Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Many Christians are content with a word from the pastor or minister on Sunday. Others like to read God’s Word every day. But I think we all fall short of the “gold” and “treasure” we hold in our hands. God’s Word is the literal “alive and active” living Word from the God of the universe, the God who created us. He wants it to be constantly part of our lives and the lives of our children.
Proverbs 4:20-22 (CJB) says: “My son, pay attention to what I am saying: incline your ear to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight, keep them deep in your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to their whole being.”
When God says “pay attention,” what does He mean? The word is “quashab” and means “to prick up the ears like an alert animal, to hearken, to give heed.” It’s so easy to hear words, and yet not hear God speak to us. We have to learn to “hear” with our ears. There is nothing more exciting than hearing God speak from His Word. It burns in our hearts and becomes life to our bodies. And this is the way it’s meant to be. It’s the way we teach our children to hear God’s living Word.
We not only hear with alert ears, but our eyes are not to depart from His Word. The ESV says: “Let them not escape from your sight.” How much are they in your sight throughout the day? Do you have the Bible open at different places in your home? On your window sill where you prepare meals and do dishes. In the toilet. In the spot where your nurse your baby. On the table. Every now and then you can speak forth a living Word to your children.
When we really hear and truly behold His words, they get deep down into our hearts. When this happens His Word becomes life to our souls and medicine to our bodies. I was blessed to know a dear old man who had served the Lord in China until it closed. He then moved on to other countries. I met him when he and his wife were in their eighties and at last coming home from the mission field. He told us how he had cancer while in China, but as he read God’s Word out loud daily over his body, God healed him. The Word has life-giving, healing, curative power to heal.
God’s Word is the best doctor in our home--for our souls and for our bodies.
I hope it’s the No. 1 priority in your home.
Love from Nancy Campbell
Does Christ Jesus dwell in your heart? Let me share a secret with you. Christ lives in rest. God lives in rest. Nothing gets him in a state of nervous tension. Nothing gets His stomach tied up in knots. And wondrously, He wants to live His life of rest in you. Instead of doing everything in your own strength, allow Him to live His life of rest in you. Instead of doing it your way, do it His way.
“That’s impossible,” you say. You can’t imagine how much I have to do. And now the school year is starting again, I’ve got even more to cope with. I don’t know how I’m going to adequately school all my children!”
God is so great. He shows us the way to do everything we face in our lives. God’s way of teaching our children is quite opposite to the public school way. Of course you know Deuteronomy 6:6-9 where God tells us to DILIGENTLY teach our children. “Diligently” is not a half-hearted word. It means: “To impress sharply by verbal repetition, to point, to show, to engrave, to make them penetrate, and to whet as in whetting the appetite with repetition and diligence.”
How do we do this? God tells us to do it as we live life--when you sit in your home, when you walk by the way (or drive in your car), when you lie down, and when you rise up. He doesn’t tell us that we have to complete every curriculum we purchased (just because we spent the money on it). He doesn’t tell us we have to accomplish the set block of teaching we planned for the day.
God’s way of teaching is “precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:10). They don’t have to learn everything in one day. Children learn better in bite-size pieces. And there is still tomorrow. There is a lifetime ahead!
God says more on this subject. He continues speaking: “To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing” (Isaiah 28:12). Did you get this dear, weary mother? It says: “THIS IS THE REST AND THIS IS THE REFRESHING!” Let me repeat it: “THIS IS THE REST!” God knows the best way for our children; they learn a lot more this way. And He knows the best way for you; you will enjoy rest instead of becoming a stressed-out, anxious mother.
But we have a problem. Many don’t believe God’s way. They think they have to do it like the school system, or like some other mother is doing it. Dear mother, follow God’s way. Don’t be like the people to whom God spoke these words and their response was: “yet they would not hear” (Isaiah 28:1
Are you listening?
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
You were created by the Divine Life-giver to be a life-giver. Eve, the first created woman, was a prototype of all women to come. She was named Eve, meaning “the life-giving one.”
The Hebrew word for Eve is Chavvah meaning “Life Giver!” She was a life giver; therefore we are also life givers! We have the privilege of conceiving, nurturing, and bringing forth a miracle of life from within our womb.
Let’s look a little more closely at this wonderful word, Chavvah. It has a number of root meanings which help us to understand the revelation of God’s heart for us even more.
1. Chavah. It looks very similar to chavvah, doesn’t it? This word means “to live, to declare, to show.” I think this is wonderful. Because we are created in the image of God, God wants us to reveal His image in the earth. He wants us to show to our families and the world around us who He created us to be. As we embrace, nurture, and then bring forth life from the womb, we declare to the world that we are life-givers.
We are not ashamed to be who God created us to be. We are not ashamed that God gave us a womb and breasts. We are not ashamed to embrace life in our womb. We glorify God by showing it to the world.
2. Chava which is only used in the book of Daniel. It also means “to show” and was used when Daniel revealed the meanings of the dreams.
3. Chayah meaning “to live, give life, revive, preserve alive, nourish, recover, repair, restore, save alive, and to be whole.” This gives us a fuller understanding of what it means to be a life-giver. It is the all-encompassing picture of motherhood.
4. Mechavvah. Some commentators believe that chavvah is abbreviated from this Hebrew word meaning “the sustenance, the propagation of life.”
5. Zoë. When they translated the Old Testament into Greek, they changed Chavvah to the Greek word Zoë meaning “life-giver, life-producer, life-preserver, and life-spring.”
It’s all about life ladies. LIFE. LIFE. LIFE. God’s purpose for you is to be a life-giver. Yes,
* life-givers from the womb, but also . . .
* living the abundant life-giving lifestyle Jesus died to give you,
* speaking life-giving words to your husband and family,
* bringing life-giving healing to your family,
* filling your mind and heart with God’s life-giving words,
* diligently and daily pouring God’s life-giving words into your children, and
* feeding them life-giving foods instead of the Standard American Diet of today.
Be a life-giver to every in your home and every one you meet today,
Nancy Campbell
Painting: “The Wait And The Reward” by Anna Rose Bain
God has given us weapons. They are not ordinary, but powerful weapons. They have the power to demolish all strongholds. We have these weapons constantly available to us, and yet how often do we use them?
* We have the weapon of the “It is written” Word of God which overcomes the devil (Matthew 4:2-11).
* We have the weapon of consistent, never-giving-up, importunate prayer (Ephesians 6:18 and James 5:16-18).
* The have the weapon of the precious blood of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:11).
* The weapon of the powerful name of Jesus Christ, the name which is above every name and the name to which every knee will bow, including the devil (Philippians 2:10, 11 and 1 John 3:8).
* We have the powerful weapon of our confession of the truth against the lies of the enemy (1 Timothy 6:12 and Hebrew 10:23).
However, we read in 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 four requirements to effectively use these weapons.
1. Tear down false arguments and reasonings.
When we fight the battle with God’s weapons we have to do it God’s way. We have to think like God thinks. We have to get our minds aligned with God’s Word, His infallible truth. If our thinking is humanistic or worldly, the devil laughs at us.
2. Tear down every arrogant thought that raises itself against the knowledge of God.
One of the biggest preparations for fighting the battle is to allow the Holy Spirit to expose every high-minded thought in our brains. We must renew our minds in the God’s Word. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Who are we to doubt the knowledge of God? “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).
3. Take every thought captive that does not obey Christ.
When an army takes captives in battle he takes them ruthlessly. We must be ruthless against disobedience. This works out in the nitty gritty of life. We can’t experience victory in the battle if we do not have a submissive spirit to our husband. If children do not learn to obey their parents, they won’t learn to obey Christ, and will never be victorious in battle. If we have a willful spirit, forget about winning the battle.
4. Be ready to avenge every disobedience.
To win the battle, we must wipe out every vestige of disobedience. It gives Satan a foothold and hinders the victory.
Take hold of your weapons today, dear mother, and demolish every stronghold of the enemy in your home.
~ Nancy Campbell
I think that many young men dream of digging for gold or hidden treasure. I know my husband still dreams of digging for gold! However, digging for gold, diamonds, oil, or diving for hidden treasure is tough work. It takes sacrifice. It’s not a picnic. The early gold diggers went through incredible hardships just to find a bit of gold. It becomes a fever and they can’t stop.
A few years ago two of our grandsons went to Alaska to gold dig. They were only 16 and 17 years. It wasn’t all fun and they both got frostbite and were in excruciating pain. Zadok couldn’t feel his toes for a number of years until God healed him. .
You may be in your home with your children all around you, but you don’t have to give up your adventurous spirit. You can go gold-digging, oil-digging, and treasure hunting every day. And I hope you teach your children to have this same adventurous attitude.
Colossians 2:3 speaks of Christ “In whom are hid ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” A lifetime, and even eternity, will never discover all the treasures in Christ and God. And what about His written word which contains His heart and His plans for us? God’s Word is filled with treasures of gold. David was a gold-digger and describes his passion in Psalm 19:10: “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much find gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.”
I have a friend who told me the story of her brother. He purchased land in New Zealand which he hoped would support him financially. However, it turned out that it wasn’t enough provision and therefore he used the land as a hobby farm. Eventually he sold the land. But when selling he discovered he had another ten acres which belonged to him--the best of the land which would have enabled him to have a good income.
His neighbor was using the land. When he accused him, he replied that he had never asked him for it. He missed out on all the blessings he owned because he did not even know what he had!
Dear mothers, too many in the church today approach God’s Word as a chore or read it out of duty. That’s not the way. We must be gold-diggers who look for treasures. There should be nothing more exciting than searching for the divine truths of God’s Word. When we find gold we are so excited to share it with our husband, our children, and everyone we meet.
Our children enjoy our excitement. They see how we love gold-digging. They get a LOVE for God’s Word instead of growing up thinking it is a boring book to be read out of duty. This should never be.
Become an adventurous gold-digging family,
Nancy Campbell
Before the world began she was in God’s mind,
A God who loves to create and is very kind,
He’s the author of life and destiny,
And He already knows what He wants her to be.
What an amazing miracle--the birth of a child!
We stand in awe--and God has a smile!
He’s created a life that’s never lived before,
A life that is special, unique, with gifts galore.
She’s a gift to her parents and a gift to the world
As we wait for her destiny to be unfurled.
She’s a budding life that will come to full bloom,
And of course her parents are “over the moon.”
But the greatest wonder of all to see
Is to know she was born for eternity!
She’s not just a life, but an eternal soul,
Born to embrace a heavenly goal.
Oh the wonder, the privilege we have as a wife
To bring into this world an everlasting life!
Praise God for this privilege and praise God for this babe
Whom He has lovingly and intricately made.
~ Nancy Campbell
For mothers with boys--here is another little poem for you to enjoy:
Little boys are full of noise
It’s very, very true!
If you don’t ignore their jokes
They’ll do some more on you!
Little boys are full of noise,
And don’t say not always!
They stink, they smell, they scream,
They yell--every single day!
Little boys are full of noise,
If you have one you will know,
They cannot sit, they cannot knit
Or do quiet things like sew.
Little boys are full of noise,
Thousands do agree,
But they are also very fun,
I know, ‘cause I have three!
~ Unknown
Painting: “A Fine Day for Fishing” by Jim Daly.
Yes, I know there are stains on my carpet,
The traces of small muddy boots,
And I see your fair tapestry glowing,
And flash in your dresses so bright.
Now, I think I'm a neat little woman
And I like my house orderly too,
And I'm fond of all dainty belongings,
Yet I would not trade places with you!
No! Keep your fair home with its order,
It’s freedom from bother and noise,
And keep your own fanciful leisure,
BUT GIVE ME MY FOUR SPLENDID BOYS!
How often do you use the word “edify” in your everyday language? It’s certainly not a very common word, is it? I wonder if your children know the meaning. I think the reason we don’t use it frequently is because it’s not a secular word. It’s a Bible word and occurs nearly 40 times in the New Testament.
It’s a building term and is often used of building houses and even the temple. The Greek word is “oikodomeo” which comes from two words: “oikos” = home, and “doma” = to build, especially a housetop.
It’s all about building up one another--encouraging one another, making one another strong and secure in the storms of life, and inspiring one another to grow stronger and stronger and taller and taller in the Lord.
It’s all about building up our home--building on the foundation of God’s Word, daily strengthening and encouraging our family unit, dispelling disunity, repairing rifts, hurts, and misunderstandings, and reaching forth for all that God has for us. As we build our family, we don’t want a half-finished building, but a magnificent building!
Paul said, “We do ALL THINGS, dearly beloved, for your edifying” (2 Corinthians 12:19). Wouldn’t it be wonderful to make this the vision for our family lives? Every time we open our mouths and whatever we do, we build and lift up one another to a higher place. Imagine the atmosphere in our home when every member of the family does this to one another?
Ephesians 4:29, 30: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.”
Romans 14:19: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”
Of course, there’s a secret to having an edifying lifestyle--building up your own spirit first, and then because your spirit is strong, edifying all around you. What is the secret? It’s prayer. Jude 1:20 says: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.”
Would you like to implement this new vision into your whole family?
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Painting by Tasha Tudor
What are you speaking into your husband and children today? Words of life and encouragement? Or words of negativity, fear, doubt, complaining, and unbelief?
My, our little tongue has such power, doesn’t it? James 3:6 tells us that even though our tongue is so tiny, “it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” This chapter reminds us that a huge ship in fierce winds can be turned about with “very small helm.” A large horse can be bridled with a little “bit.” Animals, birds, serpents, and even sea mammals can be tamed, but not the tongue (without God’s help).
The other Sunday in church my husband asked everyone to “hold their tongue.” Try it. Your tongue just doesn’t want to be held! It resists!
The only One who can help us bridle our tongue is the Holy Spirit who lives within in. How does God speak? He speaks in righteousness (Isaiah 63:3). Therefore, if we are born again by the Holy Spirit, He dwells within us and enables us by His anointing and power to also speak righteousness. Only He can help us to hold our tongue when we would rather retort back to our husband. Only He can help us speak kindly when we would rather fly off the handle. He is the One who enables to speak life and encouragement to our children.
Therefore, instead of complaining all day long, let’s be like David who said: “My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:28).
Psalm 37:30: “The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.”
Psalm 119:172: “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.”
Psalm 145:21: “My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD.”
Psalm 8:7: “My mouth shall speak truth.”
I know you can’t do this in your own strength. Nor can I. Let’s confess the life of Jesus and His righteousness that dwells within us. Only then can we speak righteously.
Have a positive-speaking, faith-building, praise-giving, and righteous-speaking day,
Nancy Campbell
I loved this following post I read on Facebook the other morning--written by Allison Frost Hartman. She wrote: “People ask me every day, ‘How do you do it with nine children?’ Well, this past week I experienced life with only one child. My parents graciously offered to keep all our children except the baby for VBS.
Now my question is to you all with only one or two little ones: ‘How do YOU do it?’ It was a nice week to spend with my husband, Daniel, and baby Solomon. However, I would not want to do it for very long. I learned this week that our household needs every single one my people--the little ones and the big ones. It may be a loud, crazy, messy, chaotic house but I love it! God knows what we need, and I NEED MY CHILDREN.”
I enjoyed some of the comments to her post also: “I agree. I am lost without my children and I like them right underneath me as crazy as that sounds! I won’t even let my mom or sisters keep them, especially overnight. I feel so lost without them under me.”
“I don't know what to do with myself with my children not around. It makes me really regret all the time I wasted before children! My goodness, I would have been able to conquer the world!”
God’s Word is certainly true when He calls our children “blessings,” not “nuisances”!
Enjoy your children today,
Nancy
Picture: Daniel and Allison and Hartman and their lovely family.
She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future.
~ Proverbs 31:25
It is important for mothers to keep a pure heart before the Lord.
Life is rarely easy. Motherhood is not easy. We continually face challenges, but I want to remind you that God is with you in all of them. Read again this wonderful promise from Isaiah 43:1, 2 (RSV): “Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
It’s easy to complain, “I’m going through such a fiery trial. How will I make it?” Or, “I’m going through the waters. I hope I don’t drown.” Dear Mother, this is the wrong confession. Look again at this wonderful promise from the Lord. He says that when you go through the waters, you will not drown! He promises that when you go through the fire, you will not be burned! When you go through these trials, He reminds you: “I will be with you!” You do not go through them on your own. God is with you!
Can I encourage you to change your confession? Instead, pray: “Father God, thank You that You are with me. I’m going through the fire, but because You are with me I will not be burned. I will come through this trial without the smell of fire upon me. Thank you, Father.”
Or you may like to pray: “Father, I am going through the waters, but I thank You that You are with me, and therefore I will not drown. Thank you for your presence with me in this trial. Thank you, God, I trust you.”
God is with you today,
Nancy Campbell
Isaiah 49:15, 16: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”
Dear Mother, do not despair. God has not forgotten you. The walls of your home are continually before His face. He watches and hovers over you. He takes note of all your mothering and serving in your home. Yes, right into your kitchen with the challenges of cooking meals and your little (and big) children all around you.
When everything seems to be going wrong, reach out to the Lord and acknowledge His presence. Stop and pray: “Thank you, Father, that You are here with me. I acknowledge Your presence in my home. I thank You that You watch over the walls of my home. Fill this room now with Your presence and Your peace. Thank you, dear Father.”
Not only does God watch over your walls, but if you fear the Lord, He encamps around your house. Psalm 34:7 (HCSB) says: “The Angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” The angel of the Lord can refer to a messenger of God, but most theologians believe this Scripture speaks of the Lord Himself, the captain of the hosts of heaven, encamping with His warring angels around those who fear Him. He sets His warriors with sleepless eyes to guard on every side of your house. I love to think of God’s angels all around our home. Thank Him for His divine protection over you and your children.
Zechariah 9:8: “I will encamp about mine house because of the army.” This Scripture speaks of God’s house, the temple. However, it also relates to us. Have you dedicated your home to God? If so, your home belongs to Him and if your home belongs to Him, He will guard it.
The NLT says: “I will guard my Temple and protect it from invading armies.” The enemy continually seeks to invade the sanctuary of our homes--to bring in his evil ways, to take away our unity and peace, and to cause confusion. But as you walk in the fear of the Lord and give Him the preeminence in your home, He promises to guard and protect your home even while you sleep. Don’t you love this wonderful promise?
Hebrews 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
Hebrews 13:5, 6: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Claim these wonderful promises for your home and family today,
Nancy Campbell
I remember one time when our children were little, and I had so many other things pressing upon me. I felt I could not cope any longer. Have you ever felt like that? I woke in the morning to read my Bible and pray, which is the habit of my life, and poured out my inadequacies to the Lord. As I read, I was amazed! the words were exactly how I felt.
My reading was in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and I could not believe it when I got to verse eight: “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.” That was me! I was pressed out of measure. It was more than my strength could take, although I hadn’t got to despairing of life! May be you have felt like this sometimes too.
What did Paul do when he was in this situation? I kept reading: “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us.”
At that moment, God gave me a revelation. I saw the light. I realized that I was trusting in myself and my own resources! Of course, my resources were not enough to carry me through. When I trust in myself there is nothing to learn on. I repented: “I am sorry, Lord,” I cried, “I repent of trusting in my own strength. I forgot that You are my Deliverer. I confess out loud that You are my Refuge. You are my Rock on which I can lean. You are my Strength. You are my Song. You are my Hope! I hand everything over to you. It is yours. I trust you, dear Father.”
As I did this, great peace swept over my soul. Although this was years ago, I can still remember, later in the day, trying to think of all the problems that were weighing me down. Can you believe it? I could not even think of one of them! It was all in my mind!
It’s amazing the difference that comes to us when we put our trust in the Lord instead of ourselves. So many of our worries, depressions, fears, and frustrations are simply because we try to manage in our own strength and with our own resources. All the while God waits for us to put our trust in Him.
Do not try to carry all the burdens of the day yourself. Roll your burdens upon the Lord. He has promised to sustain you and His promises never fail.
Be lifted up today,
Nancy Campbell
Pressed beyond measure; pressed to great length,
Pressed so intensely, beyond my own strength,
Pressed in my body and pressed in my soul,
Pressed in my mind till the dark surges roll,
Pressure from foes and pressure from friends,
Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends.
Pressed into knowing no helper but God;
Pressed into loving His staff and His rod.
Pressed into liberty where nothing clings,
Pressed into faith for impossible things,
Pressed into living my life for the Lord,
Pressed into living a Christ-Life out-poured!
~ Source Unknown
Yesterday we talked about the angel of the LORD coming to Joshua the high priest, in Zechariah’s time. Not only did the LORD come, but Satan came too. Now let’s continue the story.
Zechariah 3:3: “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.” Who was clothed in filthy garments? A wicked unbeliever? No, it was the high priest. None of us are exempt from getting our clothes contaminated as we walk in this evil world. Unless we keep short accounts with the Lord, we can often be unaware that we are wearing clothes (I am speaking spiritually, but of course it could apply physically) that are filthy and grieving the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
However, as we come into the light of His presence, He exposes the darkness and the things that displease Him (Psalm 19:14). And He waits to clothe us again with His garments of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). Zechariah 3:4 continues: “And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” The WEB translation, plus many others say: “rich clothing.” The YLT98 and ISR98 translate it “costly robes.”
Our garments of salvation are costly garments. We receive them through the sacrificial blood of Christ shed for us upon the cross. Let’s embrace these costly garments and wear them each day in our home. Let’s not negate the power of the cross of Christ. How blessed we are to put on fresh, new, clean garments each new day (Ephesians 4:23, 24).
Not only do we receive costly garments, but a head piece. Zechariah 3:5 says: “And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with the garments.” The word “fair” means “clean and pure.” God wants to take away from us the unclean, unbelieving, doubting, bitter, and impure thoughts with which Satan tries to fill our minds and instead give us a clean turban.
Can we allow the Lord to purify our minds today? Let Him come into our minds with the searchlight of His holiness. As we confess ours sins, He forgives and clothes us with a pure turban of clean, wholesome, and filled with faith thoughts (Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5).
Wear your beautiful garments in your home today, given to you at the great cost of the precious blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18).
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell