God is a covenant-keeping God and He wants us to be covenant-keeping people.
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Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.
The great preacher and author, Dwight L. Moody said, "If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!" He understood the power of investing in a child's life.Dear mother, you are in this very ministry! Fulltime! Every day and all day! What a privilege. There is nothing greater work you can do. The investment you pour into your children not only blesses them, but the world. Future generations! And eternity!
Don't let the enemy fill you with his lies that motherhood is insignificant. You are part of the greatest work in God's kingdom. When the people brought children to Jesus, the disciples shooed them off, thinking Jesus would not have time for the children. This made Jesus angry ,and He let them know: "Do not push these children away. Do not ever get between them and Me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom" (Mark 10:13, 15 MSG).
Mother, you are at the very epicenter of life in God's kingdom!
Enjoy it today,
Nancy Campbell
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“The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.”- G. K. Chesterton
Dear mother, I wonder if you realize the impact you are having as a mother! Godly mothers in the home raising godly and truth-filled children can bring this nation back to God. Mankind began in the home and the strength of the home life will determine the strength of the nation. The greatest weakness of the nation is mothers abdicating their home life.
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This is where many mothers have a hang up. They love their children but they don’t love motherhood. They have one foot in one world and one in another. To live in the joy and fullness of motherhood the secret is to embrace with all your heart your career of motherhood. To not only love your children but love motherhood makes all the difference. Begin confessing that you love motherhood.
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I am not languishing. I am not deceived.I have a vision. I know who I am and who God created me to be. I know my purpose. I am walking in the perfect will of God.
I know it’s not easy, but I’ve counted the cost. My goal is set. How could my career be easy when I am influencing a nation for God, generations to come, and eternity? How could it be easy when I am destroying the plans of the devil?
Such is the power of my God-mandated career, the highest calling ever given to women—motherhood.
I have embraced my calling. I am not intimidated by my antagonists. I will not be moved. My heart is fixed. I may be hidden in my home but look out world! I am sharpening my arrows. I am getting them ready to shoot forth and destroy the adversary.
In the power and anointing of God, I am advancing God’s Kingdom.
Love from Nancy Campbell
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Oh yes, we fail and fall so many times. But we don’t have to stay down. In the strength of the Lord we can get up again.Rise up and shine, dear mother!
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God GAVE the land of Israel to His people for an EVERLASTING POSSESSION (Genesis 13:15 and 17:8). He calls it their OWN LAND (Ezekiel 34:13; 36:24; and 37:21).And guess what? What they have now is only a fraction of the land God promised to them. Read Genesis 15:18-21 and Joshua 1:3,4, where we see that the land GOD GAVE to Israel includes everything from Nile River in Egypt to Lebanon (south to north) and everything from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River. This includes the West Bank and Gaza, (they gave away Gaza for peace but it certainly didn’t bring them peace), some of Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, plus all of Jordan!
To read more of the hundreds of promises about the land go to:
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“The great natural law of self-preservation cannot e repealed or superseded or suspended by any human institution. The right of the citizens to bear arms in the defense of themselves shall not be questioned. Every man’s house is deemed by the law to be his castle; and the law invests him with the power and places on him the duty of the COMMANDING OFFICER OF HIS HOUSE.EVERY MAN’S HOUSE IS HIS CASTLE, and if anyone be robbed on it, it shall be esteemed his own default and negligence.”
~ James Wilson, Founding Father and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and one of the first six judges on the Supreme Court. He also wrote the Preamble for the Constitution.
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We all know that God created women to be a “help meet” to her husband. The Hebrew words are “ezer kenegdo.” We understand the “ezer,” the help part which means “to do for someone what he or she cannot do for himself or herself.” It’s the same word that is used to describe God as our Help. God comes to our aid when we have no way of helping ourselves. What’s amazing is that God used this word to describe women before we read it as a description of God. To be a help to our husband is a divine mission. It is one of the attributes of God.But what about the “kenegdo” part? This is the only time this word is used in the Bible and it is only used to describe the woman. It means “counterpart or part opposite.” Read that again. Did you notice that God did not create us to be the same as our husband? He created us differently. He created us to complement our husband in things that he cannot do himself.
God’s divine and glorious plan is to bring two people together and make them one—a man and a woman. Not two males. Not two females. Each are different, so they can accomplish the ultimate purposes of God.
God has created us with a womb to conceive and nurture life in our womb. Our husbands cannot do this. He created us to nourish a babe at our breast. Our husbands cannot do this. He created us to love home and make a nest and a safe sanctuary for our husbands and family. Our husband cannot do this. Without a wife in the home it looks and feels like a “bachelor pad.” No ambiance. No feminine touches. No hominess
This is God’s glorious plan for women. But because it is God’s plan, the devil hates it. He hates everything that is of God. Therefore, he seeks to destroy marriages. He woos women out of the home. He deceives them to take on their husband’s role and vacate the role God ordained for them.
Dear wives and mothers, let’s not be betrayed by the devil who is a liar and a deceiver. He has already two-timed thousands of women. Don’t be another one of his statistics. Let’s be who God created us to be—with all our hearts and beings.
I was reading a commentary by Matthew Henry the other morning. He described the wife as a “companion to her husband, manager of domestic concerns, trusted to form the minds of children.” A very influential role.
It’s time to stop joining the devil’s plan (while he laughs up his sleeve), and instead embrace God’s eternal purpose.
Loads of love to you in your home today,
Nancy Campbell
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Dear mother, if Jesus Christ dwells in your heart, in the midst of all your challenges and the things that tend to send you crazy, you can live in victory and patience and joy. You are an overcomer in Christ.
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“The church must take right ground in regard in politics. Politics are part of a religion in a country as this, and Christians must do their duty in their country as a part of their duty to God. God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”~ Charles Finney (1792 – 1875).
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Yes, I was shocked as I recently read a commentary on 1 Timothy 2:15 that speaks of women being saved and delivered through embracing the lifestyle of motherhood. This commentary stated: “This deliverance was from some of the devastating effects of the ROLE REVERSAL that took place in Eden. The idea of childbearing, then is a metonymy of part for the whole that encompasses the woman’s submission again to the leadership of the man . . . “
I must confess that I had never thought of the sin in the Garden of Eden as a role reversal. It arrested me. But it is true. This was the first sin! Eve took charge! She did not discuss with Adam about the idea of taking the fruit or talk about it with him. She made the decision without him. Adam himself became a wimp and followed her instead of taking his leadership.
The devil continues to challenge and tempt every married couple the same way. He wants us to role reverse—in our marriage relationship and in the role God has given to us as as women and mothers. Satan hates every ordinance and plan of God and continually tries to subvert them and entice us in the opposite direction.
We must guard against it. 1 Peter 5:8 says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith.”
This doesn’t mean that we can’t make a decision without talking to our husbands. God has given to women the management of their homes. We make decisions constantly in managing our homes and dealing with and teaching our children. However, in big decisions, we should not take charge without first checking with our husbands. God has placed them as the head of the home. It’s God’s plan and His plan is always best.
When we keep to God’s plan, we’ll have harmony and His blessings.
God be with you today,
Nancy Campbell
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Do we allow our emotions and attitudes to be dictated by our circumstances? That’s so easy to let happen, isn’t it?Habakkuk 3:17, 18 (NLT) is always such a challenge to me: “EVEN THOUGH the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are grapes on the vines; EVEN THOUGH the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; EVEN THOUGH the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”
The situation was total devastation and destruction. This guy had nothing left but God Himself. And yet he is still rejoicing.
What about us?
Have you been up all night with the baby? And you’re feeling lousy, tired, and overwhelmed? Can you still say, “Even though . . . God is good. I will rejoice.”
You wonder how on earth you can pay next month’s rent! “Even though . . . I will rejoice in the Lord. I know that God will not fail us.”
You are burdened with a sick parent or child. “Even though . . . I will rejoice. I will trust my God.”
Your house is so small and you long for more room for the children. “Even though . . . I know God is with us and we are blessed.”
I think it all comes back to putting our trust in God and knowing that He is a God who cannot fail. Let’s trust Him more.
Let’s confess the right confession. Let’s be those who can say “Even though . . . “
The Lord abundantly bless you today,
Nancy Campbell
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This is what makes strong homes and families and consequently strong nations.
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“The price of cowardice will only be evil. We shall reap courage and victory only when we dare to make sacrifices.”—Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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Yesterday we talked about what to call a baby growing in the womb. We discovered that God’s Word often uses the phrase “with child.”There is another word that God uses. It’s actually a Hebrew word but it reveals great truth. We know that life begins at conception, but it is amazing to understand that God sees life even before it is conceived. Did you know that He uses the same word for the word sperm as He does to describe people? Let’s look at it, shall we?
The Hebrew word for sperm is “zera” and it is the same word that is used to describe people at different stages of life.
Genesis 46:6, 7 tells how Jacob and all his family came down from Canaan to Egypt: “And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: His sons, and his son’s sons with him, his daughters, and his son’s daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.” This Scripture is talking about sons and daughters of all ages, and grandsons and granddaughters of all ages—babies, little ones, teens, and adults! And they are all called “zera,” the same word for sperm!
In Numbers 14:24 God says that because Caleb “followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed (zera) shall possess it.” Imagine if Caleb lived in our society today. There would be many people who God intended to be born, but were not born, and would therefore miss out on the blessings of possessing the land.
Because Phinehas was zealous for the Lord and stood against the adultery that was happening amongst the people at that time, God said: “Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed (zera) after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God” (Numbers 25:12, 13). The blessing God gave him was also for his coming descendants. If they were contracepted as so many Christian parents are doing today, they would not have been born to inherit the blessings God gave to his future posterity.
Let’s go to the New Testament. Hebrews 7:9, 10 tells us how Levi paid tithes to Melchisedec while he “was yet in the loins” of Abraham who was his great-grandfather! He wouldn’t have even been a twinkle in Abraham’s eyes and yet God knew him before he was conceived. The Bible states that he literally paid tithes as Abraham paid tithes! Wow, God’s understanding is far beyond ours, isn’t it?
My daughter, Serene and I were talking about life on one of my podcasts. Solly (her one-year-old) at the time, was sitting on her knee, and she said, “Oh my goodness, imagine if I didn't have her! It's just too incredible and too amazing. And look at her personality! Imagine if I had said, ‘No, God, I don't want her, I don't care for Your desire to have her in eternity with You.”
What a powerful revelation! This is something to think about. When we say No to a child that God has planned before the foundation of the world to spend eternity with Him, we deprive that child of life. Not only of life in this world but of the opportunity to enjoy the glories of the eternal world forever—glories that are beyond the scope of our human minds to comprehend! How dreadful to deprive someone of eternal glory.
Our minds are so puny. I constantly ask God to open my mind to think His thoughts. To understand His ways. To save me from putting Him in a box, from bringing Him down to the level of my puny thinking, of making myself a god instead of allowing Him to be God!
Oh, let’s begin to think like God thinks. If we belong to the kingdom of God, let’s be on His side. God is a God of life, and His kingdom is a kingdom of life.
Blessings and love from Nancy Campbell
Picture: Janelle Bass and her precious children.
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What word do you use to describe your pregnancy? We usually say, “I’m pregnant.” Some say, “I’m expecting.” You sometimes hear, “I’m in the family way” which is a phrase dating back to the 17th century. Polish words for pregnant can mean “with hope” or “blessed state.”
I remember reading about a mother who was asked to get involved in a church project, but she answered, “Sorry, I am full-time gestating.” Now, there’s a good excuse for you. It is true. You couldn’t be doing anything more important than growing a child in your womb, an eternal soul that will live forever.
There are other words, some negative and some slang. We don’t want to use them. I think we should use the most beautiful words possible to describe the awesome wonder of God creating a child in the womb, don’t you?
The Bible tells it plainly and truthfully. It states that the woman is “with child.” Ecclesiastes 11:5 talks about “how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child.” The Hebrew for “with child” in this passage is male and means “full, filling, fullness.” It is the picture of the womb filled with a growing child. If this phrase was more popular, society would become aware of the truth that the baby is not a blob of tissue, but an actual human being growing and filling the womb—a human being that has the same DNA it will have when he or she is 70 years of age or more.
The Hebrew word hareh is also translated “with child.” This word is used for conception as well as the child growing in the womb. It’s the language of angels. When the angel of the Lord came to Hagar he said, “Behold thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael” (Genesis 16:11).
In Genesis 21:2 the same word is used when it says: “Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age.” The Bible makes it clear that life begins at conception. This word is used for the moment of conception, the child growing in the womb, when the baby is “great” and ready to be born, and then coming into the world. A similar word, harah, is also used for both conception and being “with child.”
Here’s another thought-provoking point. Exodus 21:22 says: “If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her . . .” “With child” is hareh. But what is the word for fruit? It is the Hebrew word yeled which means, “something born, a child, a young man.” That’s talking about a person who is alive and walking around. But God uses that word for the baby in the womb, confirming that the babe in the womb is just as much the person they will be when they are a child or even older.
Let’s go to the New Testament. Jesus speaks of Mary being “with child” when Jesus, the Son of God was growing in her womb (Matthew 1:18, 23 and Luke 1:31). It is the Greek word “brephos” and is used five other times such as2 Timothy 3:15.
Don’t you think it is time we understood God’s truth rather than listening to human reasoning?
By the way, what words do you use to tell people you are pregnant?
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Other hareh (“with child”) references: Genesis 38:24, 25; Exodus 21;22; Judges 13:5, 7; 1 Samuel 4;19; 2 Samuel 11:5; Isaiah 7:14; 26:7; Jeremiah 20:17; 31:8; Amos 1;13; and 2 Kings 8:12.
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We all know that parenting takes consistency, hard work, training, and constant guiding and guarding. And yet it’s FUN. We make our homelife what we want to be. A place of rest, joy, happiness, contentment, and productivity. Or a place of chaos and tension.Especially as mothers in the home, we determine what our home atmosphere will be like. It all depends on our vision, our attitude, and our purpose to make it happen.
Some parents do easy parenting. Others are in for the long haul of earnest parenting!
It’s easy to get lax and want to make our children happy, especially for the moment. But seeking to make our children happy doesn’t always make a happy household. Of course, we want our children to be happy, but we also have a higher goal. We want them to be holy. This certainly doesn’t happen automatically. We must train them daily to be obedient, to do what is right, and prepare them to be responsible, hardworking, diligent people. We are preparing them for their future. We are preparing them to enjoy a good marriage.
Our ultimate aim is not just happiness for the moment, but happiness for their future!
When we continually give into our children to give them anything they want when they want it may make them happy for the moment. But it produces children with an entitlement mentality. It produces children who easily get into a mood or have a fit because they don’t get what they want immediately. I am sure you never allow pouting or moods in your household!
I don’t believe children should expect something every time they go to the supermarket or you are out shopping. What does this do? It teaches them that they can have whatever fancies them. This becomes a habit. This produces adults who are impulse buyers who buy things because they see them but don’t really need them. They don’t learn to conserve. They don’t learn discipline. It does not prepare them for marriage or learning to manage a home with frugalness.
Sometimes we discipline our children for disobedience and other times we can’t be bothered. We are not consistent, so our children don’t think it is important. But if we don’t train them to obey us and they only obey when we shout and yell after the thirteenth time of telling them, we are vacating our responsibility as a parent. And making a chaotic atmosphere in our homes.
Proverbs 29:17: “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”
Don’t give into the easy way out. Be earnest. Be consistent. Train your children to the behavior you want in your home. THEN you will enjoy rest, peace, joy, and happiness.
Love from Nancy Campbell
Painting: LovettaReyesCairoArt
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I think it takes discipline, integrity, and the fear of God to speak the absolute truth. We need to practice it.
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Yesterday, I posted the foundations we need to build again in our society. Did you read them all? If not, check them out again under WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR OUR CHILDREN? I listed five points, but I want to post the last point again today in case you didn’t get to the end.It truly amazes me that as we see what is happening to our society and what lies ahead for our future generations that many families are carrying on with their lives as if nothing disastrous is happening.
As we put down our stakes to strengthen our families, we must also pray. There is nothing more powerful than prayer. This is why the devil seeks to keep us from the place of prayer. He gets us distracted by our busy lives, so we don’t make time to gather our families, morning and evening, to pray together.
Can you imagine what could happen if every God-fearing family began to pray together each day for this nation? God has promised to heal our land if we will humble ourselves and pray.
2 Chronicles 7:14 is worth quoting again: “If my people, which are called by my name,
shall HUMBLE THEMSELVES,
and PRAY
and SEEK MY FACE,
and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS;
then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
I am challenged by Jeremiah 10:25: “Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the FAMILIES that call not on thy name.” Wow. This Scripture says that if we are not a family who calls upon the name of the Lord, we might as well be a heathen family.
J. R. Miller states: “Christ must be our guest if our home is to be a fit place either for our children or for ourselves. If there is no sincere prayer in it, it is not a true home at all. It is only a heathen lodging-place!”
Dear mothers, I know your lives are so busy. Maybe you are like me. I can never fit in everything that is on my list for the day. I rarely get through a quarter of it! But I put a priority on our times for prayer and Bible Reading. I make those times happen, morning and evening, and everything else has to fit around them. It doesn’t matter if other things don’t get done. But it does matter if we miss our times of meeting with God each day. They are more important than anything else. I make them happen.
The devil hates it if you pray. He hates it even more when you gather your family to pray. That is even more powerful where “two or three” or five or six or ten or twelve are gathered together in unity in His name. Don’t let the devil have his way in your home. Give God the preeminence.
Praying families are nation changing families!
Praying families are world changing families.
You can help turn this nation back to God as you pray. And encourage other families to pray. Let’s become a nation of praying families. Amen?
Bless you today,
Nancy Campbell
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