Psalm 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah

Psalm 101:2 I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;

Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Of these four examples I have a deeper appreciation for Mary’s thoughts.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

1

Strong’s Number: g4820

Greek: sumballo

Ponder: “to put one thing with another in considering circumstances,” (third tense)

Mary had been told by the angel Gabriel that she would have a virgin birth. Now she has heard the witness of these shepherds that an angel had announced that her son is the Christ. She no longer was alone in this very personal and profound pronouncement.

It is one thing to know a thing but to discover we are not alone in this knowledge is comforting.

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not alone. Take comfort in that.

Matthew 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Every word is capable of speaking to us. That does not mean we should share every message.

I once wrote a 887 word thesis on the very first word in the bible, “in”. If I were to share everything I get from each word from the bible, I could not live long enough to even cover Genesis.

I was asked to take a turn at shepherding a life group, giving our teacher/shepherd a break. It took me a year to cover Ephesians.

A gentlewoman commented “You get more out of one word than anyone I know.”

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

He will help tell us when to share what we are shown and when it is meant solely for our personal consumption.

No. I have not written a thesis on “the”. But I could. That is what the flesh does, it wastes our precious time.