Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

The way to abundant life is losing your own life by pouring it out for others. Jesus takes the challenge even further when He said in John 12:24, 25: “Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

I love the lines from Elisabeth Elliot in her book “Love Has a Price Tag” where she writes: “The routines of housework and mothering may be seen as a kind of death, and it is appropriate that they should be, for they offer the chance, day after day, to lay down one’s life for others. Then they are no longer routines. By being done with love and offered up to God with praise, they are thereby hallowed as the vessels of the tabernacle were hallowed. A mother’s part in sustaining the life of her children and making it pleasant and comfortable is no triviality. It calls for self-sacrifice and humility, but it is the route, as was the humiliation of Jesus, to glory.”

In other words, it is the path to GLORY. Check out these Scriptures too: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Philippians 2:5-11; and 1 Peter 1:7, 11.

Have a beautiful day,

Nancy Campbell

We have the power of prayer that can annihilate hundreds and thousands of enemies (Leviticus 26:7, 8 and Ephesians 6:18).

We have the power of the blood and the name of Jesus from which the devil flees (Revelation 12:11).

But do we use our weapons? Psalm 78:9 tell us about the Ephaimites who “being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.” Isn’t that amazing? They had their armor on and their weapons with them, but they didn’t use them. They weren’t skilled and practice and therefore they were fearful when facing the battle.

We’ve got to get familiar with our weapons. They’ve got to become part of us. Remember when King Saul gave David his own armor and a sword? When David tried to walk, he was not comfortable because he hadn’t proved them, and took them off (1 Samuel 17:38, 39).

If we are not familiar with our weapons, we won’t be ready to use them when the need arises.

LET’S GET PRACTICED and LET’S TEACH OUR CHILDREN HOW TO USE THE WEAPONS GOD GIVES US!

We have a responsibility to daily fill them with God’s Word. God’s powerful words must get into their mouths (Isaiah 59:21). Let’s teach them how to pray. The way we do this is pray! Never let a day go by, morning and evening, without praying together with your children. Teach them the power of the blood of Jesus and how to use the name of Jesus against the enemy (James 4:7 and 1 John 3:8).

By the time your children leave home and go out into this world they should be so proficient at using their armor that they are ready for any battle they face, which of course they will face. Our military don’t go into battle until they are proficient with their weapons! We, and our children, must also become skilled.

Let’s be “warfare ready” families in this hour.

Be encouraged.

Nancy Campbell

Our precious young people live in a society where they are surrounded by deception, evil, and violence on TV, social media, and ow even in the streets of our cities. Broken homes are normal. Divorce is a way of life and yet divorce destroys the lives of children.

It’s not what God planned. He plans for children to live in a home with a father and mother who love one another and who are committed to strengthen and build their family together. This assignment is more important than anything else they do in in life.

All the government programs, and even church programs, are only crutches. They are not the real thing. The real thing is stable family life with a father and mother who are committed to their family—even before their careers and every project they do in life.

The word “strengthen” in this Scripture is “chazaq” and means: “to be bound fast, to be attached, to make firm, to cleave, to be constant, to support, to preserve, to hold fast, and to strengthen.” It means to make your roots deep.

The HCSB translates it: “Drive your pegs deep.”

The NET says: “Pound your stakes deep.” This is what we must do with our marriage and family life. We’ve got to dig in deep.

Why don’t you try to do at least one thing each day to strengthen your marriage and your home life? Establish family togetherness at your meal table. Think of special things you can do as a family in the evenings at home. Don’t always be rushing out. Make your home life rich and exciting.

That’s what you call building. We either build into our marriage and home or we pull it down. Proverbs 14:1 says: “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.”

Are you building into your marriage and home today?

Nancy Campbell

Did you know that the Bible likens marriage to a resting place? Does that really sound possible? Two times the story of Ruth, Naomi talks about marriage as a place of rest.

Firstly, in Ruth 1:9 (NET) she says to both her daughters-in-law: “May the LORD enable each of you to find security in the home of a new husband!” The King James Bible says “that ye may find rest.”

The word rest is “menuchah” and means “repose, peaceful, consolation, an abode, quiet, comfort, refreshment, a resting place, and specifically matrimony.” It’s the same word that is used in Psalm 23:2 where our Good Shepherd leads us beside the “still waters.”

Then again, in Ruth 3:1 Naomi speaks to Ruth who came back with her to Judah: “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?” The GNB translation says: “I must find a husband for you, so that you will have a home of your own.” Naomi was concerned to find a husband for Ruth.

This time the Hebrew word is “manoach,” with a very similar meaning, “a settled spot, a home, a place of rest.”

Sadly, this is not always the picture of marriage relationships. Yet this is what God intends. Marriage provides security ,stability, provision, and a resting place to fulfil our God-given career of mothering and nurturing. It is difficult for single moms to cope with providing for their children and nurturing and making a home at the same time. There are many who find themselves in this position through no fault of their own and they need much encouragement and help.

But God intends the home to have a husband and a wife. When a husband knows his mandate from God to provide for his wife and family and to protect and guard them, a wife can live in quietness and rest. She can give herself to the work of managing her home and caring for her children.

Did you notice I said work? “But you are talking about rest” I hear you say. We can work hard and yet be in rest. To live in rest doesn’t mean that we sit around all day. I remember a very busy man of God who would end his correspondence, “Restfully busy.” When you are working hard and busy in your home, think of being “restfully busy.”

I believe that rest is a
state of rest in our soul,
peace with God,
free from the worries of providing for the family, and
basking in the joy of mothering and homemaking.
This is God’s glorious plan.

And this is why marriage is referred to as a resting place. Of course, Satan tries to disrupt the rest that God intends. He wants to destroy every plan of God. Therefore, we must always be on the lookout for his insidious ways. We must watch that we don’t take on too many other things outside the home. We must guard against tension and evil creeping into the home We must resist all rebellions and selfish attitudes. And especially bitterness and hardness of heart.

Marriage is all to do with our attitudes and we can choose which attitude we will take. It’s easy to take the negative one, not so easy to take the godly attitude, but we can do it with God’s enabling.

Let’s seek to make our marriages and homes places of rest.

Have a wonderful day,

Nancy Campbell

Yet in the scriptures we hardly ever hear of women going to the mountains.
But we know why, right?

Because the women were too busy keeping life going;
they couldn’t abandon babies,
meals,
homes,
fires,
gardens,
and a thousand responsibilities to make the climb into the mountains!

I was talking to a friend the other day, saying that as modern woman I feel like I’m never “free” enough from my responsibilities, never in a quiet enough space I want with God.

Her response floored me, “That is why God comes to women.
Men have to climb the mountain to meet God, but God comes to women where ever they are.”

I have been pondering on her words for weeks and have searched the Scriptures to see that what she said is true.
God does indeed come to women where they are,
when they are doing their ordinary, everyday work.

He meets them at the wells where they draw water for their families,
in their homes,
in their kitchens,
in their gardens.

He comes to them as they sit beside sickbeds,
as they give birth,
care for the elderly,
and perform necessary mourning and burial rites.

Even at the empty tomb, Mary was the first to witness Christ’s resurrection, She was there because she was doing the womanly chore of properly preparing Christ’s body for burial.

In these seemingly mundane and ordinary tasks, these women of the Scriptures found themselves face to face with divinity.

So if, like me, you ever start to bemoan the fact that you don’t have as much time to spend in the mountains with God as you would like, remember, God comes to women.

He knows where we are and the burdens we carry.
He sees us, and if we open our eyes and our hearts, we will see Him,
even in the most ordinary places and in the most ordinary things.

Unknown.

The challenge to us is that if we do not work to guard our home and family, the devil will outdo us with his works. If mothers would rather work outside their home than in their home, they give room for the devil to work in their home behind their backs! This is one of the reasons the devil woos women out of the home. He can then get his hands upon the minds and hearts of our precious children. If mothers are not protecting, guiding, teaching, and nurturing their children in the home, who is? Who is that person? Are they godly? Are they righteous? Are they anointed from God for the task? Are they teaching our children the truth?

We must work to keep our home a place of love, joy, delight, and holiness—and truth! It takes work to keep deception out of your home. The enemy always looks for a foothold where he can get in.

Keep working dear mother. Don’t let up. Don’t let the devil work havoc in your marriage and children while you are busy with other things.

One of the greatest ways we destroy the “works of the devil” is through fervent prayer. How much are you praying for your children? Your home? Future generations?

Keep the devil at bay from your marriage and home.

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting: Pierre Edouard Frere (1819 – 1886 French).

It’s people who make home. Mother and father and brothers and sisters. I remember as a child coming home from school. Arriving home my mother would be there, either in the kitchen or in her sewing room. I would say Hi, throw my bag in my room, and run out the door to play with my friends. I was happy and carefree. I felt secure because mother was at home.

However, on some occasions, I arrived home to find no one at home. My mother was late home from shopping. Instead of running out the door to play with my friends, I moped around the house. Something was wrong. I didn’t feel the same freedom to run out and play.

The security that comes from knowing mother is there is powerful. One of the names of God is Jehovah Shammah which means “God is there.” To know that God is always available is so steadying to our lives. In the same way, we as mothers show to our children a wonderful characteristic of God when we are “there” for our children. We show them what God is like.

To be “there” in the heart of the home reveals a little of what Heaven is like because Heaven is only Heaven because God is there. And home is only home because YOU are there, dear mother.

You are not wasting your life when you are in your home and available for your children. You show to them a God-like character which brings great stability to their lives.

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting: "Family Traditions" -- by Mark Arian (b.1947, American)

After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness the children of Israel were ready to go into the Promised Land. Moses told the people that he would not be going with them, but Joshua would lead them in. And then he said: “ENCOURAGE him; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it” (Deuteronomy 1:38).

We need to encourage those who lead us.
President Trump needs our encouragement, and of course, mostly our prayers. Daily he receives more antagonism and hatred than any president in history.
Our pastors need our encouragement.
Those who are sacrificing and pouring out their lives in different ministries need our encouragement.
And of course, mothers need encouragement!

Yes, you need encouragement. We all do, don’t we? The word “encourage” in the Hebrew here is “chazaq” and means “to bind fast, hold fast, to strengthen, to support, to make firm, to be strong, courageous, valiant, helpful, and to conquer.”

Dear wife and mother, God has called you to a powerful career. It is God-mandated. God-commissioned. God-designed. And God-planned. You are not wasting your life away as you nurture your children in your home. You are in the very perfect will of God.

You are influencing a nation. You are influencing future generations. As you train and teach your children in God’s Word and His ways you are determining the destiny of this nation. Our nation will only be what comes forth from the homes of this generation.

Therefore I encourage you today to hold fast to your divine calling. Don’t be intimidated by your antagonists. Don’t be pulled into the deceptions of our humanist society. Stand fast to truth even when everyone else is going a different way. Romans 3:4 says: “Let God be true, but every man a liar.”

I encourage you to be strong, courageous, and valiant. That’s the meaning in Proverbs 31:10: “Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies.” The word “virtuous” is “chayil” and means “valiant and strong.” It is used of “mighty men of valor.” It is a word that belongs to battles and war.

We are in a battle, dear mothers, a battle for the souls and lives of our children. The devil wants them even though God has called them from the womb. We must stand strong against his wiles and deceits. We have no time to be wimpy. We must be mothers of prayer and courage and strength. We will not give into deception. We will not allow the enemy to step his foot in the door of our homes.

I encourage you to conquer. We often face difficulties, challenges, and mountains bigger than us. We can’t conquer in our own strength, but we have the Spirit of the living God dwelling in us. We have His truth (His Word) in our hearts and in our mouths. When battles rage against us, we plead the blood of Jesus and we lift up the powerful name of Jesus and we take our stand. We will not move an inch from the truth. We will not cower to the devices of the enemy. In Christ we are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).

And best of all, no matter what battles you face, God is with you. Moses personally encouraged Joshua with these words: “Be strong and of a good courage . . . And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; HE WILL BE WITH THEE, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:7, 8, 23).

God will never forsake you, no matter what difficulties, challenges, or battles you face.

Blessings and encouragement to you today from Nancy Campbell
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The word “dwelt” is “skenoo” and means “to encamp, to occupy, to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion).” How wonderful that Jesus was willing to leave the glory of Heaven and become a man to dwell with us.

But now, greater than dwelling amongst His people on earth, He dwells in our hearts by His Spirit. He is full of grace and truth and wants us to be full of grace and truth in this world.

He also wants to dwell in our homes. God who created the first home loves to dwell in homes. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve each day in their garden home. He wants to do the same with you today.

Invite Him to come into your home. Invite Him to your table as you sit together as a family each day. Establish an altar (a time and place) where you meet with God each morning and evening. Fill your home with the praises of the Lord. Create an atmosphere for His presence.

When God is in your midst, it doesn’t matter what is happening outside. Live in His dwelling presence.

Have a beautiful day and a wonderful evening with your husband and family,

Nancy

I think it’s time to get earnest, don’t you? Especially with what is currently happening in our nation. Let’s become effectual in our praying (James 5:16).

When the children of Israel first came into the Promised land they came to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. God told Joshua for half of the tribes to stand on Mount Gerizim and the other half on Mount Ebal. The Levites then had to speak the curses to Israel with A LOUD VOICE. God also commanded that after every statement all the people had to answer, AMEN (Deuteronomy 27:11-26).

After the Levites spoke each one of the twelve curses, they stopped, and all the people said AMEN!

God wanted them to say Amen for them to agree! But I am sure it also helped them to keep awake and attentive. It wasn’t just a few adults who were listening, but ALL the families of Israel, including ALL the children. They wouldn’t have time to get into a daydream if they were waiting to say Amen after every declaration.

Do you do this in your family praying? Teach your children to be involved in what others are praying. To agree. To say Amen. To be involved in every prayer instead of giggling, talking, and fiddling! If they are not saying Amen, they are most probably in a day dream.

I say Amen. What do you say?

Nancy Campbell

In the Song of Solomon, we see a picture of the bride of Christ, the church of the living God. It also speaks to us as wives. She goes into the wilderness full of confidence and independence, but how does she come out? Song 8:5 says: “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” She has now learned that her greatest blessing and power is to lean upon her Beloved.

We all have to learn this lesson, don’t we? When we first come into marriage, we are head over heels in love, but we still have a lot of self-will to deal with. When we first embark upon motherhood, we find we still have so much selfishness in our lives.

God has lots of tempering to do, but He gently works in our hearts by His Holy Spirit. He slowly deals with our pride and independence. As we face the challenges of motherhood from babyhood right through to their becoming young men and women, we find we have no wisdom of our own. We are cast upon God. Unless we lean on Him for His wisdom, His strength, and His guidance we make a mess of everything.

We learn that we cannot lean on worldly wisdom. We cannot lean on man. Isaiah 36:6 says: “Lo, thou trusteth the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt (Egypt speaks of the flesh and the world); whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it.” But no matter how hard we lean on God, He will not fail us. He will always hold us up. We gradually learn that we can trust Him completely. He is bigger than every challenge we face. He is our Rock.

Let’s learn to be learners, dear mothers. “Dear Father, I lean on You today. I ask for Your wisdom. I rely on Your strength. I thank You that I can trust my whole life with You. Amen.”

The old hymn we love to sing encourages us to lean on the everlasting arms:
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27 promises us: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” His arms will never let us fall.

Will you lean upon Him today?

Love from Nancy Campbell

How do we keep them sharp? The margin of my Bible explains “reason of use” to be a habit. Another translation says it is by “constant use.” When we constantly use our senses to discern what is good or evil, they become sharpened. We are not conditioned or dulled by this humanistic society, but daily sharpen our minds in God’s Word. That’s the only place to receive discernment. If we don’t know what God says about a subject, we won’t have God’s discernment about it.

We have a responsibility to train our children to have sharp spiritual senses in this deceived world. That means we must put God’s Word into them daily so that it is the habit of their lives to constantly discern what is righteous and what is evil. Many times evil can have a “nice look” and it takes godly discernment to know the truth (Leviticus 10:10; Jeremiah 15:19; Ezekiel 22:26; and 44:23-24).

Many so-called Christian young people today are conditioned by their education to accept same-sex marriage, excuses for abortion, and the whole liberal agenda. Their spiritual senses have been totally dumbed down because, instead of being filled with God’s Word, they are programmed with humanism and socialism.

Let’s be families who have sharp senses and who know how to discern deception.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell