Young People's Group

REMEMBERING AND PONDERING

by Pastor Mitch
December 30, 2007

Taking Time To Reflect On Lessons Learnt

Soon, the year we know as 2007 will end. It will forever be sealed in the annals of time as a year that has passed. 365 days, gone forever. And yet, what can remain with us from 2007 are not just vague memories, but lessons that the Lord has sought to teach us and to guide us with. If we do not learn from these lessons and the mistakes that we have made, we may repeat them again in 2008. There is a saying that goes like this, “Those that do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it.” To some extent, it is true! It would do us well to take time to remember and reflect on lessons that we were meant to learn.

Reflecting Over The Words Of God

I like the example of Mary as one who took time to ponder. Every year at this time, at the ultimate hour, she inspires me to take a step back and to think over the year.

“Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” 
Luke 2:19

The verb “kept” means “to keep closely together”. Mary kept to heart all that she had heard and seen. What were the things that Mary sought to keep? They were the spoken words that the angels gave to the shepherds. They were the good tidings of great joy.

“For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” 
Luke 2:10

The message from the angels promised joy. It was a message of peace and hope. These words were confirmed to them when they found the Baby Jesus in a lowly manger as the angels had said. They went everywhere making known to people what they had heard about the Child. Mary sought to keep and ponder over what she had heard. The idea of “ponder” is to “place things together”. It is to reflect over matters until they fall into place. Mary was able to reflect and piece things together.

Submit Your Reflections To Us

It is good for us to take time at the end of the year to remember what we have learned from the word of God. The more we ponder over His word, the more we are able to piece truths together, and the more our thoughts based on God’s word are concretized. We are going to have a YPG webpage soon. Let’s take time to write our reflections and send them to me. We will put them up on our webpage. You can also share your reflections at the Down Memory Lane service next week (31 Dec 2007). Let’s take the time to keep and mull over lessons learnt. Let them be lessons that we will take with us into 2008.

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