificat is a witness to God’s faithfulness to His people, Israel, who had been waiting for the One who would set them free from their oppressors. Mary was watching God fulfill ancient promises not only in her lifetime, but in her very body.
THE SHEPHERDS’ STORY
In Luke 2:19, after the shepherds visited Mary and her new Holy Infant, Scripture says that she kept this particular event in her heart and pondered it often. The shepherds must have told her everything they had heard from the angel and the angelic host that very night. I imagine them saying, “We rushed here – an angel of the Lord came to us in the fields this very night and said, ‘Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.’ And then he told us, ‘The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.’ He said we would recognize the Messiah by this sign: that he would be a baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger. Then heaven’s host appeared to us and sang, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’ So here we are, to see the babe in the manger; to worship the Messiah that has finally come.” The shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said, “but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often” (Luke 2:19, NLT).
“Often.” Perhaps when she was holding the infant Jesus, she thought to herself, “this baby boy is good tidings.” Or maybe when she was brushing a hair away from his sleepy toddler face, she recalled, “Here in my arms is great joy for ALL people.” Or maybe when she sent him off to fetch ingredients for dinner, she remembered that He was the Savior. The Messiah. She watched God’s promise grow from a baby to a toddler to a boy to a teenager to a man.
PROMISE-KEEPING GOD
1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (NLT). We can attempt to imagine God’s best for us, but just like the generations and generations of Israelites who prayed for a Messiah, God’s answer to their prayers was profound, eternal, and all-encompassing in a way that they could never have dreamed of. They pictured a rugged, heroic King on the throne of Israel. Instead, God gave them Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself, even to suffer death on a cross (Philippians 2:8) so that He could be the very embodiment of good tidings of great joy for ALL people (Luke 2:10). Instead of a mere man, reigning in a specific moment and place in time, God gave us the forever King of Kings whose Kingdom has no end.
Our faithful God keeps His promises. We have fewer than 100 years to watch God work in our lives, and yet we can easily see, in our short lifetimes, God’s unending faithfulness. We can see the times He has healed, restored, repaired, and uplifted us and our loved ones. This is our sustenance: that no matter what our current circumstances may be, the God of the Universe has an outcome planned for us and for the world which far exceeds the furthest reaches of our imaginations.
Make it Personal: Meditating on the promises of God is a spiritual discipline. Just as Mary treasured up the faithfulness of God in her heart, you and I can do the same. Where has God come through for you? What did you pray for years ago that you can touch and hold today? Where have you seen healing? Where have you seen restoration? Treasure those things in your heart. If you don’t know where to start, read the verses of Scripture suggested below and spend time pondering those and “treasuring” them in your heart. When we see what God has done, we can be confident in what He will do in the future.
Pray: God, You are faithful, and You are able. Call to my mind the things You have done for me and those I love. Create a space in my heart to wonder, ponder, and marvel at Your promises so that I can rely on Your faithfulness in all circumstances. In the precious Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Read: Philippians 4:8-9; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 62:5
Weekly Memory Verse: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14, ESV