I LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS

Part 1

"For the righteous Lord loves righteousness," Psalm 11:7

God loves righteousness. If God loves righteousness and we belong to Him, don't you think we should love righteousness too? It is not a matter of trying to be righteous. It is a matter of loving righteousness.

What is righteousness? The word means "blameless conduct and integrity, right actions and attitudes, truth, faith, obedience and justice." Righteousness goes far beyond laws and regulations. It is not legality. Righteousness is life. It is Christ's life living in and through us. True righteousness flows through our countenance as we smile at our loved ones; through our hands as we comfort, caress and minister God's healing and love; through our feet as we go about doing good; and through our heart as we show compassion, but act with justice and integrity.

God associates righteousness with many attributes in His Word. As we look at these qualities we will understand more of God's righteousness and how we can practically live it out in our lives.

Righteousness is associated with Joy

Hebrews 1:9 says, "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Because Christ Jesus the Son loves righteousness, He is anointed with the oil of gladness Psalm 45:7). Righteousness is the opposite of looking pious. It is the opposite of misery. If we walk in righteousness, we'll abound with joy. We'll laugh and sing! Our homes will resound with laughter and gladness. Can you imagine the joyful atmosphere in the homes that are pictured in Psalm 118:15? "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous."

Psalm 68:3 says, "Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice." Read also Psalm 32:11; 33:1; 51:14b; 64:10; 89:15-16; 97:11-12; 145:7; Proverbs 10:28; 29:6 and Isaiah 64:5a.

We go over to the New Testament and see the same association, "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17).

Righteousness is associated with Peace

Isaiah 32:17-18 says, "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." Psalm 85:10 tells us that "Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." (Isaiah 48:18)

Righteousness is the opposite of anxiety and stress. Some people are so intent on obeying laws (often man-made laws) that they are filled with tension. God's righteousness works peace in our lives. God's righteousness enables us to make peace in our homes. Read Hebrews 12:11 and James 3:18. I know of one marriage that divorced because the wife believed it was wrong to celebrate Christmas. It is not a matter of who was right or wrong. Righteousness would make peace and harmony and keep the marriage together!

Righteousness is associated with Stickability

God promises, "He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" Psalm 55:22. Read also Proverbs 10:30 and 12:3. Righteousness is the opposite of being tossed to and fro. We will not be shaken by the circumstances that happen in our lives, no matter how unexpected. We will stand unmoved because we trust in a righteous God who only does what is right. Job confessed, "My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go" Job 27:6. Read also Job 17:9 and Isaiah 54:14.

Righteousness is associated with Generosity

Psalm 37:21 says, "The righteous shows mercy, and gives." Read also Psalm 37:25-26; 112:9 and Proverbs 29:7.

Proverbs 21: 26 says, "The righteous gives and spares not." God's righteousness is opposite to stinginess. If we are walking in God's righteousness, we'll be liberal. We'll be constantly giving-giving our finances, giving hospitality, giving our time to serve others, giving love, giving smiles and giving words of encouragement and inspiration. We will not hold back but pour out everything we have.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Oh Father God, please save me from walking in the righteousness of the Pharisees who relied on their own good deeds. Fill me with your righteousness so that your life will flow through me. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

Christ's righteousness in me is joy and peace!

If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PREPARING PRINCES

Part 4

"Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks vain words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood-that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in the style of a palace." Psalm 144:11-12 Revised Authorised Version

Once again, the Bible talks about our children in the context of royalty. Let's look at some other translations of this Scripture regarding our daughters:

Revised Standard Version: "Our daughters like corner pillars, cut for the structure of a palace."

New American Standard Bible: "Our daughters as corner pillars, fashioned as for a palace."

There are two purposes for pillars:

1. To support a building

You would think the Bible would refer to our sons as pillars as pillars denote strength, but God chose to liken our daughters to pillars. He wants them to be strong, too. Our daughters will one day bear the responsibility of raising a family, which is a huge task. They must be physically strong, prepared and ready to bear children. They must also be mentally, emotionally and spiritually strong. They must be strong in their commitment to purity, holiness, faith, truth and strong in standing against the deceptions of this age. We notice that our daughters are likened to pillars of a palace, not some insignificant building, but are extra strong pillars to hold up a magnificent building.

The word "virtuous" in Proverbs 31:10 is chayil and means "strength." It is interesting that she is described as a woman of strength and mighty valor! God relates these virtues to a woman!

2. To beautify the palace

The pillars of a palace were not only to support the upper storey, but to beautify the building. Let's look at some more translations:

Living Bible: "Daughters of graceful beauty like the pillars of a palace wall."

New American Bible: "Our daughters like carved columns, shapely as those of the temple."

We are not only to raise our daughters to be strong, but to be beautiful. Did you notice the descriptions? "Shapely"-not out of shape! "Graceful beauty"-daughters who walk like royalty with head high and open face; who act with dignity, speak like royalty and dress like royalty (not necessarily with expensive clothes but with clothes that glorify the King of kings).

Fide's Translation says, "Our daughters like upright pillars, fine-wrought for a palace." They do not slouch but sit and walk uprightly-both physically and spiritually.

What about our sons? The New English Bible says, "Happy are we whose sons in their early prime stand like tall towers." There is nothing bowed down about sons and daughters of royalty.

I love how the young men of Asher were described as "choice and mighty men of  valor." (1 Chronicles 7:40) The word "choice" is barar in the Hebrew and means, "singled out, chosen, cleansed, purified, polished and proved." What a powerful career to raise "choice" young men for God's glory.

However, before we can reap the harvest of choice young men and women, we have to do something. Before this promise comes the word of the Psalmist in verse 11, "Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange (alien) children, whose mouth speak vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood." They will not become sons that grow tall in godly stature and daughters who are like the pillars of a palace while we allow them to be educated by the falsehoods of humanism and secularism. We must rid them from these influences.

Our children will not automatically become princes and princesses. Psalm 45:16 says, "Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom you will make princes in all the earth?" They don't suddenly turn out like princes. We have to make them into princes and princesses. This takes committed, full-time  training. May God anoint us for this great task! Read Psalm 112:1-2.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

Above Rubies, www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Oh God and Father, please help me to see that I have the privileged task of training royalty. Help me to get rid of every obstacle that would deter my sons and daughters from the destiny you have determined for them. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am training my sons and daughters for royalty.

Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read throughout the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font.

If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You are welcome to copy this article and forward it to your friends or post on your Blog or Facebook.

PREPARING PRINCES

Part 3

"Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord."

2 Chronicles 36:9 NASB

We noticed in Preparing Princes, Part 2 that Josiah sought the Lord while he was still a youth. His son is now made king while a child, but the Bible says that he did that which was evil before the Lord. And yet he was only eight years old! Even at an early age children can follow after evil or follow after the Lord.

I am sure it depends on their training. This is why we must be faithful to fill our children with God's living Word  even while they are small. Satan is out to get our children and he will try even when they are young. I remember at nine years of age wanting to ask Jesus Christ into my life. I struggled. I felt the power of the enemy holding me back. It was a spiritual battle.

My daughter, Evangeline experienced the same thing when she gave her life to Jesus as a young child. Evangeline shares her testimony: God saved me at four years of age. Even today, it is still the most vivid and powerful experience of my life. I was lying in bed. I still remember the orange bedspread cover. My mother came into my room and said, "Stephen (my twin) has just asked Jesus to come into his life. Would you like to also?" At that moment the world stopped and the fight between the powers of darkness and heaven began. My whole body was shaking. With all my heart I wanted to ask Jesus into my life, but the pull from Satan was so strong. "No, no, no..." the voice of Satan pulled at my heart. The struggle was powerful.

Eventually I said, "Yes" with all my heart. I followed my mother in prayer asking Jesus to come into my life. At that moment I knew God. I experienced the reality of God. He came into my life and filled me. He opened my mind to Him. I was saved for life - no turning back! I have known His powerful presence in my life ever since. Instantly I felt peace. Instantly I was not afraid of the big owl outside my room - or of anything. I have never been afraid of anything from that day.

Satan wants the minds and hearts of our young children. That is why we must be diligent to train them from a very young age. We want them for God, not for the devil's kingdom. This makes me wonder why God-fearing parents allow their children to go into the public school system to be subtly indoctrinated with humanism, socialism and progressivism. It is there they are trained to think like socialists and become more and more conformed to this spirit of this world.

Psalm 1:1 says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night." Many of our children, especially at college, sit under professors who scorn the Bible and the ways of God. God's blessing is on those who do not sit in the seat of the scornful and the counsel of the ungodly. Just imagine if every God-fearing parent took their children out of "the counsel of the ungodly" and brought them home to teach them in the ways of God!  We would have a revolution in the country. And we certainly need one!

Back in the days of Israel when they were training princes and mighty men to fight for their country, they didn't train ones and twos; they trained thousands of them. Look at some of the numbers that came to help David to make him king in 1 Chronicles 12.

"The children of Judah... ready armed to the war." ... ... ...            6,800

"The children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war."             7,100

"The children of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, which could keep rank; they were not of double heart."  ... ... ...   50,000

"The children of Dan, expert in war."    ... ... ... ... ... ... ...   28,000

The children of Asher, expert in war."  ... ... ...            ... ... ... ...  40,000

As I read through the Word of God I don't see any commandments to send our children to God-hating colleges where they are brainwashed to think like humanists. Instead, I see God wanting to pour out His Holy Spirit upon them. Acts 2:17-18 says, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters hall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy."

Do you want your children and teens to be worldly humanistic thinkers or do you want them to be filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly speaking forth God's truth in this deceived world. This won't happen unless they are in an environment for God to pour His Spirit upon them. That environment is not in a godless education system. Who do you think has the best idea? God? Or man with his own ideas?

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

Above Rubies, www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Oh God, please help me to raise my children in an environment where you can fill them with your Holy Spirit and prepare them to be mouthpieces for you in the land. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I'm taking God's side rather than man's!

Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read throughout the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font.

If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You are welcome to copy this article and forward it to your friends or post on your Blog or Facebook.

PREPARING PRINCES
Part 2

"Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel... to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers."

2 Chronicles 34:33

While Josiah reigned as king of Israel, the whole nation of Judah did not depart from following the Lord. What a marvelous testimony for the leader of the nation. This was not the testimony of an older experienced man, but of a young man.

2 Chronicles 34:2-3 tells us, "He did right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father." Josiah was only 16 years old when he began to seek the Lord with all his heart. This is the most opportune time for young people to seek God--the time when they are filled with energy, passion and vision. The greatest way they can exert this energy is toward God and His kingdom.

ZEALOUSLY SEEKING GOD

How do we get our young people to seek God? We can't make them do it. No law can make them do it. It has to come from their heart. Therefore, how can we influence their hearts?

1.    Inspire them to a life of serving God and others. Encourage them to get involved with missions and helping the needy. A selfish mentality where everything revolves around "me" is a destructive attitude.

2.    Make sure they are raised on the Word of God. The best way is to have Family Devotions together every morning and every evening.  The Word of God has power to change their lives and draw them closer to the Lord. Give God opportunity to work in their hearts by the daily filling of His Living Word. Make sure this is not done in legality, but with vitality, asking questions and promoting discussion.

3.    Make sure that prayer is second nature to them. This will happen as they pray out loud each day at Family Devotions. Encourage them to have their own daily "Quiet Time."

4.    Train them in character. Don't allow petty attitudes and self-pity trips. Don't allow grumbling and complaining. Prepare them to be able to face all situations in life, to minister equally to the poor and to the rich. They cannot become princes and princesses without training. Everyone born of royalty is consistently, systematically and extensively trained for kingship and queenship. They will not live like children of the King of kings without our faithful training.

5.    Pray for them. Our greatest weapon is prayer. When we pray, the Holy Spirit will work in their lives in answer to our earnest and fervent prayers. Prayer was our greatest weapon as we raised our teenagers.

It saddens me to see so many so-called "Christian" young people today who are taken up with the worldly pursuits of this life. Instead of seeking God and shining with the glory of God, they are more interested in looking at guys, talking immaturely with their friends, chewing gum* and dressing immodestly. "Cleavage" seems to be "in" in the church today, with adult women as well as teenage girls. Where is the example for our youth?  I hardly know where to look when I am amongst church people. What about young guys and men who must be tempted to lust. Do young ladies and women not realize that this relegates them to the "common" instead of belonging to royalty--princes and princesses of the King of kings?

A DIFFERENT SPIRIT

It's time to earnestly cry out to God for our young people. Pray they will not be interested in living the status quo life of the other young people around them, but who, like Caleb, will have a different spirit than everyone else. I love the description of Caleb in Numbers 14:24, "But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the land... and his seed shall possess it."

When young people become filled with the zeal of God they can change a nation. That's what Josiah did. 2 Chronicles 34:3 continues, "And in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem..." Josiah was now 20 years of age, still a young man. At this age he began to clean up the nation. He rose up in boldness to expose the works of darkness. He was not only concerned about the evil, but he did something about it. He purged the land of evil, tore down the altars of Baal, chopped down the incense altars, broke them in pieces, ground them to powder and scattered them. He burned the bones of the priests of Baal and tore down the Asherim altars and beat them to powder. This was radical stuff! There was no half-heartedness here but absolute passion and zeal for the Lord. Let's pray for a nation of young people with this passion.

IN ALL THE EARTH

In the last devotion we talked about Psalm 45:16, "Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth." Do you notice that we are training princes for all the earth? We are getting them ready to go out into the nation and into the countries of the world to take the gospel; to rise up against evil and deception and do something about it! These young people are not the "ordinary" who try to fit in with the "in" crowd. No, they are princes and princesses, living like royalty as they truly represent the King of kings.

After reading the last devotion, a mother wrote, "We live in a small beach town in California where there are a lot of very unfeminine young girls with tattoos, dark attire and very skimpy clothing. After reading your devotion, for the rest of the day my daughters and I kept reminding ourselves that we were the daughters of the King. It is great to have the mindset of being a princess."

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

Above Rubies, www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

""Father, please help me to prepare children who will seek after you with all their hearts and be zealous for God. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I will not give up my vision of training children who will stand strong against evil and take action against it!

* Please, don't get too upset with me. Of course, there is nothing biblically wrong with chewing gum. However, I personally feel that it is not dignified as a subject of the King of kings. Plus, I think it is rather rude to talk to people while chewing.

Many women like to save these devotions. They print them out and keep them in a folder to read over and over again. Some print them out and pin them on the fridge with a magnet to read through the week. If you are printing this devotion and need it to be smaller, highlight and change to a smaller font.

If you know others who would be blessed by these devotions, you are welcome to forward them or let them know they can subscribe by sending a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You are welcome to copy this article and forward it to your friends or post on your Blog or Facebook.