How to Be Faithful When You’re Bored!

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us, one hike at a time! 

We’re learning to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus! 

Let’s face it, sometimes life can be a bit boring. You wake up, head to school (or do school in your dining room!), come home, do your homework, eat dinner, go to bed, then wake up and do it all over again. If you’ve ever felt like your days are just repeating themselves, then this episode is for you. 

We’re diving into the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This season—"Becoming a Girl of Faithfulness”—is based on our newest True Girl Bible study. 

Dannah Gresh and Staci Rudolph are on a hiking and camping adventure. Today as they talk about Mary’s story, they’ll discover how a faithful girl handles the exciting times in life . . . and the boring ones. It’s called, “How to Be Faithful When You’re Bored!”

Here’s Dannah.

Dannah Gresh: Rise and shine! Time to get movin’!

Staci Rudolph: (Yawn) Is it time for another faithfulness lesson already?

Dannah: Nope, it’s just time to . . .

Staci: I know, get the fire going for breakfast.

Dannah: Well, I already got the fire going. But you’re right, after breakfast we’re gonna . . .

Staci: Get ready for our hike.

Dannah: Uh huh! And after we’re back from a bit of hiking, we’ll make sure we . . .

Staci: (Bored) Make sure Cassie has some water, get cleaned up, and pack Cassie for the hike, and then stop, make lunch . . . I know!

Dannah: Ah, Staci, it sounds like you’re a little bored with our routine. Am I right?

Staci: Yeah. I just feel like it’s been the same schedule for the past few days. 

Dannah: Yeah, except for when you fell out of that tree!

Staci: Okay, okay, that was one time we strayed from the routine, but the rest of the time has felt like I’m living the same day over and over again. It’s been a bit . . . mundane! That’s all I’m saying.

Dannah: It’s interesting that you would use that word. Well, that’s exactly the part of Mary’s story I wanted to dive into today.

Staci: Really?

Dannah: Yep. Before we do though, I want to recap a few things. I’ll start while you’re getting ready.

So, God planned to give us the gift of relationship with Jesus long ago. But remember: sin came into the world through Adam and Eve and it totally got in the way of our ability to have a relationship with God. So, God began to reveal the plan that one day a Savior would come and crush sin and death. Then, God kept giving clues about this Savior to His special people—the Israelites. Remember when we talked about that during our study time the other day?

Staci: Uh-huh. 

Dannah: And what are the clues about the Savior that we read in the Bible called?

Staci: Prophecies.

Dannah: Yes, and maybe I’ll hold off on asking you any more questions until you finish brushing your teeth.

Staci: Thanks.

Dannah: So, prophecies, they’re statements from God about what will happen in the future. There were over 300 prophecies about Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. These prophecies were kind of like puzzle pieces. When all of them came together and happened in the life of one person, the people could know the Savior had come! 

Staci: I’m no good at puzzles. I don’t know if I would have been able to put all of those prophecies together.

Dannah: Well, some of God’s people studied these prophecies carefully, faithfully, and were putting the puzzle together piece by piece. We’re going to talk about two of them today. These two individuals were waiting with excitement for the Savior to show up.

Now Staci, this is a bit of a jump, but have you ever been to a baby dedication service at church?

Staci: Yep. I think it’s a cool way for parents to promise to raise their children to know and love God! It’s a super special thing.

Dannah: I agree. Mary and Joseph did something like that. They wanted to dedicate baby Jesus to God the Father. So, I want to read about it in Luke 2, starting in verse 22. 

Want to have a cup of coffee while we do? I made some, and it looks like you could use a bit.

Staci: Well, I just brushed my teeth, but actually, that would be great.

Dannah: I’ll pour it for you. Here you go. 

Staci: Thanks

Dannah: Okay, let’s read a little of God’s Word to get our day started out just right. Here’s Luke 2. Let’s read verses 25–38. Want to do the honors?

Staci: Sure.Hmm, that’s good coffee, Dannah! Okay, let’s see what it was like when Jesus was dedicated to God as a baby.

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, 
   as you have promised.
I have seen your salvation, 
   which you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations, 
   and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Aww, what a beautiful dedication!

Dannah: It sure was. A lot happened too. Put yourself in Mary’s shoes.Imagine walking into the temple with your little baby boy. This is your first time being a mom and everything is new. In the last year, an angel has appeared to you, you’ve seen your very old cousin have a miracle baby, and shepherds came looking for your baby when He was born. 

It’s probably hard to wrap your mind around the fact that the child you gave birth to in a stable is the long-awaited Savior of the world! But then, you walk into the Temple, and immediately your little tiny baby is recognized by two people as the Son of God. Whoa, what a magnificent moment!

Staci: What is a “magnificent moment”?

Dannah: Well, magnificent moments are times in your life where something truly special happens, and you have a special sense that God has planned it! Ever had something like that happen?

Staci: Yep! When I came to True Girl, God just put everything in place for me to meet you and to find out about the ministry and He just got it rolling. 

Dannah: And here you are. And you know what, Staci? That was definitely a magnificent moment for me too. You and I both had a special sense that God brought us together. Of course, it’s not written in the Bible or anything like this story. But in the case of this story in the Temple, we don’t have to wonder if God planned it! 

Based on Luke 2:27, who told Simeon to go to the Temple the same day that Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be dedicated to God? 

Staci: Umm, let me see here, it says, “That day the Spirit of God told him to go to the Temple.”

Dannah: That’s right. And what did Simeon do when he realized the long-awaited Messiah—or Savior of the world‚had finally come?

Staci: Well, he praised God when he realized the Savior of the world had finally come.

Dannah: Absolutely. God planned all of that. 

Mary was amazed when she heard Simeon pray to God about their child. Then, one of my favorite parts of the story happens. 

Staci: Which part?

Dannah: When Simeon turns to Mary and says something mysterious. Could you read verse 34 again?

Staci: “Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, ‘This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.’”

Dannah: Okay, let me ask you a hard question. What was Simeon doing there?

Staci: He was prophesying.

Dannah: That’s right. God was using him to tell Mary some important things about the future, including: the fact that some people in Israel would not believe in Jesus.

The sad truth that being the mother of Jesus was going to bring some hard, painful things into Mary’s future. He was talking about Jesus’ death.

While Simeon is telling her this, another person approaches. A woman named Anna overhears Simeon. And suddenly, she knows . . . the Savior has come! I mean, imagine: as if one random person recognizing Jesus wasn’t crazy enough, another woman known for proclaiming the truth of God comes up and starts giving thanks to God! She knew the promised Savior had come and began that day to tell everyone she knew. I mean, talk about a baby dedication!

Staci: I know! So, Anna and Simeon were the people that put the puzzle pieces together. They recognized who Jesus was with the help of God’s Spirit. 

Dannah: That’s right. And I can imagine Mary walked out of the Temple, holding baby Jesus in her arms, feeling excitement and wonder in her heart.

Hey, I see you’re out of coffee, want some more? 

Staci: Yes, please.

Dannah: Okay, Staci, get ready. We’re going to fast forward twelve very long years in Mary’s story. She’s living in the town of Nazareth with Joseph and Jesus. Now, each year, they celebrate the Passover Feast. And guess what? This requires an annual road trip! Let’s find out where they are heading next. 

Staci: They sure are frequent travelers!

Dannah: Yes, they are. Let’s pick it back up in Luke 2:41–52. 

Staci: Want me to read it?

Dannah: Yep.

Staci:

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

“But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he meant.

Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Dannah: Okay, I just have to say, I cannot even imagine not being able to find one of my children on a road trip! I mean, Staci, wouldn’t your mom be frantic and panicky if she lost you when you were little?

Staci: For sure. I once got lost in the mall, and she was definitely scared.

Dannah: Well, that’s exactly what happened to Jesus!

Staci: Yeah, three days is way longer than a few minutes, and a city is definitely bigger than a mall. I can totally see why they were worried. 

Dannah: Me too. Well, we found out in the passage you just read that Mary and Joseph discovered Jesus in the temple with the religious leaders. He gently reminded Mary and Joseph who He was and still is today: the Son of God and Savior of the world.

Now, some versions say that Mary “treasured” all these things in her heart. That means she was thinking about Jesus’ words and actions and memorizing them so she could remember them for a really long time. They were special to her, and she did not want to forget them.

Staci: It would take a lot for me to forget a day like that!

Dannah: Me too, Staci. Although it must have been stressful, it was also a magnificent moment.

Both of those Temple scenes—the first one being His dedication and then this one where His parents thought they’d lost Him‚are some pretty magnificent moments in the life of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.

But here’s the thing, after what happened at the Temple when he was twelve, we don’t read anything else about Mary and Jesus until He is thirty years old! That’s eighteen long years! 

I wonder how all of the years in between the magnificent moments looked. What were Mary’s typical days like? How did she spend her time? Was the rest of her life as exciting as these magnificent moments? Probably not.

Here’s what we do know: Mary and her family continued to live in Nazareth. Now, most women who lived there back then spent their days doing some pretty ordinary things. Their mission in life was to keep the family fed and the home functioning.

Staci: So she probably cooked.

Dannah: And cleaned.

Staci: And took care of the kids.

Dannah: Yep, and lot’s more that mothers do. Mary worked hard. And she didn’t have all the modern stuff moms today have. For example, she could not turn the water on to fill a pot. She had to walk to a river or water well to fill jugs . . . and then she had to carry them home. And cooking was much different. She might have spent two hours a day grinding grain to make flour so she could have bread.

None of these things were magnificent, in fact, they were quite mundane. You used that word earlier, Staci. How would you define it?

Staci: It just means something is dull or not exciting, just ordinary and not special. 

Dannah: Yeah, that’s a good definition. You know something I’ve noticed?

Staci: What?

Dannah: A lot of the things we consider mundane are things no one sees. I mean think about how much of Mary’s life no one saw. Lots of it, right? 

Fact is, nothing much is said about Mary after the birth of Jesus. She was okay with being in the background of the story and having a lot of mundane days. She was content to not have others know her. What mattered most to her was doing her special part of making Jesus known. So, she cared for Him. Fed Him. Taught Him important things. And she loved Him.

Staci: That’s beautiful. I wanna live my life like that too—aking Jesus known instead of myself.

Dannah: Me too, Staci. Most of us have the desire to live in lots of magnificent moments, but God wants us to also embrace the mundane moments, just like Mary did! God sees everything when no one else does and He cares about our hearts in it all.

Psalm 139:1–4 reminds me of this. Let me recite it to you:

O Lord, you have examined my heart
   and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
   You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
   and when I rest at home.
   You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
   even before I say it, Lord. 

I love those verses. God cares about our hearts and our thoughts and all the things going on inside of us! He even cares about the mundane things. Do you know why He notices them?

Staci: Why?

Dannah: Because the mundane parts of your life reveal your true heart. I think any of us can have a good attitude when something magnificent is happening. But, it’s a whole different thing to be happy, loving, and positive, when things are somewhat hard and ordinary. 

This brings us to faithfulness lesson number four: a faithful girl is content in the magnificent and the mundane.

Mary was content, or satisfied, in her mundane moments. She knew that the mundane moments were preparing her for the magnificent ones. 

And when a magnificent moment happened to come her way, she was sure to remember it and keep that memory tucked in her heart so she could reflect on it one day. Mary meditated on the magnificent moments during the mundane, and I hope we learn to do the same.

Staci: So, in the magnificent and the mundane, our heart should stay the same. Satisfied in Jesus and focused on making Him known.

Dannah: You’ve got it.

Staci: You know what? Doing our morning chores and going for our daily hike doesn’t seem so bad at all now. Let me get Cassie packed up and ready to go.

Let’s use the hiking time to remember some of our magnificent moments. Deal?

Dannah: Deal. 

Claire: That hike sounds like a really good idea. Maybe I’ll go for one with my mom and talk about all the magnificent moments in our lives—those moments when God really did something special. And, we might also talk about how to be faithful in the mundane moments. True Girl, I issue a challenge for you to do the same thing with your mom this week!

Also, when you feel like you’re getting lost in the routine of chores or homework, make sure you ask God to show you how He’s preparing your heart for the magnificent things to come.

And don’t forget: this season of the True Girl podcast is based on our new Bible study for tweens called Mary: Becoming a Girl of Faithfulness. Join Dannah and Staci to dig deep into the life of the mother of Jesus. 

You’ll experience these faithfulness lessons on a much deeper level through our creative method of inductive Bible study. We call it the four-z method! You’ll Zoom Out (to get the context of a Bible passage), then Zoom in (to study the particulars), and Zero In on what it means for you, before you Zip it up in prayer! See? Four Z’s!

Our next online Bible study will be starting soon, so it’s time to register! Learn more at MyTrueGirl.com, again that’s MyTrueGirl.com.

Okay, we all have needs. How does a faithful girl process those needs? We’ll talk about it next week, so be sure to come back for that!

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ!

All Scripture is taken from the NLT.

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