Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

The rod and staff mentioned in Psalm 23:4 are a source of comfort to the sheep. The primary reason is that the rod and staff represent authority to bring discipline and correction as needed, but also to give protection to the sheep which were surrounded with enemies that sought to devour them. If there had been no rod and staff in the hand of the Psalm 23 shepherd the sheep would have experienced no comfort at all. Instead, they would have been in a state of fear of certain death.

Men, the rod that was in Moses' hand when he first met God at the burning bush was a shepherd's rod.

Exodus 3:1 says, "And Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb." Then in Exodus 4:2 God asks Moses, "What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod."

Moses was about to learn that the humble shepherds' rod he held in his hand had authority to not only destroy the natural predators of his flock, but also to perform signs, wonders, and miracles and to destroy all of Pharaoh's armies. It was a humble weapon with outstanding potential.

To be continued tomorrow.

Be encouraged

Colin Campbell

Every challenge in life is an opportunity for you to bring forth fruit. In every situation you face you can be fruitFULL or fruitLESS. Is love needed? You can choose to lavish love or be fruitLESS. You can choose to show longsuffering, or be fruitLESS.

John 15:8 says, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear MUCH fruit, so shall ye be my disciples."

~ Colin Campbell

No one has peace, rest, or comfort where the rod is not applied to the "seat of learning." The so-called better ways have failed us as a nation. Men, there is obviously a big difference in the use of the rod in the discipline of the lost, helpless, and unintelligent sheep and the use of the rod in the discipline of intelligent, rebellious children who are of a much higher level or creation.

Just because some over-bearing fathers have abused the use of the rod does not mean the rod of discipline in defiant, rebellious situations does not have legitimate merit in the raising of the godly seed. We now live in a world where moods, negative attitudes, tempers, anger, and lusts are out of control. I am sure that much of this is because of insufficient discipline, including the rejection of the rod as a godly spiritual form of correction.

The timeless slogan says, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." It comes from the Bible of course. Proverbs 13:24 says, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him quickly."

Here are a few more Scriptures of what God has to say on this subject: Proverbs 10:13, "In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding."

Proverbs 19:13, "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying."

Proverbs 22:15, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

Proverbs 23:13-14, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."

Proverbs 29:13, "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."

Proverbs 29:17, "Correct thy son and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul."

Hebrews 12:6-11, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which correct us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

If we do not use the rod when bad conduct demands it, we will find that the bad conduct will be a rod that beats us down every day. Our prisons are overloaded and our streets and public places are becoming more and more dangerous. Much of this is because of a failure to make appropriate use of the rod as a valuable tool of correction."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Psalm 23:4 says, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Men, as far as natural sheep are concerned, no matter where in this world, whether it be in the Holy land or in any western country, the rod is not used to beat the sheep. It is primarily used to beat the enemies or predators of this defenseless animal.

Having been brought up on a sheep farm in a sheep farming community in New Zealand, we used the rod and staff as one instrument. As a young man I had my own shepherd's crook which was a fairly long staff, a little thicker than walking stick and much longer. It also had a crook or handle at one end. Rather than beating the sheep with this instrument, we used it to gently prod the sheep to go in a certain direction. When the sheep acted stubbornly, the prod would be a little more than gentle, especially when the sheep had to cross over a narrow bridge or pass through difficult a difficult and scary passage in mountain regions.

The Great Shepherd scolds the shepherds that beat the flock. Isaiah 3:15 says, "What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts." To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, as fathers we must make every endeavor to make ourselves available to our wife and family, for they are our flock and we are their shepherd. How tragic it is when a son or daughter says, "I do not really know my father." Or, "He was never there for me when I needed him." This should never be the case amongst Christian families.

How wonderfully secure are the sheep and lambs who can say, "My daddy is always with me, especially when I need him." The absentee father is one of the great tragedies of our society and has greatly weakened this generation. It is essential for us to see ourselves as true father/shepherds who will always be interested and available, as much as possible, to our own flock. We must never become too busy doing our own thing, taking care of our own interests, and neglecting the thing which is most important, and that is, to be an available father.

I love what Abraham said to his anxious son, Isaac in Genesis 22:7, "And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son." Men, we must be "Here am I" fathers. Far too many sons and daughters are crying out and needing their fathers to answer their deep anxieties. Yet, many fathers cannot say, "Here am I." They are too busy doing their own thing.

Down in New Zealand when we looked for a job we looked in the newspaper under the column, "Situations Vacant." Unfortunately, many homes across our nation, even Christian homes, have a "Situation Vacant" problem that needs an available father to apply for the job!

Let's read Ezekiel 34:2-4, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We are not guaranteed to have a bed of roses every day of our lives. Quite the opposite. Even as it was in the life of our Savior, we can also expect to go through some troublesome times. 2 Timothy 3:12 says, "They that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

Fathers, as family shepherds we must always be available to each member of our family, especially when they go through sickness, accident, or great emotional trials or stress. None of us know what the future holds, but as they hymn says, "We know who holds the future."

As good shepherds of our flock we must be prepared, if necessary, to give our very lives for the sheep that God has put in our charge. We must never stand aloof or be too busy to attend to their needs for counsel, comfort, concern, and our presence and loving touch. This is what fatherhood is all about. Never let it be said about your fatherhood that you did not care to relate or to be with your children. They most desperately need you.

Psalm 23:4 says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: FOR THOU ART WITH ME."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Proverbs 2:8 says, "He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints."

Fathers, we certainly cannot afford to take these truths regarding the paths of righteousness lightly. Otherwise, we do so to our own peril. We are living in unstable times. We do not know what troublesome times lie ahead for us a nation or as individuals. We fathers should know all the principles in God's Word on the subject of preservation and diligently teach them to our families.

There are many principles and they are an absolute MUST for all fathers to know and make sure our children are well acquainted with them. If we do not, we have failed our children. Psalm 91 is just one of the many Scripture passages on this most important subject. Psalm 127:1 says, "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

God says to us, "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if you seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures...
THEN shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God...THEN shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path ...Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee..." (Proverbs 2:1-12).

These are the paths of righteousness where the Great Shepherd leads his flock. We fathers should do the same.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We continue the paths of righteousness God wants us to lead our families into.

7. The paths of righteousness are mercy and truth

Psalm 25:10 says, "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." Mercy and truth and grace and truth are twins. It was said of Jesus in John 1:14 that He was "full of grace and truth."

John 1:17 says, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." The law was the truth. It was cold hard facts. It showed no mercy and grace on its own, but rather condemnation to all who broke it.

Jesus Christ was FULL of mercy and truth. Fathers who profess to be His followers should also be FULL of mercy and truth. Do our wives and children know us to be FULL of grace and truth?

Mercy and grace without truth can be sloppy grace, compromise, and lack justice. We have far too much of this in our 21st century homes and churches. Mercy and grace must be tempered and balanced by truth, otherwise grace can be abused and cheapened.

Men, let us mirror God's true mercy and grace before our families.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Jehovah Raah, The Lord is My Shepherd, is one of God's redemptive names. It means, "to tend the flock, to pasture the flock, to graze the flock as a friend of the flock." Just as the Chief Shepherd watches over His flock, we as under shepherds must tend the flock God has given us. He, as the Chief Shepherd does all these things for His name's sake, which is Jehovah Raah.

As fathers, we have another name. It is called Shepherd. It is important for us to see the truth of this passage of Scripture for it applies to us as we lead our own family flock in paths of righteousness for the sake of Jehovah Raah.

Continued from yesterday...

6. The paths of righteousness are as shining lights.

Proverbs 4:18 says, "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." God has called us to be father/shepherds who will lead our flocks into MORE AND MORE shining paths of righteousness.

Are we ourselves walking in the MORE AND MORE shining pathway? Are our children's faces shining MORE AND MORE? Or, are they somewhat clouded with shadows of darkness? For "His name's sake" we must make every endeavor to bring loving correction and guidance to restore righteous paths for our family to dwell in (Isaiah 58:12).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Fathers, our children need to know the experience of being in a family that walks in the paths of righteousness.

1. We must pray for God's paths of righteousness.
David prayed, "Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not" (Psalm 17:5). We should also be concerned enough about our feet walking in God's paths (for it is easy for us to slip away) that we earnestly pray about this matter.

2. The paths of righteousness are described as paths of life.
"Thou wilt show me the path of life" (Psalm 16:11). God's paths do not lead to death and destruction, but rather to life and healing.

3. The paths of righteousness are described as plain paths.
Again David prays, "Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies" (Psalm 27:11). They are not slippery, crooked, devious, twisted, or questionable. Like plain bread that is not mixed with spices, the paths of the Lord are not mixed with worldly, fleshly enticements. They are obviously righteous without any doubt.

4. The paths of righteousness must be taught to God's sheep.
Psalm 25:4 says, "Show me thy ways O Lord; teach me thy paths."

5. We must delight on God's paths of righteousness.
The Psalmist prays in Psalm 119:35, "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; ;for therein do I delight." God's paths do not contradict His Word and we His people should delight in them. They should never be a burden.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, sending our children to be educated by the unrighteous should cause us serious concern. Not only are subjected to the liberal agenda which is pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, anti-Christian values, and out-lawing prayer and the Bible, but many of their classmates are from homes that have broken morals and are drug infected.

The Great Shepherd of our souls does not lead us in paths were the pop culture of today goes. Their music is not His music if it does not ring with righteousness. Their image is not His image if it does not promote righteousness.

Fathers, we are to raise our children to be lovers of the paths of righteousness. Speaking of Jesus, the Son of God, Hebrews 1:9 says, "Thou has loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." The oil of true gladness is found in those who walk in the paths of righteousness. The world's gladness is false and temporary. Hebrews 11:25 says that there are "pleasures of sin for a season." Only for a season.

Fathers, we are not to lead our children to watch movies that promote any form of unrighteousness. Honestly, does Harry Potter promote righteousness? I think not. Do electronic games that promote violence promote righteousness? I doubt it.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

As fathers and undershepherds of our families we are to follow the example of our Chief Shepherd who always leads His sheep in the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:2). Men, whatever we do should always have the stamp of God's approval on it. His stamp or seal of approval is one of righteousness.

We live in a time of "anything goes" type of Christianity. There was a time in Israel when it was "anything goes" too. Judges 17:6 says, "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Guess what? Do we not know that we have a King? His name is Jesus Christ, who is King of kings and Lord of lords. We must seek the eyes of His approval on all the paths we choose to walk in.

Do the films we watch have the seal of righteousness on them? Do the clothes we wear have the stamp of God's righteousness on them? Do we allow our wives and daughters to dress, walk, and act immodestly? What about some of the pictures on Facebook sites of Christians? It seems that those who dress the most lascivious get the most likes these days!

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." The straight gate is one of modesty. It does not permit lustful clothing (or unclothing) that promote lust and body worship.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd is a restorer of the soul. David experienced this when he confessed in Psalm 23:2, "He restoreth my soul."

Within a 24 hour period, our physical body needs to be restored with food and approximately eight hours of sleep. In the same way, our spirits and souls need daily restoration. As fathers, we need to teach our children the necessity of soul and spirit restoration. Most fathers instinctively know when it's time for their little children need sleep or food, but how many realize that it is just as necessary to do whatever is needed to restore their souls? Individually, and as families, we must do whatever it takes for daily restoration.

Although we ensure our children receive enough food and rest, only God can feed and restore the inner man. But, even in this we fathers have a part to play. We must teach our children by example and instruction what it means to wait upon the lord. Isaiah 40:31 says, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary and they shall walk, and not faint."

We must encourage our children to wait upon God in their own personal devotions as well as being part of corporate family devotions. Otherwise, their bodies may be strong, but their spirits and souls will be weak and shriveled up.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, whose voice are you listening to? Psalm 97:7-8 and repeated again in Hebrews 3:7, 15 and 4:1 says, "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart."

As fathers, how can we teach our children to hear the voice of the Shepherd if we have not tuned our own ears to hear His voice? Perhaps, because of Israel's dullness of hearing God raised up certain prophets among them who could hear His voice and proclaim it to the people.

Every father owes it to His family to hear God's voice on the behalf of the children until they are old enough to discern His voice for themselves. And even then, he still listens to God's voice on their behalf, to fill in the gaps.

Eli failed to prophecy and speak God's messages adequately to his own sons and it cost him dearly (1 Samuel, chapters 1- 4). What a shame it is that fathers can and will prophecy to others and yet fail to give God's Word to their own children. Every day, God wants to speak through fathers to their children. Where are the fathers who will take the time to seek the Lord for their families?

Isaiah 38:19 says, "The father to the children shall make known thy truth."

Fathers, be reminded, that Jesus Christ lives in us as Prophet, Priest, and King. Because of this we can, and must, be a prophet, priest, and king to our children.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Father, are you leading your sheep or are your sheep leading you?

Psalm 23:2 says, "He leadeth me beside the still waters." A good Eastern shepherd who leads his sheep will not lead them beside dangerous and roaring flood waters where they are likely to lose their footing and drown in the raging torrents. In this passage, the Good Shepherd is called the LEADER of His sheep. All fathers are shepherds and are called to be the leaders of their families.

In New Zealand, where I was raised, shepherds don't lead their sheep, the reason being that the flocks are generally large, often numbering thousands of sheep. The fields are fenced in order to contain and protect the sheep from straying. By the use of their trained dogs, the shepherds in New Zealand push their sheep from behind from one field to another or to a set of yards (pens, or sheds) where they shear the sheep or attend to their physical needs which are numerous. From this standpoint, my countrymen who own sheep farms have no personal relationship with their sheep, except for one or more that lose their mothers at birth. These are called pet lambs, are bottle-fed, and are often given a name.

However, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, is likened to an Eastern Bedouin shepherd who goes in FRONT of his sheep and leads them to still waters and safe feeding pastures. Sheep who have a shepherd like the Middle Eastern Bedouin are indeed blessed.

John 10: 4 says, "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice." From this statement we must conclude that the Shepherd speaks daily to His sheep. They know and trust His voice.

Father, are you speaking often to your children? Do they trust your voice? Are they following you?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, in churches where pastor/shepherds are not feeding their flocks the anointed Word of God, but just going through dry liturgy that has no practical or spiritual application, there will be malnutrition and discontent. Pastors and teachers need to wait on God to make certain the food they feed God's sheep is not half-baked, or perhaps not even baked at all.

This same principle applies to father/shepherds. Fathers must make sure that they are not only feeding their family with good natural food, but also good spiritual food. Every father should do his best to not let a day go by without providing them with solid servings of God's anointed word. This should be coupled with corporate prayer, each one praying short and to-the-point prayers.

Every father knows that he, his wife, and his children could not survive without three meals a day. Yet, how can the inner man survive on perhaps only "one" meal at church once per week? The inner man is more important than the outer man. No wonder the church of this era does is not the vibrant world-overcoming church that it once was.

Christ Jesus has not changed. God's Word (our spiritual food) has not changed. It's our eating habits that have changed. What's the point of having a strong outer man if the inner man is weak and starving?

Be encouraged.

COLIN CAMPBELL

Is your family lying down contentedly in a home of spiritually rich green pastures? Psalm 23:2 says, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures." Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Chief Shepherd, makes sure that all His sheep that seek to follow Him are contented with the greenest, most succulent, and healthiest of all spiritual food. Not only spiritual, but natural food, too.

The lying down aspect of this Scripture speaks of contentment. How can a sheep that is hungry and malnourished lie down contentedly? It is impossible. In the natural, sheep only lie down when their appetites are satisfied. The Chief Shepherd desires that His under shepherds provide their families with a healthy and safe home life where both spiritual and natural food are nutritiously green.

Fathers who are good shepherds will make sure their families are contented and not stressed out with fears and anxieties.

The country of New Zealand where I was born and raised, is ideally suited for raising sheep. Because of its temperate climate it can grow healthy green grass all the year round. New Zealand has some of the greenest pastures of the world. It is a joy to behold the vast green hills covered with the rich green carpets. The hills and valleys are covered with the healthiest sheep in the world--contented and satisfied. It also has no natural predators in the whole country! But, even so, there are some bad shepherds who do not manage their flocks well.

We must pray that our home is a place of both spiritual and natural contentment where our lambs can lie down contented.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, do any of our children lack for the need of discipline? Do they lack for the need of encouragement? Do they lack for the need of our interest in their lives? In His love and mercy, our Great Shepherd attends to every need of each one of His sheep and lambs.

In order to avoid envy and jealousy a wise father will be careful not to show favoritism towards one child as opposed to the others. One member of the family may demand more attention that the others, perhaps in a negative sense. However, a wise father will not neglect the individual needs of any child in his family. In some cases of extreme necessity, such as a special needs situation, this is easier said than done, and we must show loving understanding in such cases.

As fathers, we are under shepherds of the Great Shepherd, and should seek to emulate His example. How easy it is, even for pastors, to give too much attention to some people, at the expense of others who may not be grasping for attention.

It is true that the Great Shepherd does reward some of His sheep more than others, primarily because of their loving obedience to the Shepherd's voice. And I think that reward for good behavior is very appropriate to each one of our own children who deserve it.

One of the greatest needs of all children is to receive encouragement from their fathers.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, just as the Chief Shepherd desires an intimate and personal relationship with each one of His sheep, in the same way every father should seek to develop a close and personal relationship with each member of his own family. The closer we get with each family member, the greater our shepherding will be.

It was, and still is important for the eastern Bedouin shepherds to have a one-to-one relationship with each of their natural sheep, even though they are mere animals. This is necessary to guard against their being attacked, lost, or becoming malnourished and sick. How much more should we become far more acquainted and personal with our children who have spirits and souls, as well as bodies?

We must never be too busy to take the time to communicate, show a genuine interest in all they are doing, go places with them, play with them, have fun with them, tell them stories, give them loving discipline, teach them from the Bible, pray with them, and pile upon them heaps and heaps of encouragement.

Remember, God has given them primarily into your care. Do not take this lightly for you will have to give an answer one day to the Great Shepherd for them. Do not abdicate your responsibilities to your own flesh and blood. Be careful not to speak too harshly or be too critical of them. Seek to be their best friend. Kind and loving words will always win the day.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, how can we encourage and teach our children to develop a more meaningful personal relationship with Christ as their own shepherd?

We notice in Psalm 23:1 that it does not say, "The Lord is our Shepherd," but rather, "The Lord is MY Shepherd." David knew that Jehovah God was Israel's Shepherd and this knowledge was meaningful and encouraging. Psalm 80:1 says, "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth."

However, how much more meaningful and encouraging it is to know that God not only deals with His people in a national sense, but as David discovered, the great Jehovah wants to have a personal and individual relationship with us. He wants this with our children, too.

The hymn writer penned these words to our personal Shepherd, "Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land, I am weak, but Thou art mighty, Hold me with Thy powerful hand." Amen.

Each one of us must take the time to pursue God in an ever increasing personal way, for it is only then that we will be able, by example, to teach our own families to experience God this way.

Abraham, Enoch, Noah, and Moses, as well as many others in Scripture, walked with God and were known as friends of God. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice , and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Christ speaks to us corporately, but it is even more meaningful when we He speaks and we listen to Him personally.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell