Huber Hof Academy
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Jul. 17, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Hold On To Your Crown
Posted in Devotionals
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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
Jun. 29, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Storing Up Treasure
Posted in Devotionals
STORING UP TREASURE
1 Timothy 6:19, "Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."
The above Scripture encourages us to lay up in store for the time to come. In the context, it is actually speaking to those who have riches in this world, exhorting them to be rich in good works and generous to the needy. But I do believe this message is for all of us. I think it is one of the greatest exhortations we can have, don't you?
Every moment of our lives we should be "laying up in store" for the eternal kingdom. We cannot take any material possessions out of this world. It is all vanity. 1 Timothy 6:7 says, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." We will only take what we lay up in heaven.
We need to remind ourselves again of Matthew 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will you heart be also."
I have always been challenged by the statement,
"Life is a dressing room for eternity."
Everything we do and say, either builds for this world, or for the eternal world.
I think we will have a lot of surprises in heaven. I remember reading about a man of God who had a vision of the eternal realm. He said that he saw that the people who were closest to the throne of God were mothers and intercessors. Our liberal society does not have time for these ministries. Even the Christian world does not always affirm them. They don't receive the limelight. But they are powerful in God's eyes.
Dear mother, I want to remind you that as you sacrificially pour out your life for your children, as you mother and nurture them in the ways of God, as you pour out your heart in prayer for them--you are laying up treasure for eternity! Your mothering is never wasted. It builds for eternity. You are preparing your children for the heavenly realm. And you lay up heavenly treasure for yourself as you do it.
You may feel inferior because you think you are wasting your education as you lay down your career for motherhood. You may feel sorry for yourself because you are not making money like your neighbor who is choosing her career over motherhood. You may feel insecure because you don't feel that you are accomplishing great things in your home.
Don't listen to these deceptions and negatives. As you mother your children in your home, you are in the perfect will of God. You are building for eternity. You are laying up store for the time to come.
You are building a big mansion for yourself up there! This is certainly not a waste of time!
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Lord, please help me to put value on the eternal things, on the things that you put value on. Help me to remember each day that motherhood is building for eternity."
AFFIRMATION:
I have given up hoarding for this world: I am hoarding up treasure for the heavenly kingdom.
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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Jun. 11, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Follow the Leader!
Posted in Devotionals
FOLLOW THE LEADER!
John 10:3-4, "The sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out ... he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice."
Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep. He is the One who shows us how to be shepherdesses of our little flocks.
I was born and bred in the land of New Zealand, down the bottom of the world. New Zealand is a sheep country and my father was a world champion sheep shearer. In New Zealand, the sheep farmers do not have a little flock of sheep like the eastern shepherd. They have thousands of sheep. When bringing the sheep in from the paddocks for drenching, crutching or shearing, the shepherds drive the sheep. They do this, riding on their horses and with the help of trained barking dogs called Hunterways. My father was an expert trainer of these dogs.
However, the Eastern shepherd to whom Jesus is likened does not drive his sheep. He walks in front of them and leads the way. He watches out for the pitfalls. He faces the danger first and protects them. When visiting Israel, I loved to watch the Bedouin shepherd leading his little flock of sheep and goats across the desert.
This is what we have to do, dear mother. We must not drive our children. It only leads to rebellion and defiance. We walk in front of them and lead the way. Jesus beckoned each of his disciples to "Come, follow me." In the same way, we tell our children, "Come, children, follow me. I'll show you the way to go. I'll lead you on the right path. You won't stumble if you follow me." (Jeremiah 31:9) We give them vision. Inspire them to greatness. Motivate them to godliness. Encourage them to dream great dreams. Stir them to fulfill their destiny which has been marked out for them before the foundation of the world.
I am always challenged by the Scripture in Ezekiel 16:44, "As is the mother, so is her daughter." As we walk out in front of our children, what kind of an example are we giving them? Are we happy for them to follow in our footsteps?
The good shepherdess also leads her flock to still waters. She makes her home a place of peace. I know this is not an easy task, especially if you are raising a large family. Children are not perfect (nor are we) and there are often storms to quiet. The good shepherdess not only protects her children from the storms outside but seeks God's wisdom to quell the storms inside the home. (Psalm 23:3 and Isaiah 49:10)
We are to also lead our flock in the paths of righteousness. Did you notice that it says to lead them? Our children will watch what we do and follow in our paths. They notice whether our walk with the Lord is genuine or hypocritical. They notice if we take them to church on Sundays but do not live like a believer throughout the week. They notice whether we love to pray. They notice whether we love the Word of God and it is a living book to us. They notice if we watch movies that we wouldn't want them to see. Do we have one standard for our children and another for ourselves?
Remember, we are out in front showing them the way. May we be like the great Shepherd "Who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17)
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Lord, please help me to shepherd my little flock like you shepherd me. Help me to be a good example for them to follow. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I am walking out in front of my children, inspiring them to godly living.
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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Apr. 30, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Wear the Right Clothes!
Posted in Devotionals
WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHES!
Ephesians 2:22-24, "Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which was corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."
When you were born again by the Spirit of God, you received a new wardrobe. It is a very expensive wardrobe, paid for by the precious blood of Christ. You have so many beautiful garments hanging in this wardrobe. You have lovely dresses of love, joy, peace, longsuffering gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). You have delightful garments of tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and forgiveness. (Colossians 3:12-17).
The strange thing is that although we have this expensive wardrobe, we don't always bother to wear the clothes. We are so used to our old shabby clothes of the flesh. We feel more comfortable in them. They feel familiar, so we stick with them instead of trying out our new wardrobe. To put on a beautiful dress of gentleness or patience can seem foreign because we are not used to wearing them.
But they belong to you! They are yours! Imagine if your husband purchased a very special and pricey dress for you. You couldn't believe how posh it was. But you never wore it. You thought it was too good for you. How would your husband feel when he paid so much for it and wanted to be proud of you wearing it?
I wonder how God feels when He gives us this glorious wardrobe, purchased at an enormous price, and we never wear the garments? He gives them to us but He doesn't put them on us. He tells us to PUT THEM ON. "Put on the new man ..." I love the J. B. Phillip's translation which says, "Fling off the dirty clothes of the old way of living ... And put on the clean fresh clothes of the new life ..."
Make sure you put on a new garment each morning. Have you had a lousy night with the baby waking all night? Are you going through a fiery ordeal? Put on the garment of praise. (Isaiah 61:1-3). Let me tell you a secret. You won't feel like putting it on. You'd much rather put on your dirty old dress of grumbling and complaining. But do it by faith. Don't worry about your feelings. Put on your praise garment. Start praising and thanking the Lord. As you do it by faith, you will actually wear it.
You can change garments as you need them throughout the day. Are the children getting on your nerves? You feel your anger rising. Quick! Change into your garment of long-suffering or patience. Put it on by faith. Thank the Lord for His patience which is in you because He lives in you.
Are you starting to shout and yell because everything is getting on top of you? Put on the garment of gentleness. Thank the Lord for His gentle spirit which lives in you. This is the new man. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He lives in you now.
All these beautiful garments belong to you. They are yours. All you have to do is put them on by faith!
Strip of your old shabby garments. Wear your new ones each day. Live in them. Let Christ live His beautiful life through you.
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Thank, you Lord, for all the beautiful garments that you have given to me. I am sick of my old rags. They look so ugly to everyone. Help me to put on your beautiful new garments which reveal your beautiful life in me. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I may have little in my literal wardrobe, but I have access to the most glorious garments in my spiritual wardrobe. Praise God.
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Mar. 29, 2008
30 Day Bible Reading Challenge
Posted in Devotionals
I hate to admit that some days I need motivation or that I have not committed to allotting a certain amount of my day to reading my bible, but truth be told I don't have that one on one time with the Lord everyday. So I am joining a wonderful group of ladies and taking on the 30 Day Bible Reading Challenge by making sure that I take a Mama time out of at least 15 minutes each day to read my bible :) If you want to join in and encourage each other along the way, then hop over and sign up before it begins April 1st. And if you need a little bit of incentive then check out some of the goodies waiting there for a couple of lucky gals.
Blessings,
Mar. 27, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Face The Challenge
Posted in Devotionals
FACE THE CHALLENGE
NO.197
John 18:4, "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?"
Jesus knew what He had to face. He had just come from the Garden of Gethsemane where he sweat drops of blood in agony of facing the cruel cross and taking upon himself the sins of the world. He prayed that his Father would take "this cup" away from him. But knowing all he would face, he went forth. He went forth to face the agony. He didn't hold back.
This is a challenge to me. We will never have to face what Jesus faced. But what do we do about the problems we have to face each day? Do we cringe from them? Do we turn a blind eye so we don't even have to face them? Or do we go into depression and self-pity?
Perhaps you find it hard to get up out of bed and even face going out to the kitchen each morning. Do you have a hard time facing dishes, the big pile of laundry, or that room that is in such a mess? Can I encourage you to get up and "go forth", even as Jesus did. Tackle your task little by little. Don't think you have to do the whole overwhelming task all at once. Make a start, and keep going until you finish.
Perhaps you are facing a huge challenge in your life--a mountain that looks impossible in front of you. Mountains look impossible to us, but they are nothing to God. Go forth in His name and His power. I think of a chorus that we used to sing as young people.
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible;
And He can do what no other can do.
It wasn't until recently that I found out that the source of this chorus came from the Panama Canal builders who faced a nearly impossible task and where well over 25,000 people died in the building of it.
You may be facing a raging battle in your life. It seems too much for you. It is bigger than what you can handle. Don't look at the bigness. God is with you. He will handle it for you. Read the instructions God give to the Israelites when they faced battles and armies who were far bigger than them. In Deuteronomy 20:1-9 He tells them not to be afraid because He will be with them. "There must be no faint hearts among you, no flinching, no yielding, no trembling ..." Of course you can't win this battle on your own, but God will fight for you. Trust Him. Go into the battle, not in your own strength, but trusting totally in God.
The name of God is a noun, but God is also a verb. Jesus said in John 5:17, "My Father worketh, and I work." God, who lives in you by His Holy Spirit, wants to work in you to do His will. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Will you allow Him to work in you? Will you allow Him to "go forth" in you? He will face your problems with you. He will go with you. He will help you.
Perhaps you are facing a cross. Can I encourage you to embrace your cross and go forth! Go forth by faith! Go forth, knowing that Jesus lives in you. He has faced more than you will ever face and He lives in you. He wants to live His in life in you. He is in you to help you. You can go forth in His name.
PRAYER:
"Father, I thank you that you are with me. I pray that you will work in me and help me to go forth to do the tasks that you have given me to do. Help me to trust in you as I face my problems. Amen.
AFFIRMATION:
We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.
We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.
P.S. The above words are an excerpt from the hymn which the five missionaries sang before entering the Ecuadorian jungle to bring the Gospel to the Auca Indians over 50 years ago. Their names were Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Jim Elliott, Roger Yoderian, and Peter Fleming. After reaching the Aucas, the Indians murdered them on the Curaray River. (January 1956) The hymn comes from the Scripture in 2 Chronicles 14:11 where Asa faced an Ethiopian army of one miillion men. He cried out to God, "Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power; help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee."
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 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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, use the link at the bottom of the email to either update your email address information or to unsubscribe from this email list. You may also send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Mar. 21, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Winding Paths
Posted in Devotionals
WINDING PATHS
No. 196
Isaiah 40:3-5, "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed ..."
We read in Luke 3:3-6 that John the Baptist came as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" to prepare the way of the Lord. Each one of the Gospel writers confirms this--Matthew 3:1-4; Mark 1:1-2 and John 1:23. The last verses of the Old Testament also prophesy it and Luke 1:16-17 and 76 fulfill the prophecy. These Scriptures explain in more detail exactly what it means to prepare the way for the Lord--"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
To prepare the way for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, John had to make the way straight. He was anointed to "turn the hearts of the fathers (which includes the mothers too) to the children ..." But the prophetic word of Malachi 4:5-6 says that it must happen again "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord." We are getting close to this time. It is time to prepare. It is time to straighten the paths.
When the hearts of fathers and mothers are not turned to their children, they are on a crooked path. There are many deviant paths in this humanistic world. There are luring detours off the straight road. They may look enticing. They may even seem the right way, but they are often subtle "windings" to steer us away from God's perfect plan. Yes, this is what the Knox version calls them, "the windings are to be cut straight."
Are you on a winding path? Sometimes you don't even realize it until you get lost; until you wake up to find that the devil's tempting ways are not what they seem; until your family life is out of order and you wonder why. Perhaps, without realizing it, you have landed up on a winding path of independence from your husband. You are too busy to serve him and your family. Perhaps you have got on a crooked path of busyness--running here and there, attending this meeting and that, getting involved with this organization and that. You are in a whirlwind of activity. It seems great, but where is this winding path taking you? What will be the end result?
It's a long way off the path God planned for you as a mother--to be nestled in the heart of your home. And what are your children learning? That life consists in going to this and that, being involved in this sport and that organization and not having time to sit around the dinner table together? Will they ever learn the power of the home? That in the home great things can happen. It is here they learn the pattern to pass on to the next generation. They have time to create, think great thoughts and bask in the joy of home and family life.
Our children will follow the path we take. We dare not take them down winding paths of deception. The decisions we make and the paths we choose will determine the course of not only our children, but generations to come.
Keep alert for these crooked roads and remember that we only prove the salvation and deliverance of the Lord on the straight path. It is only on the straight path that His glory is revealed. He wants to show His power in your life--to bridge the lonely valleys with His love and compassion; to level every mountain that looks impossible in the natural but can melt in the power and presence of His Spirit and to cut a straight path of truth through all the windings that criss-cross over and back through God's straight road. Will you let Him lead you?
I love the Way's translation of 2 Timothy 2:15, "Be earnest ... a labourer who needs not to blush for his work, but who drives the ploughshare of truth in a straight furrow."
Love from NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Father, I ask that you will help me to keep on your straight path, never turning to the right or the left. Please expose every winding path the beckons me away from your truth." Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I will plough a straight furrow in my life and the life of my family.
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 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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, use the link at the bottom of this email to update or unsubscribed or send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Feb. 27, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Hidden Jewels
Posted in Devotionals
Malachi 3:17, "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels."
Every saint is a jewel of God. I am convicted by God to look at people (and also my children) in this light. Often we cannot see the jewel as it hides behind the rough exterior. All we see is unsightly hard rock, but God wants us to look beyond what we see on the surface.
We sometimes hear the phrase, "He's a rough diamond." This means that the person is pretty rough on the outside but inside they have a heart of gold. We need to be reminded that there is a diamond, or perhaps a sapphire, an emerald, an opal, a ruby or an amethyst in each person. The jewel in every person is different. Each jewel will reveal different colors and lights of God's character. But we cannot see the beauty shining from the jewel until it has been cut and polished. And what a painful process this is. Much cutting has to be done o reveal the many-faceted hues and beauty of the gem. The cutting goes on and on. And when it is finished, the polishing starts. It hurts
I know God has to do so much more cutting and polishing with me. May we let Him do His work and cut away all the roughness and hardness. May we also have patience with all God's saints, even those who are still rough and uncut.
May God give us patience with our children. God has given us the task of being a lapidary (a cutter and polisher of gems). It is the lapidary's art to reveal the gem. Sometimes we may feel it is a hopeless job. But we must never give up hope. There is a jewel in every child of God. There is a precious jewel in every one of our children that waits to be revealed. We must see it by faith. We must pray it into being. May God give us vision, patience and understanding as we fulfill this great task. It does not happen over night. It is painstaking and time-consuming.
There will come a day when God will make all His jewels into a crown. I am thinking of the hymn we used to sing as children...
When He cometh, when He cometh
To make up His jewels,
All His jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own.
Like the stars of the morning,
His brightness adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty,
Bright gems for His crown.
God promises that there will be a day when Israel will sparkle like the jewels of a crown in their land. Although this literally talks about Israel, I believe that God wants His redeemed people to also shine in this world like glittering jewels in a crown. It's time for all the roughness, hardness, mediocrity, worldliness, selfishness and indifference to be cut away and for God's glory to be revealed in the land.
Isaiah 62:3, "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God."
Zechariah 9:16, "They shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land." The New Living Translation says, "They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. How wonderful and beautiful they will be!"
Philippians 2:15, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
PRAYER:
"Lord, please cut away all the rough exterior that clouds your beauty from being revealed in me. I want to shine like a precious gem in this world for you. Help me to also see each one of my children as a precious jewel in your kingdom, waiting to shine with your glory. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I am a lapidary.
NANCY CAMPBELL
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 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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, use the link at the bottom of this page to update or unsubscribe or send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Feb. 9, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Response to Where There's A Will.....
Posted in Devotionals
Responses to
"Where There's a Will there's a Way"
No.194
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!
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 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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, click on the link at the bottom of the page or, send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Jan. 31, 2008
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Where There's A Will There's A Way
Posted in Devotionals
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Above Rubies Women's
Email Devtional, No. 193
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Where There's A Will There's A Way
Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have they who love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."
The other week I talked about how important it is to teach our children to feed from the Word of God for themselves, rather than spoon-feed them. "How can I do this?" you respond. "I have all these little children to care for. It's hard enough for me to find time for my own Quiet Time without having to teach my children to do it."
As a young mother I also faced this dilemma. Before children came along I would rise at 5.00 am and spend three hours reading the Word and praying before I started each day. I would write pages of revelation as God showed me wondrous things in His precious word. I still have these hard-covered notebooks. But when I entered the new adventure of motherhood, I could no longer find that time. What could I do now?
Grabbing
At first I lamented that I couldn't spend hours alone with God, but grumbling over what I couldn't do didn't help. I came to realize that God was not limited to my quiet hours with Him, but He wanted to be very much part of my life as a mother.
He wanted me to abide in Him and live in His presence as I cooked meals, changed diapers and cleaned toilets etc. I found that I could still get desperately needed nourishment from God's living Word by grabbing little bits here and there throughout the day. I could read when I nursed the baby (if I wasn't reading stories to the other children). I could snatch a verse from Psalms when visiting the bathroom.
I remember one time feeling such a need to grab some nourishment for my soul. I took a few toys and the little ones with me into my bedroom and knelt by my bed with the Bible. I was hardly aware of the children climbing all over me when I got a loud knock on my bedroom door with the words, "Can you keep those children quiet?"
Our boarder was home from work as he was sick. He couldn't sleep because of the noise of the children in the bedroom and yet I wasn't even aware of it! Your "Quiet Time" may not always be quiet, but we, as mothers, can learn to hear from God even in the midst of children and noise all around us.
Looking Up
I used to put one of my Bibles on the windowsill above my kitchen sink, where I spent many hours preparing meals and doing dishes. I would turn the Bible to the Psalms or the Proverbs. From time to time I could look up for a moment, read a verse and meditate upon it.
I remember one moment in my mothering days in New Zealand. As I washed the dishes at the kitchen sink, I sunk into a self-pity trip. The tears rolled down my cheeks! Suddenly, I looked up. My Bible was open to Psalm 103 and I read, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies..."
I was convicted and immediately confessed my sin. "I'm sorry, Lord. I repent of these deceptive self-pitying thoughts. I resist them in the name of Jesus. I thank you for all my blessings. Thank you for my salvation. Thank you for my home. Thank you for my husband. Thank you for these wonderful children you have given me. I am a blessed woman."
As I praised and thanked the Lord my negativity disappeared. It wasn't my circumstances after all! It was my deceptive thoughts! What delivered me? The powerful Word of God!
Writing
As I mentioned, I no longer had time to write pages of revelation--but I could find time to write one verse! This became a life-saver for me and I still continue the practice today. Each new year I purchase a diary that has one page for every day (or two days for a page). You need enough space to write at least one Scripture.
I do not use this diary to write my schedules, but to write one Scripture from the Word of God. When I was in my busiest mothering years, I only got time to write the verse. Now, I am back to writing what it says to me and a prayer of response to the Lord.
At the end of the year I have a full year of Scriptures that God has given to me personally! I love to go back and re-read these Scriptures from previous years. This personal nourishment is more life-giving than listening to sermons.
Dear busy mother, you can find time to write ONE VERSE! It will help you to remember what you read. If you were to ask me at the end of the day what God told me in the morning, I may have forgotten, but I can always check my journal.
I purchased hard-covered journals with a page for each day of the year for our four adopted teenagers for Christmas this year. Every morning we open the wondrous Word together, read, listen to the Lord, write the Scripture God gives to us personally and write what it means to us.
Meditation Basket
Here's another great idea. Place in a suitable basket all the things that will inspire you when you have a quiet moment (or not so quiet if the children are around you).
Put in one of your Bibles, a Daily Devotional of your choice, an old hymn book and, of course, your hard-covered diary in which you will write the Scripture God gives you for the day. Don't forget to put in two or three pens so there is always one when you are ready to write.
Keep your Meditation Basket in the place where you most love to sit with the Lord, or nurse the baby. Pick it up and take it with you anywhere in the house, or outside under a tree while you are watching the children play, or wherever you want to go. It's all in the basket. You don't have to run around finding everything when you find another cozy nook somewhere.
May you be sustained by the Lord each new day.
NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Father, I thank you for your Word which is life-sustaining. You know I don't have hours of time to read, but I ask that you will speak to me in the moments I grab to read your Word. Thank you, Lord. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
I will make time to write down what God says to me each day.
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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
You may also use the link provided below to update your email address or unsubscribe from this email devotional.
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A
Dec. 21, 2007
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Are You Still Spoonfeeding?
Posted in Devotionals
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Above Rubies Women's
Email Devotional, No. 192
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ARE YOU STILL SPOONFEEDING?
Hebrews 5:12-14, "You are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat, for every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their sense exercised to discern both good and evil."
When a baby starts to eat solid food around nine months, it is a joy to feed them. As they continue to grow, and yet do not want their food, we play all kinds of games to make them want to eat it. The spoonful of food becomes an airplane, or the poor little kitchen out in the cold waiting to come into the warm home and so on.
However, the time comes when they grab the spoon away from us and want to feed themselves. They want their independence. It is normal. We anticipate the time when they will eat on their own. We teach them to eat on their own. If we were still spoon feeding our children at five or ten years old, we would be in despair.
Yet, isn't it amazing that we often still spoon feed our older children their spiritual food. Some are still being spoon fed in their teens. Many adults are still being spoonfed.
Just as a little baby is nursed at the breast and then begins to receive food from the spoon by the parent, so a newborn babe in Christ needs to be nurtured with food. They cannot feed themselves. But growth is part of God's plan, for physical babies and spiritual babies.
As parents, we love seeing the physical growth of our children. It is exciting to see them take their first steps, to say their first word, and then to grow and develop into adolescents, then teens and then adults, filled with all the wonderful talents God has given them. We should have this same excitement about growth in their spiritual lives.
If they are going to grow, we must teach them to feed themselves. They will stay babies if we keep spoon feeding them.
Many children in Christian homes are taken to Sunday School or Children's Church every Sunday or perhaps a Bible club during the week and the parents feel they are catering for them spiritually. These are good things, but they are spoon feeding. We have a responsibility to teach our children how to feed for themselves, how to read the Word of God themselves, how to listen for God to speak to them personally as they read.
I am so glad that I was taught this principle growing up in my home. We were taught that it was the normal daily feeding pattern to start the day with a Quiet Time--to read the Word of God and pray. We went to church, Sunday School and Bible clubs, but that didn't suffice. We learned to read the Word of God personally, to feed ourselves.
At first the Bible seemed dull and boring, but as I learned how to read it, it became the delight of my life. I could not do without my daily nourishment.
When in my teens, I began to read the Word in faith. As I read with expectancy for God to speak to my heart and for revelation to flood my soul, and because I did not want to forget what God said to me, I wrote it down. I wrote the Scripture that spoke to my heart, what I felt it meant, what God spoke to me personally through it, and then I would write a prayer to the Lord.
I still continue this habit to this day. It is true that "Thoughts tend to disentangle themselves when they flow through lips or cross pencil tips." As I write the Scripture, I see more revelation than when I first read it. As I write what God is saying, more understanding and revelation floods my soul. My spirit is filled up and nourished.
We have recently adopted four teenagers from Liberia, West Africa. I am now teaching them to feed for themselves. As we commence our homeschooling each morning, we start by all opening up the Word of God and reading a certain passage. I teach them to look for God to speak to them.
They then do as I have always done, write the Scripture, write what it means to them and then write a prayer to the Lord. We then go around the table and each one then shares their Scripture and what they have written. They are learning to feed for themselves. We have daily devotions as a family morning and evening, but I inspire the children that this personal time is the most important time of the day.
Don't let your children be spiritual dwarfs with stunted growth. Teach them how to independently hear from God each new day. If you can encourage them to establish this habit they will keep growing all through their lives.
NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Oh Lord, help me to have a healthy appetite for your precious Word. Help me to teach my children how to feed from your Word so that they will grow strong in the Lord. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Hearing His voice in every line,
Making each faithful saying mine.
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 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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Dec. 14, 2007
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Pass On The Blessings Pt.2
Posted in Devotionals
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Above Rubies Women's
Email Devotional, No. 1
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PASS ON THE BLESSING, PT 2
Matthew 10: 8, "Freely ye have received, freely give."
Last week we discussed how God pours His grace upon us and wants us to respond by pouring it out on others.
Let's read Ephesians 2:8-9 as we think more about this, "For by grace are ye saved though faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." God's grace of salvation is free. It is a gift. No matter how many good works we do, we can never earn it. God gave His only Son freely. Jesus gave His life freely. He endured pain, persecution, suffering and death to pay for our sins.
Was it the nails, 0 Saviour,
That bound Thee to the tree?
Nay, 'twas Thine everlasting love,
Thy love for me, for me.
But what happens after we receive this grace of salvation? Although we do not need works to earn our salvation, we find that our salvation propels us into a life of good works. Ephesians 2:10, the Scripture following the truth of free salvation, tells us, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." There is nothing we can do before the cross. After the cross we find that we have been actually re-created to do good works. These works do not earn our salvation but they show our thankfulness for our salvation. This is the life God has planned for us.
Were the whole realm of nature mine?
That were an offering far too small,
Love so amazing, so divine,
Shall have my soul, my life, my all.
We received the grace of God freely. Now we freely give it to others. We did not receive salvation because we deserved it. The opposite. Therefore, we pour out grace and blessing on those around us, even when they don't deserve it. We prove that we have received the free grace of God by freely giving it to others. What an opportunity we have to serve, give and love freely in our home as we raise our children! This is our sphere to fulfill good works. Way's translation of Titus 2:5 says that the older women are to teach the younger women "to recognize that their sphere is home."
Serve freely in your home today. Pour out God's grace freely. Give lavishly.
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?
Why should not I?
NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Oh God, please save me from being so mean and stingy. Enlarge my heart to give freely, to pour out your grace moment by moment. Help me to be a lavish giver. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
Jesus first
Others second
Yourself last
"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 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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, use the link on the bottom of this message or send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Dec. 10, 2007
Above Rubies Email Devotional ~ Pass On The Blessing
Posted in Devotionals
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Above Rubies Women's
Email Devotional, No. 190
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PASS ON THE BLESSING
1 Peter 4:10, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."
God pours out His gifts upon us and He wants us to pour them out upon others. The word 'gift' is the Greek word charisma which means a gift of grace. Each one of us has received grace from God, but God's grace is manifold. It is revealed in numberless ways as we need it. As God pours out His grace upon us in a certain way, He does not want us to keep it to ourselves, but to pour it out on others.
We must not do this in a haphazard way, but with a serving heart. The Scripture says that we are to minister the grace to one another. The word 'minister' is diakonea in the Greek. It means 'To serve with an emphasis on work. In a practical sense it means to wait on a table, to serve at dinner, to care for someone's needs.'
We see a lovely example of this when Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law who was very sick with a fever. The moment he touched her the fever left her. She received a healing grace of God and immediately poured it back on others. After being healed, she didn't sit back on the sofa with her feet up, glowing in the joy of her healing. Instead, "she arose, and ministered unto them." (Matthew 8:15). She immediately got up and prepared a meal for everyone in the home. She ministered back her blessing in a practical and physical way to touch the lives of others.
We may receive a spiritual blessing, but we can pour it back on others in a practical way by serving them. As you receive a blessing from God you can pour it back on your family by creating a lovely meal for them and serving them. When God graciously provides you with a home, either purchased or rented, you can minister back the grace that you have received by showing hospitality and opening up your home to others.
In Acts 19:22 Paul talks about Timothy and Erastus who "ministered unto him." Once again, the word is diakoneo. Timothy and Erastus received the grace of salvation through the ministry of Paul. They returned this grace by serving Paul in a sacrificial and practical way.
Matthew 25:44 tells us that we can pour out God's grace by serving those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, in prison or who are strangers.
Angels love to diakoneo (to serve). If they do, surely we can. (Matthew 4:11; Hebrews 1:114) Recently I read about General William Booth who founded the Salvation Army along with his wife Catherine. During his last days he was not able to attend a conference because of ill health. They asked if he would send a written message instead to inspire the people. The message arrived. Instead of a long exhortation, it contained one word, "Others."
Next time God blesses you, which will be some time today, because God is pouring out His grace upon us continually, respond by pouring it out upon someone or everyone in your home in a practical serving way.
Pour out God's grace on others.
NANCY CAMPBELL
PRAYER:
"Father, I am a continual recipient of your grace. Please help me to pour your grace out upon others, especially those in my own home. Amen."
AFFIRMATION:
"Others, Lord, yes others, let this my motto be,
Help me to live for others, that I may live like Thee.
"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 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 subscribers-on@aboverubies.org
To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to subscribers-off@aboverubies.org
PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687, U.S.A.
Dec. 1, 2007
More people should become Christians ~ By J. Grade 4
Posted in Devotionals
Last week my cousin competed in a speech competition and this was his entry. Pretty powerful stuff for a 9 year old! He didn't win but he had a chance to speak from his heart and hopefully touched one of his classmates lives :)
Blessings, BChsMamaof3
More people should become Christians
By J
Grade 4
Good morning Judges, teachers and students. Would you like to live forever? Well, did you know you will never die if you’re a Christian?! I know! It’s amazing! But I think more of YOU people, yes I’m talking to YOU people out there, you girls and boys should become Christians. It is a very good thing. Today I’m going to give you three reasons why more people should become Christians. The reasons are: you will go to Heaven, you will be safe and you will live forever.
If you are a Christian you will to go to Heaven. In the Bible, it says that Heaven is way better than anyone can imagine. You will never get old or have pain in Heaven. You will never be sad or lonely and you will always be happy.
If you are a Christian you will always be safe because God will be with you where ever you go. It says in the Bible in Joshua chapter 1 verse 9, “Be strong and courageous do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Once I was lost, but then I prayed and I no longer felt scared! If you knew you were dying, you would want to know that you were going to Heaven.
If you are a Christian you will live forever. In the Bible, John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He gave His only son for us, who is Jesus, that who ever believes in him will never die but will live in Heaven forever. In the Bible it says that if you're a Christian, your body is like a tent, but your home is Heaven. Our life on Earth is only for a short amount of time compared to our eternal life in Heaven.
Today, I have given you three reasons why more people should become Christians; you will go to Heaven when you die, you will feel safe every day and you will live forever. I hope you will think about what I have said today. Have a good day everyone, and enjoy it.
“When facing temptation, turn to the right.”
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