GOD’S PRACTICAL PLAN

Part 2

“Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters”
Jeremiah 29: 6 NASB.

We continue to look at the seven points which God commanded the Jews to do while they were in captivity.

3. Get married and have children

“Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters” verse 6. Even in captivity God wanted His people to continue the original command He gave to them in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” This command is reiterated over and over again in the Bible and has never been rescinded.* The adverse circumstances of the captives didn’t change God’s command. We notice the same thing happened while the children of Israel were suffering under great affliction in Egypt. Even though the Egyptians put hard taskmasters over them and made their lives bitter with hard labor they continued to be fruitful. They had all the excuses they needed to stop having children in such difficult circumstances but “the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew” Exodus 1:12.

4. Encourage your children to get married and have children

“Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters” verse 6. It’s not hard to realize as we read these words that God loves weddings and babies! It’s all His idea anyway! God delighted in bringing the first couple together and He delights in doing it today. Every wedding gives the hope of new life—life from God Himself!

God’s judgment was to take away the joy and celebration of weddings (Jeremiah 7:34; 9:16 and 25:10). God’s blessing was to restore weddings. Jeremiah 33:10-11 says, “Thus saith the Lord; again there shall be heard in this place… the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.” Weddings are the blessing of God. We should encourage our children who get married to embrace children rather than waiting a few years. In fact, if a couple is not ready to take on the responsibility of embracing children, they are not ready for marriage.

5. Do not diminish

“Multiply there and do not decrease” verse 6. God specifically commands them not to decrease! Isn’t it sad that many believers in God are set on doing the opposite to His plan? They would much rather decrease than increase. They would rather follow the devils plan to eliminate life than to multiply life. Consequently, there is a whole army of God’s people who are missing today!

6. Pray for your city

“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare” verse 7. God wants us to pray for the city or area where we live. We have a responsibility to pray for God’s peace to come to our city and in doing so we will reap peace. Make it a point to pray, and teach your children to pray, for your city as you gather together for Family Devotions each day.

7. Don’t be deceived

“Do not let your prophets deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord” verses 8-9. We must always guard against deception. Because we live in a society that is embedded in a humanistic agenda we must constantly line up our beliefs and world-view in keeping with God’s eternal Word! If what we are thinking and doing does not line up with God’s Word, we must walk away from it, no matter who proclaims it. We must also guard our children from being deceived by the humanistic public education system of our society. Our responsibility as parents is to watch that our children are not deceived by the society in which they live.

As we seek to obey God’s plan for us, we will walk in the blessing of God. These reminders from God are all for our blessing. God continues to speak in the same message in Verse 11, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” The majority of God’s people know this Scripture and claim it for their own. What they often forget is that it comes after the seven points we have been talking about. It is these principles that will give us a blessed future and hope!

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL, ABOVE RUBIES

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, please save me from being gullible and duped by the humanistic propaganda all around me. Give me eyes to see through deceptions and to know the witness of your truth in my heart. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I now know the answer to having a future and a hope!

* Have you read Be Fruitful and Multiply which goes into God’s Word to see what He says on this subject? It is life-changing. Click to Order - http://bit.ly/BeFruitfulAndMultiply

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.

FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY!
Part 1

"The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey" Numbers 14:7.

Although I live in the great country of USA, I actually dwell on a parcel of land in the woods of Tennessee. But the land where I really live every day and night is in the "land" of my family life. This is the real down-to-earth land where each one of us lives our lives. What is our "land" like?

We get a glimpse of what God wants it to be like when we read about the land He promised to His people, Israel. Although these promises are literally for Israel, for God gave the land to them for an everlasting covenant,* they are also a type of how He wants us to live. Let's see how God describes His land.

IT IS A GOOD LAND (Exodus 3:8)

It is a "good" land. In fact, Numbers 14:7 tells us that it is "an exceeding good land." Tov is a common Hebrew word but it has a big meaning. The Lexicon in my Bible says it means, "pleasant, beautiful, excellent, bountiful, lovely, delightful, joyful, fruitful, precious, sound, cheerful, kind, sweet, correct and righteous." ** Read these words over again and say them out loud. Do they describe the good land of your home?

God intends your home to be a good land. He intends your marriage to be a good land. Motherhood is an exceeding good land. It is where you are meant to dwell, enjoying the blessings of God--your husband, children and the security of your home.

God instructs the older women to teach the younger women "good" things--how to love their husbands, love their children and to be keepers and home etc. These are the "good" things of the land (Titus 2:3-5).

IT IS A DELIGHTFUL LAND (Psalm 106:24)

Not only is it a good land, but a delightful land. God uses many descriptions to describe the land He chose for His people. .

"The most beautiful inheritance of the nations" (Jeremiah 3:19).

"The glory of all lands" (Ezekiel 20:6, 15). Did you know that motherhood is the glory of the nation? When God judged Ephraim He took away their glory. What was their glory? Conception, pregnancy and birth. Hosea 9:11 says, "As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird--no birth, no pregnancy and no conception!" The Hebrew word is tsvi and means "beautiful, prominence, splendor, pleasant." It is translated "the beautiful land" in Daniel 8:9 and 11:16 41.

"The pleasant land" (Psalm 106:24; Jeremiah 3:19 and Zechariah 7:14). The Hebrew word for "pleasant" is chemdah and means "delightful, precious."

"A delightful land" (Malachi 3:12). Chephets is a different Hebrew word and means "pleasure or delight." God gave marriage and motherhood for our pleasure. Of course we all experience many challenges and heartaches along the way, but as we embrace them as our Promised Land, our attitude changes and we begin to experience pleasures and delights galore.

The first home was called a delight. This is the meaning of "the garden of Eden." It was the prototype of all future homes. This is one of your great priorities--to make your home a delight for your children, for your husband when he comes home each evening, for folk who come into your home, and even for yourself. Make your home a place where you delight to be--your favorite place in the world.

Psalm 106:24-25 tells us that even though God gave this delightful land to His people, they didn't believe in its goodness. In fact, "they despised the pleasant land, they believed not His word. But murmured in their tents, and harkened not unto the voice of the Lord."

There are many women who despise motherhood, often because they have been indoctrinated by society to despise it. They are told that it is demeaning and they can do a lot better with their lives. They despise God's way for marriage. They are taught that they must keep their independence and live their own life. They groan and complain about motherhood in their home. They criticize and whine about their husbands. Consequently they don't enjoy their marriage, or motherhood. It's not a good land to them! All because of their attitude. All because they have been indoctrinated with deceitful lies from the enemy. If only they would open their eyes to behold God's plan, they would see all the good things. Motherhood would become pleasant to them. Their marriage relationship would become delightful.

May the "land" where you live become a delightful land to you.

Next week we will talk about how it is a land that flows with milk and honey.

Love from Nancy Campbell

www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Dear Father, please save me from despising the good land you have given to me. Thank you for choosing this land for me. Unfold your truth to me so that I can walk in all the blessings you have planned. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I'm embracing the good land of motherhood. It's my Promised Land.

GOD'S PRACTICAL PLAN

Part 1

"Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce"
Jeremiah 29; 5 NASB.

I am always amazed as I read God's Word to find how practical it is for our daily lives. God comes down to our "nitty gritty" and leaves us in no doubt as to how He wants us to live.

In Jeremiah 29:5-11 God gives a message through the prophet to the Jews who were taken captive to Babylon. It is a practical message reminding them of His original plan. Remember, this is a message to people living in captivity! They are no longer living in the freedom of their own country, but God doesn't change His plan according to circumstances. God's eternal principles work in every situation.

God gives seven commands...

1. Build  houses

"Build houses and live in them" Verse 5. It is God's blessing for us to be settled in a home. God made sure He had the home ready and waiting before He created His female creation. The home is our sanctuary-a solace from the outside world where we make a haven of peace for our husband to return each evening and a place where we can nurture and train our children. God's plan is for children to be raised in the home.

2. Plant gardens

"Plant gardens and eat their produce" Verse 5. You may be thinking that it's nice to hear about gardens but you don't have any room to make a garden where you live. I would encourage you to prepare a small garden, or even grow a few lettuces, herbs or tomatoes in pots on your deck. A little garden is better than no garden at all. Many have forgotten in this modern society in which we live that gardening is part of home-making. The first home was called the GARDEN of Eden and God established the first home as the prototype for all future homes.

God intends us to grow produce to help feed our families. In years gone by this was necessary for survival. If you didn't have a garden, you didn't eat! But I don't think it is much different today. If we want to eat healthy produce, we need to grow it ourselves! Most commercial produce is heavily sprayed with chemicals and a high percentage is genetically modified. Of course, you can purchase organically grown produce from co-ops or a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) but very few can afford to do this.

This is so much part of God's plan that He commanded the Jews to plant gardens even in captivity!  Gardens don't just appear! You have to work at them. That's what God told Adam to do in the very beginning. Genesis 2:15 says, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it." The Hebrew word "cultivate" is avad and means "to toil, to serve, to make weary, to be fatigued." I've had people say that it's all very well for us to have gardens here in the country as we have plenty of room. Actually, where we live on our hill, there is no suitable soil. We had to purchase our soil to fill our 13 long raised beds.

Evangeline, our daughter, has the most magnificent vegetable garden to feed their large family of 10 children. I have to concede that her garden is now better and much bigger than mine!  Her garden didn't suddenly appear either. I am amazed every time I look at this huge garden space knowing that it was hewed out of trees and bramble-a jungle that looked impossible. But Evangeline had a dream which she made happen. It reminds me of my favorite saying, "Things don't just happen: you have to MAKE THEM HAPPEN." They got "stuck in," cut down the trees, dug out the roots and with back-breaking effort broke it up into soil.

It was just this morning that I read to my granddaughter one of Edgar Guest's poems, Results and Roses. Here's an excerpt...

The man who wants a garden fair,

Or small or very big,

With flowers growing here and there,

Must bend his back and dig.

The things are mighty few on earth

That wishes can attain

Whate'er we want of any worth

We've got to work to gain.

Read these Scriptures too: Genesis 1:29; Proverbs 6:6-11; 12:11; 24:27; 27:18; 28:19; 31:16 and 2 Corinthians 9:6.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL, ABOVE RUBIES

PRAYER:

"Dear Father, I thank you so much that you show me the way you want me to live. Help me to walk in your ways. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I'm following the path God has laid out for me.

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.

FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY!
Part 2

"I am come down to deliver them out of the land of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey" Exodus 3:8.

We continue to learn about the land God wants us to live in.

IT IS A LARGE LAND (Exodus 3:8)

It is not a small career to be a mother and home-maker. It is huge. It becomes bigger and more far-reaching as your family grows.

You start off as a married couple and gradually God blesses you with children from His bountiful hand. One day you have the blessing of grandchildren which exceed the number of your children. And then great-grandchildren, which usually surpasses the number of your grandchildren! The influence of motherhood not only affects the nation, but future generations.

Our land of motherhood should always be enlarging. God told the children of Israel, "I will enlarge your borders" Exodus 24:23 and Deuteronomy 12:20.

Isaiah 54:2-3 says, "Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations."

I have always loved G.K. Chesterton's words, "To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labours, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can imagine how this can exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it.

How can it be a large career to tell other people about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe?

How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone?

No, a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute."

IT IS A FLOWING LAND (Exodus 3:8)

It is a land that flows. * The Hebrew word "flowing" is zoob which means "to flow freely, to overflow, to gush out." It also has the idea of not only gushing, but oozing and dripping.

Are you flowing in your land of motherhood? Are you flowing and dripping with love, compassion, forgiveness, joy, wisdom and all the good things of God?

This is the opposite to the land of sighing, stinginess, misery, legality, depression and boredom.

It is a picture of productiveness and large-heartedness. It is a land of smiles, laughter and joy where you say Yes more than No. It is a land where you not only fulfill your duty to what has to be done each day, but you face every task exuberantly.

You love your husband profusely. You love your children exceedingly. You don't hold back, but overflow from the life of the Spirit of God who lives in you.

There is no stinginess in this land. It is a land of flowing and flourishing, gushing and giving. It's a picture of God's generous heart revealed in these lines...

He might have doled His blossoms out quite grudgingly,

He might have used His sunset gold so sparingly,

He might have put but one wee star in all the sky,

But since He gave so lavishly, why should not I?"

I have to admit that I don't always have this attitude. I can be miserly and restrictive, but I pray that that God will work His attitudes in me so that I will always flow with blessings to others and have a heart that freely gives.

IT FLOWS WITH MILK (Exodus 3:8)

God's land specifically flows with "milk and honey." Some commentators say that this is literal, others figurative. I believe it is both.

A Talmud description says, "Milk flows from the goats' (udders), and honey flows from the dates and the figs (Ketubot 111b)." Other translators say that it was actually wild honey.

But what does it mean in the "land" in which we live each day?

Flowing with milk speaks of nourishing and nurturing.

Milk gives sustenance to build healthy bodies. The mother flows with milk from her breast to nourish her babe. She continues to nourish and sustain her children with wholesome foods. She nourishes them as she educates them in wisdom and the ways of God.

The land of motherhood is a nourishing land. It is what we were born to do. It is our anointing. Let's not be stingy with this gift, but overflow in it!

Next week we will talk about flowing with honey.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Dear Father, I have been guilty of being stingy in my love and nurturing. Please anoint me to flow with the anointing of your nurturing gift that you have given to me. Help me to be constantly nourishing my children. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am a nourishing mother!

*Twenty times the Bible speaks of the land which "flows with milk and honey."

Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Leviticus 20:24; Numbers 13:27; 14:8; 16:13-14; Deuteronomy 6:3; 11:9; 26:9, 15; 2 7:3; 31:20; Joshua 5:6; Jeremiah 11:5; 32:22; Ezekiel 20:6 and 20:5.

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.