…whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17, ESV Hey, friend, do you realize that every day we live is a gift from God? Every breath we take is because He allows it! The word deed in the Greek speaks of anything a person undertakes to do. That seems to cover everything in life! Because God has given us the gift of life and the opportunity to know Him through salvation, the Apostle Paul tells us we should be doing and saying everything in the name of Jesus. Let’s choose to live in obedience to Him and show our thankfulness for the gift of life every day, sharing the joy of the Lord with each word and action! Would you like to read the other devotionals in this series? Plans for

  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11, ESV Did you know that God has plans for you, dear one? We might think we need control of everything in our life, but Jeremiah tells us God makes the plans! The Hebrew word for welfare has a much different meaning than we think of today. It describes a life filled with peace, tranquility and contentment. Every day we live is a gift from God. His plan is for us to have a life filled with peace and contentment as we live in obedience to Him! If you don’t know Him in a personal way, won’t you trust Him for salvation today? He will give you joy and peace in this earthly life and the hope (certainty) of living in

  …do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Phil 4:6, ESV Friend, is your life filled with worry about your children, your husband, money, or the many other concerns we are faced with each day? The Greek word for anxious means to be troubled with cares. This verse tells us we can make the choice not to be anxious! God gives us each new day as a gift. When we are in communion with God through reading His word, prayer and expressing our gratitude to Him, our lives will be filled with the peace and joy available only through a relationship with Him.  Spending time in God’s Word is a great antidote for anxiety! The better we know Him, the more we can trust that He will care for those things which concern us.

  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 Christmas is that special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior! Why did Jesus come to earth anyway? This verse 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 that we would not perish in our sin but might have the opportunity to be forgiven and

  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! Luke 2:14, ESV What thoughts are on your mind as we approach the Christmas season? 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 were full of joy as they 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.  Words from this newer Christmas hymn