Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” 

I receive responses from each email devotion I send out, but this time I received more than most. I thought I would share with you a few of the responses so you can be blessed further about this subject.

One mother shared that she was glad I mentioned that I found it hard to have special times with the Lord when my children were little and how I had to learn to do it in the midst of mothering. I answered, “I could not leave my children to go off to have a Quiet Time. I had to do it in the midst of noise and everything happening around me.

But it’s amazing what we can do with little ones all around us, isn’t it? It also trains us to be able to cope. I started Above Rubies with children all around me. I now do it with everyone coming in and out and talking at once, grandchildren coming in and out, my new adopted teenagers needing me every minute and the phone going non-stop.

Most people wouldn’t even be able to concentrate on one line but this is how I edit Above Rubies. If I didn’t do it this way, you’d never get it. If I waited to find one quiet moment, you’d never see a magazine!”

“I had been having a very rough week and had actually found my self in tears for two or three days, each of my six children asking mommy, “What is wrong?” The only explanation I had was nothing and yet everything! I am expecting my seventh little blessing and am a little over half way through my pregnancy. I am definitely adrenal fatigued, exhausted and find myself actually needing to sit down during the day. I know this is normal for many women but very unusual for me. I was on the road to a pity party.  

I felt I needed to share with my husband what was happening  As I broke down and the tears started flowing he held me in his arms and quoted, "Great peace have they that love thy law and NOTHING shall offend them.” Nothing shall offend them!" He asked me to say it every time I felt upset with the children, at wit’s end exhausted, hurt by a friend or starting a pity party. He said it may not seem soothing the first or second time but the Word of Yahweh is powerful and will bring the peace. Every time (many times this week) that I have recognized my flesh taking over I have quoted it and then found time to be with Him. It has definitely made all the difference in me and my attitude. I even woke my older girls up early one morning just to have tea time and bible study with me alone...What a difference.

When I finally got a chance to open your e-mail today I was so blessed. It was such a confirmation and testimony to me when I saw the verse from Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have they who love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." I knew it was just for me and am planning on using many of your suggestions.”

 “This was just what I needed. I’ll start my Meditation Basket tomorrow. January has been the most trying month of our lives—our house flooded, we’ve had terrible weather and some shocking news that has changed our lives… I was having a hard time finding the time to read the Word like I should, thinking I had to set down at intervals. I’ll continue that, but now I will put Scriptures over my sink at my window, on my fridge, in my bathroom and wherever I can. And I will stop grumbling over what I can’t do!”

“Your devotion reminded me of what I read this morning in Matthew 14:13-14. Just as you had little time to spend in quiet alone when your children were small, so did the Lord Jesus. After He heard the news of John the Baptist's death, he wanted to go to a place alone but then the needy crowd came. So He put aside His own desires and attended to their needs. This happens to us at all stages of our lives, doesn't it?”

“Thank you for this word today. So much of what you shared in is what the Lord has been speaking to me in the last year. My children are five, three and 18 months and my husband and I are on staff with Youth With A Mission. We lead busy lives and I miss the time alone with the Lord that I experienced before I became a mother. The Lord has been showing me exactly what you wrote--that I don't have to be condemned but to take my "quiet time" throughout the day.”

“One way I found to get our children to eat spiritual food for themselves is to have them copy entire books from the Bible (a little bit every day) in their best handwriting, for their handwriting practice. The amount depends on their maturity. It may take all school year to finish a book but they are proud to show off an entire handwritten copy of a certain book! And it is a precious keepsake! And, hopefully, they think about what they are writing. 
 
It is our goal for Japheth, our last one who is 15, to read through the whole Bible together before he graduates from high school. I want to do it chronologically so he gets the BIG PICTURE. For Christmas I got us copies of The Daily Bible: 365 readings in chronological order. A HUGE blessing! I was having a hard time figuring out which books to read when. Now it's easy as pie and we have great discussions as we do it together first thing every morning. If he's in the chair by 8.00 am ready to read, he gets a dollar. It works!”

Hope you were blessed by these writings from other readers.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Lord, please help me to be creative in finding ways to spend time with you and in your precious Word. I thank you that I can make a sanctuary even in the midst of noise and happenings.  Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?

To do the will of Jesus—this is rest!

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