SOWING SEEDS OF PEACE

Part 3

 Psalm 34:14, “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” (1 Peter 3:11) 

Nothing in this life happens by chance. What we sow we reap. It is an eternal principle. I love what Henry Drummond says, “The Christian life is not casual but causal.”  To live in peace, we must sow seeds of peace. Jesus said,”Blessed are the peace-makers…” Peace doesn’t just happen; we have to make it happen. 

Let’s look at a few more today.  

Love Righteousness 

Psalm 85:10 says, “Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” You can’t have peace without righteousness. They are inseparable. But righteousness is more than turning away from evil. It is doing righteous deeds. Righteousness is not stagnant. It is alive. It is revealed in your facial features as you smile at your family and speak positive things; it comes out your fingertips as you work and toil for the blessing of your family or hug and embrace your children; it shows itself as you walk to do good deeds for your family and others.  

We see this in Isaiah 32:17, “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” Do you notice that righteousness is a work? And do you notice the cause and effect? The effect is peace! 

This following verse says, “And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” If we want peace in our home we must sow seeds of righteousness. That will mean saying No to certain TV programs, DVDs and websites. It will mean taking a stand against the spirit of the world entering your home. Peace does not come by compromise or even by feeling good. Sometimes people equate peace with calm. Anyone can have peace when everything is going perfect. True peace rests on a foundation of righteousness. (Hosea 10:12) 

Seek Reconciliation 

You cannot have peace if you have estranged relationships. To enjoy peace you must seek healing and restoration. Sow seeds of reconciliation. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. You won’t have peace unto you do. (Ephesians 4:26-27) 

Forget your Worries 

Ephesians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” In other words, don’t worry about anything! Easier said than done! But if we want peace in our hearts and homes it is habit we must practice.  

Each time you face another problem, instead of worrying, choose to turn it over to  the Lord. Look to the Lord rather than your circumstances. It takes a while to get into this habit, but it will change your life. You can then walk in peace even in the midst of the storm. 

My favorite Scripture, a special one for mothers, is found in Isaiah 26:3-4, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” When we sow the habit of bringing our thought life to the Lord, we will have peace. Not only peace, but perfect peace. It is actually a double word in the Hebrew meaning, peace, peace!  

Husband/Wife Unity  

Sow unity in your marriage relationship. If you don’t have unity together, you won’t have peace in your heart or home. And nor will your children know peace. When there is estrangement between you and your husband, the children will feel the brunt of it. Once again, you have to sow the seeds. It won’t just happen. Realize the truth that God has made you one--not two, but one! Sow seeds to make this oneness a reality. Say Sorry. Forgive. Swallow your pride. Humble yourself. Shut your mouth. Speak soft words. Submit for your own blessing. As you sown these seeds, you’ll reap peace.  

Order your home 

It is difficult to have peace when you live in a mess. 1 Timothy 5:14 tells us that the young women are to “guide the house.” This phrase is translated from the Greek word, oikodespoteo, coming from two words: oikos – home, and despotace – master. God has given you the responsibility to manage your home—to keep it in order and running smoothly.  Don’t forget the principle of cause and effect. If you want peace, do things that will bring order and peace.  

Declutter your home 

If you have clutter everywhere, if your dishes and laundry are piling up, you will not be able to think straight.  Order brings serenity. Sow seeds for a harvest of peace by de-cluttering your home. If you have loads of junk it can be daunting to start on this venture. Take one room at a time. Be ruthless. Get rid of everything you don’t need. Purge. The more you eradicate, the more serenity will come to your soul. 

Keep sowing your seeds of peace daily and your harvest time will come.  

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Lord, thank you for reminding me that you want me to make peace. Help to be a peace-maker! As I sow seeds of peace, you will bring the wonderful harvest. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION: 

Peace-making is my job today! 

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. 

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SOWING SEEDS OF PEACE

Part 2 

Romans 16:20, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” 

How did you get on last week with sowing and speaking seeds of peace? You sowed a few seeds? That’s great. You wished you could have sown more? Don’t despair. Keep at it. Make it a habit and it will become a way of life. Here are some more seeds to sow.  

Hold your Tongue for Peace

Perhaps this is one of the biggest ways to keep peace. It is so easy to spout off words that cause discord. It is so easy to react with words that cause pain or even incite rebellion. It is so easy to answer back when accused. I am always challenged by Jesus’ reaction when he was accused: 

Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.” 

Matthew 26:62-63, “The high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace.” 

Matthew 27:11-13, “When he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word.” 

1 Peter 2:23, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again…” 

If we cannot give a soft answer, it is best not to even open our mouths! Wow! This takes self control, doesn’t it? But the Holy Spirit, who is self control, lives within us to help us. 

Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” 

Discipline for Peace

This doesn’t sound very peaceful, does it? We often think that if we rock the boat we won’t have peace! But the opposite is true. Discipline precedes peace! Read that again. Yes, discipline precedes peace! If your children are playing up, disobeying, being defiant and causing havoc in the home, you won’t have any peace. To get peace, you must deal with the disobedience or bad behavior.  

One of my favorite Scriptures for parenting is Proverbs 29:17, “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.” 

Do you want rest and peace in your home? Don’t gloss over disobedience. Deal with the issues. Sow loving but firm discipline for disobedient behavior and you will reap a reward of rest. Many parents have no rest. Their children are a constant hassle to them because they have not been trained. They constantly yell at them but their behavior doesn’t change.  

It is a joy to watch parents who live a life of rest. I think of my daughter, Evangeline, who has nine children. Her husband, Howard and she have trained their children to respond with instant obedience from the time they were very little. They have never allowed disobedience or defiant behavior. They dealt with it immediately. They have reaped a wonderful reward of rest. Their children, aged from 15 years to 16 months are extraordinarily behaved. They give delight to their parents and everyone who is around them. They can take them anywhere and trust their behavior. Evangeline lives a life of a queen for her children give her no bother.  

Hebrews 12:11 reiterates this, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” 

I was quite taken aback when reading Romans 16:20 recently, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” You would think that when it speaks of God defeating the devil that He would be referred to as the God or War or the Lord of hosts (which is the Lord of the armies of heaven).  It will not be a peaceful task to conquer Satan. It will be war and blood and tears. But, no. He is called the God of peace. I am sure this is because there can never be true peace while evil reigns and therefore it is the God of peace who wages war to bring peace.  

If you have to have a little war before you have peace, don’t be afraid. Covering over things will not bring peace. It is like a festering sore that will not heal until it is totally cleansed.  

Keep sowing seeds of peace. We’ll look at more next week. 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Lord, it is so easy to retaliate. Please help me to hold my tongue, and when I open my mouth, please help me to sow words of peace. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION: 

I aim for peace, but not by compromising.      

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. 

To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.        

SOWING SEEDS OF PEACE

Part 1

Zechariah 8:12 (NLT), “I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you...”

God spoke these words to encourage the people when rebuilding the temple of Jerusalem. God loves to sow seeds of peace. If we walk in God’s ways, we will also sow seeds of peace. This is God’s character and His way. Because we are created in His image, it should also be our way. When we sow seeds of peace we will reap a harvest of peace.

How can we sow seeds of peace in our home and family? The following are some seeds that I am sure will bring a harvest of peace.  If you can think of other seeds, you are welcome to share them with me.

Pray for Peace
I believe that this is the first thing we need to do. Every morning when we have devotions as a family, my husband prays for peace to fill our home. If we constantly pray for it, we are well on the way toward making it happen.

God commanded us to pray for the peace of His city, Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6) It is just as important to pray for the peace of our homes. If every family prayed for the peace of God to be in their home, we would have peace in our homes, in our cities and then in our nation.

Speak Peace
We should not only pray for it, but speak it. As we were raising our older children, my husband would constantly confess these words, “I am a man of peace” or “I am for peace.” We needed that confession in the midst of our six very exuberant and outspoken children. Unfortunately, our children have it in their genes. My husband comes from a family of nine children, who, although most are totally radical for God and serving the Lord full-time, have very loud voices, are very opinionated and not afraid to speak their opinions. It is a fun riot to be together.

I come from a smaller family, but just as loud. A friend of ours, who lived with us for a while as we were raising our family used to say, “What hope is there for your children with a “crowin’ Campbell” for a father and a “blowin’ Bowen for a mother!” Amazingly, in the midst of all our loudness, we mostly had an atmosphere of peace.

As you pray for your children each morning, minister the peace of God upon them. Walk into your kitchen with your “gospel of peace” shoes on your feet and release peace on each one of your children. Pray it over them. Confess it over them. Speak it into their lives. Be a peace-bearer rather than a tension-bearer.
I love the Jewish greeting of Shalom, meaning peace. What a wonderful way to greet people. This is the way Jesus greeted people and encouraged others to do the same:

Luke 10:5, “Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house.”
Luke 24:36, “Jesus himself stood in the midst of the, and said to them, Peace to you.” (John 20:19, 21)

Psalm 85:8 says “God will speak peace to his people and to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.”

Peace is a noun, but the Bible verbs it. It tells us to extend peace, pursue peace, love peace, make peace, establish peace, preach peace, proclaim peace, seek peace and speak peace. If you seek to do these things each day, you’ll be constantly sowing seeds of peace.

Love and Obey the Word of God
We sow peace into our home when we love the Word. Of course, if we love the Word of God, we will want to read it and impart its truth to our children.

Psalm 119:165 says, “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.”

Isaiah 48:18 says, “Oh, that you had heeded my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”

It is not always easy to obey the Word of God. God’s ways are usually the opposite of the way we feel, but obedience always bring peace.

Start sowing seeds of peace. The more you sow, the more you will reap.

We will discuss more peace seeds in the next couple of weeks.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Lord, I long for peace. I hate it when there is tension in my home. Please help me to daily sow seeds of peace in my home. I know it won’t happen unless I make it happen and start doing something about it. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am a Peace Sower in my home.

Peace verbs: Isaiah 66:12; Hebrews 12:14; Zechariah 8:19; Isaiah 27:5; Isaiah 26:12; Acts 10:36; Isaiah 52:7; Nahum 1:15; Psalm 34:14; 1 Peter 3:11; Esther 10:3; Psalm 85:8.

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.

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HOLD ON TO YOUR CROWN

Revelation 3:11, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

When God appeared to Moses as I AM THAT I AM out in the backside of the desert, He commissioned him to deliver the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt. But Moses was fearful to take on such a task. He had no strength of his own to accomplish it. God then said to him, “What is that in thine hand, Moses?” (Exodus 4:2).

What was in his hand? A shepherd’s rod. Nothing fancy. Nothing powerful. Just a simple rod he used each day to guide, prod and protect his flock. God took that plain shepherd’s rod and made it a mighty weapon in Moses’ hand. Whenever he stretched forth the rod mighty miracles happened. It released the plagues upon the Egyptians. It showed forth God’s mighty power.

Sometimes you wonder what you are doing in your home. Your friends have high-powered careers and are raking in the money. You are trying to make ends meet from day to day. Your family remind you that you are wasting your life and your education.

But what is in your hand? It is the rod of motherhood. It may look insignificant, as Moses’ rod did, but it wields a mighty power. Motherhood is the most powerful career in the nation. As a mother, you determine the course of the nation. You are in God’s hands preparing your children for the purposes God has laid out for them before the foundation of the world. This is a top notch job. It is high powered!

Mothering is your crown. It has been invested in you by God himself. It is your anointing of womanhood. It is your authority. Do not take off your beautiful crown of motherhood to allow someone else to mother the children God has given you.   Never let your crown go. Hold on to it. Lift your head high and be proud of your divine calling.

You may be going through circumstances that cause you to feel like giving up. You feel an utter failure. This mothering business is not working out. Your children are giving you heartache. Do not give up. Do not take off your crown. Rise up in the anointing and authority that God has given you as a mother. Do not let your circumstances rob you of your crown.

Do not let other people rob you either. Do you notice that this Scripture says that man will try to take it from you? Those who are ignorant of God’s heart for children will speak negative things into your life. Those who are deceived by this world’s philosophy will try to lure you away from your high calling. Do not be swayed by what people say. Do not let them take your crown. Hold on to it tightly.

Do not for a moment be intimidated by your antagonists! (Philippians 1:28)

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Lord, I thank you that you have given me the crown of mothering. Help me to see that it is a crown to wear and be proud of. When I wear this crown I am walking in your perfect will. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

Mothering is a crown I wear with dignity.

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.

To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.