Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

How long are we meant to stay spiritual babies? We would be devastated if we were still spoon feeding our little babies and toddlers when they were four or five years old! And yet many adults still need to be spoon fed when they are adults! They still don’t feed from God’s Word each day for themselves. They wait for Sunday for the pastor to spoon feed it into their mouths.

As babies in Christ we soak up the m ilk as people teach us (1 Peter 2:2). But we don’t stay on milk. We’ve got to get into the meat and learn how to get food daily for ourselves and learn how to chew on it and digest meaty things. This Scripture doesn’t say it’s a good idea. It says we ought to be doing it. It’s time we were teachers. It’s our duty!

11. THE DAILY DUTY
Both 2 Chronicles 8:14 and Ezra 3:4 talk about the daily duties of the priests. Ezra 3:4 says they “offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required.” God ordained the morning and evening daily sacrifice. They also had to attend to the fire upon the altar every morning and evening, to light the lamps every morning and evening, and to light the sweet incense every morning and evening. Among other things these were their daily duties.

God ordained the morning and evening principle back in tabernacle days which is good for us to continue each day. We keep the fire burning in our homes as we attend to our family altar morning and evening (not a literal altar, but a gathering together as a family). Any less is not enough to keep the fire burning. Any less is not enough to keep the light shining. That’s why we need to come before the Lord as a family every morning and evening to read God’s Word and to cry out to Him. This is a duty, but if God is truly No. 1 in our lives, it will be our greatest delight and the “longed for” times of each day.

When we know what’s best for our lives and family’s lives, duty is always delight.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

I think this is something we often forget to do, isn’t it? feel guilty as I think how often I forget to do this. If we thanked God more often for specific brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, we’d be reminded more of special things to do for them to encourage and spur them on in the faith. May God save us from getting so taken up with our selfish lives that we forget to thank God for other believers who are part of our lives.

Years and years ago I remember God speaking to me very powerfully. I was walking over the doorstep into my home when I heard God speak strongly to my heart, “Nancy, how can I reveal to you the needs of others if you are always thinking about yourself?” What a powerful question. We need to give God room in our hearts and minds for others. If our minds are totally taken up with thinking about ourselves, how will we have room to think of other people –to thank God for them and bless and encourage them?

Wouldn’t it be great to take on the challenge of thinking of one extra person each day? To thank God for them and to think of something special we could do to encourage them. Either give them a call, send them a card, write them a loving message, or listen closely to the Holy Spirit for some specific thing He would want us to do for them.

What do we want? To be selfish or selfless?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

More tomorrow.

This is God’s vision for marriage. His ways are wondrous. But there are two sad things about this Scripture. Firstly, the feminist movement are foundationally against men, especially in marriage. They’d rather eliminate them. How sad that they don’t understand God’s wondrous plan that a husband is to be as concerned about his wife as he is about his own body.

Secondly, it is sad that so many husbands have not been taught their duty and moral obligation from God. When they know it and embrace it, they not only gloriously bless their wives, but their own lives also! Their duty turns into glorious delight!

7. BEAR WITH THE FAILINGS OF THE WEAK
Romans 15:1: ‘We then that are strong ought ( it is our duty) to bear the infirmities of the weak, and NOT TO PLEASE OURSELVES.”

It’s easy to pass by those who are weak and struggling as we get on with our own lives with all our visions and projects But God wants us to take time for the weak and fainthearted—to invite them to our homes, to bear them up, to encourage them, and to hold them up. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 exhorts us to “comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

8. WASH ONE ANOTHER’S FEET
You know the incident of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet which is a picture of servanthood and willingly choosing the lowly place. Although Jesus was God and had come from the glory of eternity, He was always willing to take the humble positron. He reminded His disciples that the one who serves is the greatest in the kingdom of God. Therefore, after He washed their feet, He says to them, and to you and me: “Ye call me Master and Lord: and you say well; for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet: ye also ought (it is your duty) to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:13-15).

These things I have been writing about in the last three posts are all so challenging, aren’t they? We know them but are we living them in our daily lives?

More tomorrow.

Be blessed, Nancy Campbell

P.S. Scriptures to look up about being a servant: (Matthew 20:26-28; 23:11; Mark 10:43-45; Luke 7:28; 22:24-27; and Philippians 2:5-8).

4. LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR OUR FELLOW BELIEVERS
1 John 3:16 says: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought (it is our duty) to lay down our lives for the brethren.” The NLT says it very clearly: “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Do you think we must be a long way off the true picture of Christianity?

5. SHOW HOSPITALITY AND PROVIDE FOR TRAVELING MISSIONARIES
3 John 1:5-8: “We therefore ought (it is our duty) to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.” As we show hospitality and financially support those who are preaching and teaching the gospel of truth, we will be co-workers with them and with the Holy Spirit. We will be companions with them for spreading the truth.

Romans 15:27 (NLT): “Indeed they are indebted to the Jerusalem saints. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things.” The KJV states that it is their “duty.”

Is this enough for you to take in today? I certainly think it is enough for us to put into practice, don’t you?

More tomorrow.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

The dictionary meaning of duty is:
Something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation,
the binding or obligatory force of something that is morally or legally right,
an action or function required by a person's position or occupation,
the respectful and obedient conduct due a parent, superior, elder, etc.
an act or expression of respect.
a task or chore that a person is expected to perform.

Our occupation is motherhood and the management of the home. It takes a life of duty to keep a home running smoothly. Sometimes we may look upon it as duty and our thoughts spiral down to drudgery.

However, duty can be drudgery or delight depending to our attitude. We not only choose duty because it is the right thing to do, but we choose our attitude. When you choose and confess that every task in your home—menial or creative—is a delight, it will become your delight.

Make duty your delight and you will love every moment in your home. Sing while you work. Smile as you work. Praise the Lord as you work. Everything depends on what we choose to do.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Some change is quick like the first night's physical consummation but give it time . . . lots of time . . . and over that lifetime, He consummates the two soul's "beings" as well. Just ask anyone who has been married 50 or 60 years. Some old couples even end up somewhat looking like each other in certain features.

Make no mistake. HE does the work, we just ARE. He is quite sufficient to create the oneness upon us . . . over us . . . in us, without our own frail help or limited intentionality. AND what is even more surprising, He not only makes the marriage's oneness, but the individual's INDIVIDUATION. We become more of who we are via the relationship. We identify ourselves by what arises in the context of the relationship. I like this, I don't like that, I tend to be this, I tend not to be that, etc. Changing water into wine is only the beginning.

RENEE ELLISON
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1) Dedicating the tabernacle for 12 days. Each prince of Israel dedicated the altar for a day each (Number 7:10-11, 84, 88). This was the first dedication we read about.
2) Dedicating a new house (Deuteronomy 20:5). It is biblical to dedicate a new house.
3) Dedicating Solomon's temple which he built for the Lord (1 Kings 8:62 and 2 Chronicles 7:5, 9).
4) Dedicating the rebuilt temple when they came back from Babylon--Zerubbabel's temple (Ezra 6:16).
5) Dedicating the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:27).

And there is one more! You'll never guess!

It’s found in Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." The word "train" is “hanuk,” the verb of hanukkah, meaning "to initiate, dedicate, consecrate." It is not enough to celebrate Hanukkah for eight days. As parents, we are FULLTIME HANUKKAH CELEBRATORS!

When we realize that training our children means to dedicate them to the Lord, it gives us a much larger and loftier vision. Everything we do and plan for our children should be done in the light of dedicating them to the Lord and setting them apart for His service. It's not a one-time dedication. It’s a verb which requires daily action.

When our children are disobedient or don't complete what we have asked them to, we can sometimes be lazy and let it go. But not if we understand we are daily dedicating them to the Lord. How can we let things go when we consecrating them to God's holy service? We have the responsibility to train them to obedient so they will be obedient to the Lord!

As children get older, they can become more worldly and want to do what other worldly teens are doing. We could think, "Oh that's the stage they are going through." But not if we understand that we are daily consecrating them to the Lord. We will pray up a storm. We will fight the devil. We will work with our children to keep them on the narrow road that leads to life. We will do everything to save them from the broad road that leads to destruction. WE ARE PROVERBS 22:6 HANUKKAH PARENTS!

When we “hanuk” our children, it determines how we educate our children. It would be ludicrous to send our children into an ungodly education system each day if we are daily consecrating them for God's purposes.

As we consecrate our children to the Lord, we recognize that they totally belong to the Lord for whatever time God has for them on this earth. Above everything else, we know that we are ultimately preparing them for eternity.

Every day is a day of dedicating our children to the Lord,

NANCY CAMPBELL

The Israelites also had to face enemies far bigger than them. Deuteronomy 9:1-3 says: “Hear O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations GREATER AND MIGHTIER than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, a people great and tall, the children of the Anakims (giants), whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.”

I know that you, too, often face challenges that loom much bigger than you can handle. Don't focus on your difficulty. Look to God. He is your Strength. He is your Source. He is your Sufficiency. He will always do what you cannot do. When we try to handle our problems on our own, we usually make a mess of the job. Put them in God's hands because He always knows best how to handle them.

Victory does not come by intelligence or fleshly strength. It only comes from God. Just as God delivered the Maccabees time and time again as they faced insurmountable armies, so God will deliver you as you trust in Him. Make sure you have the right confession. Don't confess your problems; confess your trust in God. It's the way to victory.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

How did they keep the lamps burning day after day, year after year? God said they had to attend to the lamps every morning and every evening. They had to trim the wicks and pour more oil into the lamps, the oil speaking of the Holy Spirit. Once a day was insufficient. They had to do it two times a day to keep the light burning

This is a pattern for our lives today. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He fills us with His light, but it is very easy for the light to dim, or even go out. There are many temptations, deceptions, and evils around that diminish our light. To keep the light burning, we must tend to it every morning and evening. We need to do this individually and as a family.

A powerful way to keep God's light burning in every member of our family is to have Family Devotions (or whatever you call it in your home) every morning and evening. Each time we come together as a family to read God’s Word and pray together, we relight our lamps. If we fail to do this, our light can go out very quickly.

How big is the flame in your family? We are not meant to be a flickering light, but a great light. If your flame is only smoldering, get back to God's "morning and evening" principle.” Let the light in the temple of your body and your home shine brightly.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

P.S. Do you wonder how to go about having Family Devotions in your home? A wonderful help for you, which we use every day, is THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH. It has Scriptures written for every morning and every evening, plus ideas on how to make this an exciting time with your family.

Go to this link: http://tinyurl.com/CreativeIdeasToReadBible

The third son cried out: "I have received these limbs from heaven, and I give them up for the sake of God's laws." Another cried out: "We are prepared to die rather than sin against our ancestral laws" (2 Maccabees 7:2, 11).

Because they would not bend and turn from God's laws this dear mother watched as Antiochus tortured her fourth, fifth, and sixth sons the same way. The mother had only one son left, her beloved youngest. Antiochus tried to influence the mother to save his life. He promised he would make him rich and prosperous and even a political advisor.

She obliged by turning to her youngest son saying: "Son, pity me who carried you in the womb nine months, nursed you for three years, nurtured you, and brought you into this stage of life with care. I beg you, child . . . Don't fear this killer but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death so that in God's mercy I should recover you with your brothers" (2 Maccabees 7:27-29). She watched her last son die before she was put to death herself.

This mother was a nurturing and caring mother. But she had a vision for her children beyond this earth. She raised her sons to fear God rather than man. She raised them to stand for truth, no matter what the consequences. She raised them to see beyond this earth to the endless life of the heavenly.

May God help us to be courageous mothers. May He save us from raising wimpy, mediocre children who are seduced by the humanist trend of an ungodly society. May He anoint us with the mighty power of God to raise children who will have the courage to stand for God and for truth, no matter what persecution they face.

Ephesians 6:13: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all TO STAND.”

(You can read the whole of this amazing story in the Apocrypha in 2 Maccabees chapter seven).