My kids are still young enough at 10 and 13 to make birthday cards for me and this year didn’t disappoint. My daughter made a huge card out of 4 colored sheets of paper taped together with little tickets made for everything from back massages to washing my car. My son made a birthday booklet using three pieces of folded colored sheets of paper. The first page reads…Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Proverbs 4:25 Then in the middle of the card is said “Search for the Lord and his strength” Chronicles 16:11. He finished up with a verse in Psalm 118:4 Let all who fear the lord repeat, his faithful love and mercy endures forever.

I was amazed and thought to myself, wow, how does a 10 year old boy know how to do this and I asked him where he got those scriptures and how he picked them. He told me he found them in my bible and they just sounded good. He didn’t even know how much he was speaking into my life and to him it was no big deal, he was just loving on his dad.

I kept the card and take it with me when I travel, and find strength in my son’s words that day. And in thinking about the verses and the order they are in, it shares a commanding principle.

1-Focus on God, keep your eyes on Jesus (on whom our faith depends). Make your plans, God will determine our steps, and with his presence in our lives each day, we will journey in the right direction with his protection, guidance, provision, and favor.

2-Find your strength in HIM. Search for the Lord and his strength…, to mean that to journey on our own is a recipe for disaster but with God by our side and a daily walk with Jesus, when we are weak, he is strong and he will carry us during times of need. Jesus tells us if we need peace and rest to take his yoke for he is gentle and kind.

3-Find power in praise and prayer.., Let all who fear the Lord repeat “His faithful love (and mercy) endures forever.” This is a praise of all praise, and praise to God precedes victory in our lives. Praise him, thank him, glorify him, consider him, and fear him. You know, the kind of fear that makes you not want to disappoint The Father. This kind of fear is the beginning of wisdom, and this kind of wisdom from God lived out in our lives is the power of Christ in each of us.

I hope this word encourages and blesses you. Be strong in the Lord and look ahead to what lies before you, search for the Lord and his mighty strength, and continue to praise him and declare his goodness, grace, and mercy.., for there is more to come, and more God is doing with your special life.