December 24

Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord. — Luke 1:6 BSB

It’s beautiful to read about Zacharias and Elisabeth, this older couple, and see that they were righteous in God’s eyes. Some people may look righteous to others, but don’t have that reputation with God. True character comes from what’s in our hearts; our hearts define who we are. We shouldn’t be content with doing things just to impress others; we should live for God, who sees everything. Sometimes we excuse ourselves by saying that certain things don’t matter because no one will notice. But God always sees, and we should never do anything carelessly if He’s watching.

The word “commandments” reminds us that their holiness was practical. Some people talk a lot about loving God, but don’t pay much attention to actually obeying Him. God appreciates heartfelt devotion, but He also wants us to prove our faith through obedience—by doing what He asks of us.