Joy To Your World - Children's Advent DevotionalSample

Do you have a favorite Christmas memory? Maybe it is something you remember and think about every Christmas. The Bible records one of Mary’s favorite memories.

The shepherds had rushed to the stable to find the baby Jesus. Imagine Mary and Joseph’s surprise when a bunch of smelly shepherds stuck their head into that cave and said, “We have something to tell you!” The Bible says the shepherds “made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:17–19).

I wish I had a video of that Christmas moment! Maybe Mary was sleeping when those men showed up. Maybe they were talking to the innkeeper who had come to see the baby. Maybe a few of the other Bethlehem pilgrims had heard the tiny baby crying and had come to check on Mary. The Bible says, “All who heard it wondered” but doesn’t tell us who the “all” was. But we do know that those shepherds made quite an impression on Mary. She “treasured up all” she saw and heard, then pondered those memories in her heart.

Have you ever sat and “pondered” the Christmas story? The Bible doesn’t tell us all we want to know, but it does tell us everything we need to know. One of the most important things to remember about the Bible is found in the verse above, from Psalm 119. In fact, all of Psalm 119 is about the importance of the Bible in our lives. Verse 111 says that what God has said in Scripture, God’s testimonies, are a great heritage forever. Then that verse says that God’s words are the joy of our hearts.

What part of the Christmas story causes you to feel joy in your heart? If you were Mary or Joseph, what memory would you store in your heart to think about and treasure?

The Bible wasn’t given only for our direction. It was also given to us so we could have joy. Take some time to “ponder” that today.