Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

God hates all types of stealing and robbery in giving and offering, especially those who take something that is not their own and offer it to God as an offering.

1 Samuel 15 tells us how the children of Israel took the best of the sheep and oxen that God had told them to destroy. They did it with a good motive to sacrifice them as burnt offerings to the Lord. But it was disobedience.

1 Samuel 15;22, 23 says: “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

Conversely, we read how when David went to offer a sacrifice to stop a great plague, caused by his own sin in numbering the people, that he refused to sacrifice something that would not cost him something.

In 2 Samuel 24:24 David says: “Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price, neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of THAT WHICH DOTH COST ME NOTHING. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.”

God accepted David’s offering because it was a true sacrifice.

When we cheat our employer’s time to pray or witness, this is not acceptable to God. God desires us to sacrifice to Him the things which mean a lot to us. The things that do not cost us anything, or we will not miss if we give them, are not a true sacrifice. True sacrifice is determined by how much it costs us to give.

David prayed in Psalm 51:16, 17: “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

We need to ask ourselves: Have we, like David, offered this type of sacrifice for our sins we have committed? I feel challenged as I write. We may not have committed sins as great as David did by his sin in taking another man’s wife and having her husband put in the most dangerous part of the battle to be killed. However, David repented when exposed by the prophet Nathan.

David’s sacrifices for his sins were a broken and a contrite heart which the whole of Psalm 51 describes. All other types of sacrifice would not have been acceptable to God. Read the whole Psalm.

Luke 18:10-14 also shows the heart God wants us to have: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, that this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

True repentance is, in a sense, a sacrifice to God, especially when it is coupled with godly sorrow (1 Corinthians 7:10). I wonder if much of our 21st century repentance is but a shallow repentance. Many just walk forward at an evangelistic meeting and are clapped and applauded by the congregation as if they were heroes for going forward. Is there any repentance?

Men, we must teach our families what it means to give sacrifices that are acceptable to God and the meaning of true repentance.

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell

We fool ourselves if we say we fear God and at the same time we are soft on things that God hates.

Should we not hate what God hates? Absolutely.

God hates idols (Exodus 20:5). Regarding idols, God reveals Himself to be a righteous “jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon their children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” At the same time, God shows “mercy unto thousands that love him and keep his commandments.”

Colossians 3:5: “Covetousness which is idolatry.” To covet is to greedily want what belongs to another. This type of idolatry causes people to make wrong decisions to obtain the thing they covet. We must teach our children to hate covetousness.

Proverbs 6:16: “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that deviseth wicked imagination, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

1. God hates a proud look. Do I?
2. God hates a lying tongue. Do I?
3. God hates hands that shed innocent blood. This includes abortion. Do I?
4. God hates a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. These are schemes to do evil. Do I?
5. God hates feet that are swift to run to mischief. Gossipers could be included in this. Do I?
6. God hates a false witness that speaks lies. Do I?
7. God hates those who sow discord among the brethren. Sowing discord among our brothers and sisters in the family as well as in the church is something God hates. Do I?

Our political TV channels are full of sowing seeds of discord and God hates it. Certain things need to be exposed. It is right to expose evil, but we must be careful not to be involved in fake dossiers, etc. to break down righteous unity.

God wants us to employ our tongues to bring about righteous unity, to heal broken relationships and broken hearts, and to be righteous peace-makers.

To be continued.

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell

Psalm 2:9-11: “Thou shalt break them with a rod if iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

In this passage of Scripture, we have the tension between two truths. On the surface they appear to oppose one another. However, to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, they complement each other.

We are to greatly rejoice in the Lord and yet at the same time, we must be careful not to disrespect His awesome power and holiness. We must tremble at His awesome, glorious presence and holiness and yet at the same time not allow ourselves to be so extreme with fear and trembling that we lose our joy, gladness, worship, and praise at the remembrance of His goodness and grace toward us.

A great example of these two truths complementing each other was when David sought to bring the ark of God to himself and to Jerusalem the second time. This time, he had learned the ark, representing God’s presence, had to be brought back by God’s methods as outlined in the Holy Scriptures, not by his own ideas or methods.

When David, the king of Israel brought the ark of God’s presence from the house of Abinadab we see how offensive our conduct can be before the Lord when we do something which displeases God (2 Samuel l6:1-11). In one sense David did right in that He wanted the presence of God with him at Jerusalem. On the other hand, the way he went about bringing the ark back was wrong. He did not seek God’s “due order” (1 Chronicles 15:12-15) for carrying the ark which resulted in death and destruction. This caused David to be afraid of God. 2 Samuel 6:9 states: “And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?”

Even though David and all the house of Israel played on all manner of instruments before the Lord it did not stop the anger of God from being kindled. Even when we decide to do a good thing, we need to seek God on how He wants it accomplished.

In 1 Chronicles 15 we read how David brought the ark back from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem according to the “due order.” In this second attempt, Kind David realized that the presence of God could not be manipulated by man’s methods.

1. He prepared a place to receive the ark (v. 3).
2. He realized that no one had the right to carry the ark but the God-appointed Levites (v. 15).
3. He realized only the Levites could play the instruments, not all of Israel (v. 16).
4. They offered seven bullocks and seven rams after they had taken six steps (v. 26 and 2 Samuel 6:13).
5. They did not do anything until they had sanctified themselves (v. 12).
6. They brought back the ark with joy, singing, shouting, and the noise of musical instruments (v. 25-28).
7. David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14).
If they could do all these things under the Old Covenant, how much more should we rejoice with trembling under the New Covenant? Read Hebrews 10:28-31 and 128, 29).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

As fathers, we should pray that God will help us train our children to be respectful and reverential towards the amazing grace of God. The grace of God was never meant to be taken lightly, flippantly, or in a casual manner. This grace that God liberally showered upon us in Jesus Christ is not to be cheapened by our worldly, disrespectful attitudes.

We must never forget the enormous price Jesus paid for our sin by His atoning blood. This grace, “wherein we stand” cost Heaven everything. How dare we bring despite to the Spirit of grace by our failure to be awestruck by its magnitude and glory?

Hebrews 10:29-31 says: “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

We must not allow the irreverent spirit that pervades our present world to creep into our own hearts and those of our families. We serve a very great God who is the greatest of all Gods. He is the “only Potentate, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). There is no dignity or majesty that can compare to His glory.

When we fathers conduct family devotions with our families, we must be reverent and honorable as we talk about our great God. We should be joyful, but at the same time fearful. We never want to cheapen the great treasures of His grace.

Hebrews 12:15-17 says: “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

We do not want our children to grow up like Esau, who was a fornicator and a profane person. The word “profane” means “heathenish, wicked, to defile the holy things of God as did King Belshazzar (Daniel 5:2-28)”.

We are exhorted in Psalm 2:11 to “rejoice with trembling.”

Philippians 2;12: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

1 Peter 1:17: “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.”

2 Corinthians 7:1: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.’

Hebrews 12:28, 29: “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.”

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell

Hebrews 5:7 “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.”

To say that Jesus feared His Father in Heaven is a big statement to make, especially because as the Son of God He is part of the Holy Trinity. Some may reason: why would Jesus, being God, fear God? It appears in this verse that Jesus feared Himself. Even the Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy for saying that God was His Father and making Himself equal with God (John 5:18).

However, when Jesus Christ took upon Himself human flesh, He submitted Himself to God the Father as all sons should submit themselves to their own fathers. Every son should respect his natural father, even if his father does not do things worthy of respect. We must always honor the office of fatherhood even as we honor the office of the president. God holds people accountable for their disrespect for those who have authority over them, even if those people do not do things that are worthy of respect.

David knew that God had anointed him to be king of Israel. However, even those he had several miraculous opportunities to kill Saul. he would not touch him. He left him in the hands of God. David greatly honored the anointed office of kingship.

We are living in days of great disrespect and dishonor. People, to their own peril, mouth off disrespectfully to all who are in authority. However, they will not be blessed by God for this disrespect of leadership and those over them. In this matter we must all fear God and fear respectfully all who are in authority over us.

Romans 13:1-5: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shall have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.”

Some may say that it is more correct to say that Jesus loved His Father God, rather than feared Him However, our opening Scripture in Hebrews 5:7 plainly states the “he was heard in that he feared.”

Love can be righteous or unrighteous. For example, we are told to “Love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” and to love thy neighbor as thyself (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Mark 12:33). But we are also told to not love the world, the flesh, and the devil (1 John 2:15-17).

We are told in Scripture many times to fear God, to be in awe, to tremble at His Word and at the same time we are told that “perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). Even when seeking to please God we can be overcome by unrighteous fears such as the fear of man, the fear of death, destruction, and judgment. However, God’s perfect love casts out these fears.

The reason Jesus always had his prayers answered was because He feared His father. He never ever wanted to displease the One who had all authority over him. This is the true essence of fearing God—we fear to displease Him or offend Him in anyway because we love Him.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

How we thank God for His goodness. How we thank God for his mercy. It is only because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).

However, we cannot experience His goodness and mercy without first knowing the fear of God. We must learn to walk in the fear of God. This is not only Old Testament teaching, but New Testament teaching.

1 Peter 1:17 states: “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.” The word “fear” is “phobos” and means “terror, godly fear, reverence.”

It is very important for us fathers to teach our children the fear of the Lord. Fathers who fail to teach their children how to walk in the fear of God deprive them of God’s blessings. Churches who are afraid to speak about the fear of God rob their people of many blessings.

Deuteronomy 6:2 tells us that we PROLONG OUR LIVES when we walk in the fear of God: “That thou mighest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statues and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of they life; and that THY DAYS MAY BE PROLONGED.”

As fathers, we must show to our children by example what it means to fear the Lord in a godly way. If we have no fear about offending our holy God, we are most unfortunate people. It is much easier to fall into sin when we have no fear of God.

The psalmists speak much of the fear of God. The following are 25 Psalm Scriptures about the rewards of fearing God.

When we walk in the fear of the Lord . . .

1. GOD WILL TEACH US HIS WAYS (Psalm 25:12).
2. GOD WILL SHOW US HIS SECRETS (Psalm 25:14).
3. GOD WILL SHOW US HIS GOODNESS (Psalm 31:19).
4. GOD’S EYE WILL BE UPON US (Psalm 33:18).
5. GOD WILL ENCAMP AROUND US (Psalm 34:7).
6. WE WILL HAVE NO WANT (Psalm 34:9).
7. GOD WILL GIVE US A BANNER (A BATTLE STANDARD) (Psalm 60:4).
8. GOD’S SALVATION WILL BE NEAR TO US (Psalm 85:9).
9. GLORY WILL DWELL IN OUR LAND (Psalm 85:9). What a wonderful promise for the nation. Oh, to have a nation of people who fear the Lord.
10. GOD WILL PROVIDE US WITH FOOD (Psalm 111:5).
11. GOD WILL BLESS FATHERS WITH MIGHTY OFFSPRING (Psalm 112:1, 2).
12. GOD WILL BE OUR HELP AND SHIELD (Psalm 115:11).
13. GOD WILL BLESS OUR FAMILY AND INCREASE US (Psalm 115:11-14).
14. GOD WILL BLESS FATHERS WITH PROVISION, PROSPERITY, AND HAPPINESS (Psalm 128:1, 2, 4).
15. GOD WILL BLESS US WITH A WIFE IN THE HEART OF THE HOME (Psalm 128:3).
16. GOD WILL BLESS US WITH MANY CHILDREN AROUND OUR TABLE (Palm 128:3).
17. GOD WILL BLESS WITH GRANDCHILDREN (Psalm 128:1, 6).
18. WE WILL SPEAK OF HIS EVERLASTING MERCIES (Psalm 118:4).
19. GOD’S WORD WILL BE ESTABLISHED, ACCOMPLISHED, AND CONFIRMED IN US (Psalm 119:38).
20. WE WILL SEEK GOOD COMPANIONS (Psalm 119:63).
21. OTHERS WHO FEAR THE LORD WILL BE GLAD TO SEE US (Psalm 119:74, 79).
22. WE WILL DELIGHT TO BLESS AND PRAISE THE LORD (Psalm 22:23; 135:20).
23. GOD WILL FULFIL OUR HEART’S DESIRE (Psalm 145: 19).
24. GOD WILL HEAR OUR CRIES AND SAVE US (Psalm 145:19).
25. GOD WILL TAKE PLEASURE IN US (Psalm 147:11).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Painting by Barret - Father and Son Embrace

Proverbs 1:7: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I wonder why the fear of the Lord is not such a strong emphasis as it used to be among Christian congregations. Divorce, fornication, immorality, homosexuality, abortion, and pornography, etc. are a few of the common sins we face in our churches today. They do not seem to shock us like they used to.

There are increasing numbers of people in main line churches who are not married and yet live together. They get up on Sunday morning and feel quite comfortable about sitting together with the rest of God’s people without any fear of God and without any solid connection that our God is a holy God who will judge His people unless they repent.

These same people are quick to condemn others who seek to bring correction to them. It has become politically correct to not judge or condemn the sin of anyone, even if they are living in serious sin such as adultery, fornication, or homosexuality.

Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead when Peter condemned them for lying about the sale proceeds of a certain piece of land. It was not just lying to man, but lying to the Holy Ghost. Read Acts 5:1-11. This resulted in GREAT FEAR coming upon all the church.

Acts 1:11,12: “And GREAT FEAR came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people.”

When the apostle Paul confronted Elymas the sorcerer who withstood Paul’s preaching, he conferred blindness upon him for a season (Acts 13:8-12). What was the result? “When the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord (v. 12).

As kingly men, we must teach our families what it really means to fear the Lord.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell