Jesus Delights in the Details - Psalm 37:23 (24 Days Until Christmas!)

I love December. It is such a fun month! My daughter and I countdown to Christmas every year. We have special activities, crafts and the Elf on the Shelf to give us special cheer during the holiday season.

For the 25 days until Christmas (well 24 now, I suppose), I am going to try something new in my daily devotions. I will still have a verse and a word of encouragement, but I want to add some more. I want to add more than just the words and what I make of them, I want to add life to my devotionals.

I wonder if sometimes you think I have the perfect life. I don't. But when all you see of me is what I post, it's sometimes hard to get a handle on the person behind the words. My life is unorganized, stressful, and often chaotic just like yours is. However, it is also full of love and fun and that makes it all worthwhile. I am only trying to be better - a better mom, a better wife and a better person. I believe that is really what Jesus is asking us to do. To try to do good things, to be honest, to be generous, to be kind and most importantly to think of others instead of myself. I am trying to be more like Jesus.

Our Family Thanksgiving/Christmas picture

I needed the past year to really dive into scriptures and see what there is to learn from them. Now, I need a little more. I need to be real. I want to add a little more fun and a little more of a personal touch. I am thankful for all who read my devotions, it is a great encouragement for me, that I am indeed following through on the Lord's calling for me.

Today, this is the scripture that God has laid on my heart:

Psalm 37:23 --"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives."

When we put our faith in the Lord, it is not in vain hope that everything will turn out alright. It is with the knowledge and trust that God is beside you every step of the way. He does not only direct you on your journey, but He is there helping you through every single, tiny obstacle. God directs our steps and He delights in every detail of our lives. Every single little detail. That just amazes me. Sometimes, it feels like no one really cares about what you do, but God does. God always cares and He is always with you.

photo credit

I've always loved the Christmas song "Santa Claus is coming to town." The verse that says, "I see you when your sleeping, I know when your awake, I know if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake," has always reminded me of the power of God. We sing the song about Santa to remind children to be good, even when no one is watching. But God is always watching, and the same principle applies. God knows whether we are bad or good. He knows when we lie or steal, even if no one else ever catches us. Even when the wrong is very small, God still knows. On the other hand, He also knows when we do small acts of kindness, even when no one else sees. God sees every detail of our lives. We want Him to guide our steps because His way is perfect and He does all for good (Romans 8:28). We want to delight Him with the details of our lives, with kindness and generosity. Christmas is the perfect time of year to remember the small things and to remember the power and the love of Jesus Christ.

"Jesus is Alive" by Josh Wilson is my favorite song to start off the Christmas season. It is a beautiful and powerful song - a reminder of what Christmas is really all about.

And finally, meet our Elf on the Shelf! This is Scout! You'll get to see what kind of mischief he gets into this Christmas season. It is one of many fun games we like to play this time of year!