My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways. (Proverbs 23:26, ESV) Click here to download this free Scripture card (one for you and one to share with a friend!) Whose ways should we be observing?  And, where do we find direction to help us live a life surrendered to Christ? The entire book of Proverbs is filled with the instruction given by a loving father to his children. According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word for observe is ratsah, meaning "to be pleased with" or "to accept favorably". The father is pleading with his child to give him his/her whole mind, will, and emotions, following in his steps, so that he/she might live a lifestyle which would please the father - a lifestyle of a surrendered heart. Oh, friend, this is what our Heavenly Father desires from us! He wants our hearts to belong completely to Him.   His Word says, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart!”, (Psalm 119:2, ESV). Verse 11 of that same chapter tells us, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” God wants us

And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”  (Luke 9:23, ESV) What would it look like in your life, in my life, if we were to take up our cross and follow Christ?  How might things be different? According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the word for cross in Greek is stautros.  It most often describes those who, because of their love for Christ, do not hesitate to cheerfully and boldly bear persecutions, troubles, or distresses, remembering the fate of Christ and the spirit in which He encountered His own cross. These are strong words that we often hear in stories from believers in persecuted countries! Are the words only meant for those followers of Christ?   In 2 Timothy 3:12, we read, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  Friend, we who are faithful followers of Jesus must expect to suffer because we live in a world that rejects Christ!  Do we really want to surrender our lives to Christ? May God give us the strength we need to disregard our own interests, remember the example of

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”  (Luke 2:14, ESV) Click here to download today’s free Bible verse card. Click here to share this beautiful verse on Facebook. Merry Christmas to you! What’s on your mind today? Are you overwhelmed because there are so many expectations?  Do you feel sadness or despair because a family member is no longer here to celebrate with you? Maybe you are just plain tired because you feel pressured to do more than you can reasonably accomplish. Does joy seem like a foreign word to you because of all the stress?    The angels, full of joy, praised God with these words after Jesus’ birth: “Glory to God in the highest…” According to Strong’s concordance, glory, in the original Greek text, is the word doxa, which describes the honor due to God because of His magnificence, excellence, dignity, grace, and preeminence. Click here to grab this beautiful (free) lock screen from Instagram Words from this newer Christmas hymn help us to see the magnificence of God which the angels were announcing: “Joy has dawned upon the world, Promised from creation— God’s salvation now unfurled, Hope for

“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11, ESV) Click here to share this beautiful verse on Facebook. Click here to download today’s free Bible verse card.   Isn’t it fun to get good news?  The exciting news the angel shared is still good news for people today! The phrase good news comes from the Greek word euaggelizo, according to Strong’s concordance.  This word specifically describes the wonderful news of salvation through Christ, otherwise known as the Gospel, and it is the best news ever!  It tells us that Jesus was born, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross to pay for the sins we committed so we might have a right relationship with God.  Jesus didn’t stay dead but was raised to life by God, His Father and he is in heaven now making intercession for us. What better news could we hear? Will we keep this great news to ourselves, or should we help others know about it,

For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16, ESV) Click here to share this beautiful verse on Facebook. Click here to download today’s free Bible verse card.   Christmas is that special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior!     Why did Jesus come to earth anyway? John 3:16 tells us the reason: LOVE! God loved the world so much that He gave!  According to Strong’s concordance, the phrase the world, in the original Greek text, is the word kosmos.  It describes the world as the ungodly multitude, the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ!  In other words, the family of humans, a group of people not easy to love. To these people (us!), God sent His only Son, Jesus, so we would not perish in our sin but might have the opportunity to be forgiven and receive the precious gift of eternal life. Click here to grab this beautiful lock screen from Instagram Do you love Christmas carols as much as I do?   Joy to the

For You make him most blessed forever; You make him glad with the joy of Your presence. (Psalm 21:6, ESV) Click here to share this beautiful verse on Facebook. Click here to download today’s free Bible verse card. The words, ‘most blessed’, declare the state of happiness which comes when God bestows his favor on those He loves. In this verse, the psalmist shares with us the great joy and blessing he has received while living a life of obedience to God.  Simply being in the presence of God gives David great joy! Katharine Purvis, a music teacher in Pennsylvania during the late 1800s, penned similar thoughts in her hymn A Joy In My Heart: There's a joy in my heart that shall ever abide 'Tis a joy to the world that unknown; For in undying love Jesus came seeking me, And He bro't me again to His own. O the sweet and precious joy He gives, As I walk by His side day by day, In my heart the blessed Saviour lives, And His love brightens all the way. Friend, we pray that you, too, are blessed with the incredible joy which the Lord gives to those who are His