PODCAST TRANSCRIPT | EPISODE 415: WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 21

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 415: WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 21

This is the last session in this series. Don't miss it. We talk about learning how to wait. To walk with God is learning to wait. What about your children? Are you teaching them this very necessary attitude?

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to the Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies, a magazine bringing strength and encouragement to families across the world.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies! Welcome to this last session on our series of “Welcome to the Land of More and More.” Today we begin with . . .

No. 42. MORE VALUE

Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus is speaking: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Isn’t that comforting, ladies? You are of more value than many sparrows. And, of course, you know that God says He cares for even the little sparrows. He knows how many hairs you have upon your head and that changes from day to day! And yet He keeps an account of every hair. So, He’s reminding us here that we are of more value.

Remember that dear mothers. Remember that lovely Scripture, 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Isn’t that such a beautiful promise? And that word “casting all your care” actually means in the Greek, “to throw them upon Him.” Just get rid of it. All that care that you are carrying around. Sometimes it can be so much that you even get bent over and you're walking around with your shoulders down.

Oh, I remember that happened to me once. I had to completely get rid of that attitude! But you see, once again, I was taking my problems on my own shoulders. We are not meant to carry them, dear ones. We’re to throw them off, and throw them on Jesus, because He’s promised to take them. And then, He says: “for He careth,” Oh, what a beautiful word! He cares for you, even in your home. He is watching over you. He’s watching over the walls of your home. He is right there with you, with you in your home. You’ll remember that, won’t you?

No. 43. MORE WAITING ON GOD

Psalm 130:5-6: “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in His Word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” It repeats that line a second time: “More than they that watch for the morning.”

Now, the watchmen take their different hours. There are four watches of the night. The early morning watch is the last watch of the night. That’s the hardest one. That’s the most difficult time to keep your eyes open.

So, it’s saying here, obviously, the psalmist knows what it’s like to have his turn at watching through the night and through that early morning watch. It says here how that those watchmen wait. They long, because they can’t wait for the morning light to come, so they can finish their watch, and they can get some sleep!

It says it two times, as I said before: “My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” The word “to wait” here means “to yearn, to long for.” And so, this is how we are meant to have our attitude toward the Lord, to yearn after Him, to long after Him.

Also, that means waiting for Him. We must learn how to long after the Lord. If we pray, and boom! There in front of us is our answer. No.  God doesn’t work like that. God longs for our fellowship. He longs for our presence, just as we long for His presence.

And often, we have to wait. We have to wait for answers to prayer. We have to wait for things to happen. We have to wait often, for justice. Things can happen in your life. I’m sure that’s the case with many of you who are listening. And somehow, you don’t have justice yet. But it will come in God’s time for God is a God of justice. But you have to wait for it. You have to wait for God.

There are so many Scriptures in the Word about waiting.

Psalm 37:7: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” Waiting means “patience,” doesn’t it? What does the Scripture say? “Through faith and patience, we inherit the promises.” Yes, not only by faith. Oh, you know, you think, “I’ve got faith!” No, no, no, no! It’s not just faith. It’s faith and patience. “We inherit the promises.”

Lamentations 3:25: “The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him; to the soul that seeketh Him.” God loves us to wait for Him, to yearn for Him, to wait in His presence, to have patience as we wait on God. Not thinking, “Oh well, this is not happening. Blow it! I’m just getting out of that!” No, just learning to wait. It’s a powerful thing. Ask the Lord to help you as you wait.

Isaiah 40:31: You all know this Scripture, don’t you? “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 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.”

So, we get these promises for waiting, that the Lord is good to those who wait for Him. When we wait upon the Lord, He will renew our strength. Did you know, ladies, I believe we need to teach our children, right from when they are little, this attitude of waiting. I think that many children today, because we live in such an affluent age, that they haven’t learned to wait.

I remember back in my childhood how, oh, this thing of waiting. I used to wait from one Christmas to the next, because at Christmas time, we’d get these presents. Oh, we just felt like we were going to Heaven, because we didn’t get stuff every time we went to town throughout the year. No, back in those days, we lived more frugally. We had to.

Our parents didn’t have all the money that’s available to so many today, even though they think they’re poor. And yet, they can go to town and buy this, that, and everything. No, we bought the necessities. And if we went to town with our parents, we’d dare not ask, “Well, can I have those lollies? Can I have that ice cream?” No, you didn’t ask, because you knew that you wouldn’t get it. Maybe on a special occasion you might. But you learned to wait for things.

Oh, I can remember at Christmas. My parents would put out a stocking for us. We knew it wasn’t Father Christmas. They didn’t teach us that. But they used to do this to make a surprise for us. Oh, there would be an orange in our stocking, or a packet of raisins, whatever they put there. An orange? Help! I can’t believe it! It was like getting something so incredible.

Well, today, goodness, you have your oranges in the fruit bowl and they all go rotten! People don’t even bother eating them! We are so affluent and we don’t realize how affluent we are today. I can remember doing this with our children too. We would put a packet of raisins in their little pillowcases, and a few other little things. They would think it was amazing! People would say, “What did you get for Christmas?” “A packet of raisins!” Well, goodness me, today, they wouldn’t even bother with it! They have something better.

I don’t think we have to say “yes” to our children every time they want something. There are things . . . maybe there’s something they really want. Teach them to pray about it. Wait for God to provide it. Learn to wait, because if they don’t learn this waiting, and waiting is an incredible feeling.

I can remember. It was so powerful. In fact, it was hard to control this incredible waiting. Waiting was so amazing. Then when you got something at the end of that waiting, it was so incredible. But I don’t know that many children even know what waiting feels like. If they haven’t learned to wait, how will they ever know how to wait for God?

It’s like the parable we were reading yesterday in our daily devotions. Jesus told them the parable of the sower. Some seed fell upon the wayside, and it grew up quickly. But it was all rocky and because there was no root, it just died. I think it’s a bit like this waiting. Many people can give up on God. They can get in a terrible state because they haven’t had the root of waiting.

It’s like, today, oh, forgive me for saying this. And I’m not in any way saying, “You must not do this at all.” But I’m just making a statement here, and that is that now, when a mother is having a baby, she, of course, wants to know whether it’s a baby boy or a baby girl.

There was a time, of course, when I was having my babies. We didn’t know, of course. We didn’t have ultrasound back then, so you always had to wait to find out, which was wonderful. I do believe that that is actually Scriptural. As you know, I’m one of these people who is such an advocate for the Word of God, and every word that God says.

In Psalm 139:15, it says: “And I was made in secret.” I do believe that God creates the baby in secret. God knows what He is doing. He is creating that baby. I know of many testimonies of women who have been told that their baby had Down’s Syndrome. Most of the mothers that I know who had been told that, were women who were women of light. They said, “Well, no matter what, it doesn’t matter what my baby has, I’m keeping my baby. I’m not going to abort it.”

Many times, this baby has been born totally, absolutely, healthy and perfect! Not according to the diagnosis that they were given, even through ultrasound. Some are, of course. But you cannot always trust it. How many babies have been aborted, because mothers have listened to these medical professionals?

But anyway, now, of course, it is the norm. It is so totally normal that I hardly know a mother who doesn’t find out what she’s having, boy or girl. I do know one. On the Hilltop here, there’s a lovely mother who is now having her fifth baby. She waited for every baby. It’s a secret every time, because she believes God creates the baby in secret. She’s waiting for the surprise!

I do believe you miss out on the surprise, where it’s something absolutely incredible, that when that baby is born, to find out what it is. There’s something even more exciting than even finding out beforehand. But I’m just getting back to the fact that I think the basis of it is, they can’t wait. When you ask, “Have you thought about waiting for the surprise? “Oh no, no, no, I couldn’t wait!” You couldn’t wait? Have we lost the art of waiting?

That’s just one little thing. But if we don’t learn to wait in the natural, how can we learn to wait for God? First that which is natural, then that which is spiritual. And so, I think maybe we all need to come into, not just learning to wait for God, but to wait for Him “more than those who watch for the morning,” because this is what it’s speaking about here: “more than those who watch for the morning.”

I’d love to read you a beautiful poem. I had this poem around me for years. In fact, I posted it once, and the lady who was the author wrote to me. She said, “Nancy, that is my poem. Will you put my name with it?” I was so happy to do that. But forgive me. Somehow, I’ve lost her name again, and dear, precious lady, if you happen to be listening, please contact me again, because I’d love to put your name to it. But I’m sure she won’t mind my reading it to you, because it’s a powerful poem about waiting.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate…
And the Master so gently said, “Child, you must wait.”

“Wait? You say wait?” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I’m claiming Your Word.”

“My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I’m needing a ‘yes’, a go-ahead sign,
Or even a ‘no’ to which I can resign.”

“And Lord, You promised that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply.”

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied once again, “You must wait.”
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting for what?”

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine…
and He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.”

“All you seek I could give you and pleased you would be.
You’d have what you want, but you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You’d not know the power that I give to the faint.”

“You’d not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there.
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.”

“You’d never experience the fullness of love
As the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.”

“The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.”

“You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight could come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I’m doing in you.”

“So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though often My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still … Wait.”

And so, lovely ladies, may we learn to wait “more than those who watch for the morning.” I think of those old lines. I wonder if you've heard them. They say, “The wheels of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small.” Sometimes we want things to happen, to work out so quickly, but they take time, because God is working them out. When He works them out, He works them out properly. Amen?

No. 44. MORE WISDOM

Ecclesiastes 7:19: “Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.” Did you get that? “Wisdom strengthens you more than ten mighty men.” 

Proverbs 3:15. This is talking about the Above Rubies woman here: “She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.”

Proverbs 4:7-9: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.” We, as mothers, know that we certainly need more and more wisdom every day.

David said, in 1 Samuel 18:30, “David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.” He was wiser in the house than everyone else.

And what is the testimony of the Proverbs 31 woman? “She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” She opens her mouth with wisdom.

“Yes, so dear Father, each one of us here today, me, as I’m speaking; each mother as they’re listening, we ask You for more and more wisdom. Lord, every day we need wisdom with our children, in the circumstances of life. We ask that You will give us more and more. In the Name of Jesus.”

All right, so now we are up to our last point. Can you believe we’ve got to the end? That’s amazing, isn’t it? It’s . . .

No. 45. MORE WONDERFUL WORKS

It’s a wonderful Scripture to end on—more wonderful works. ‘Psalm 40:5: “Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Isn’t that wonderful? They are more than can be numbered!

Psalm 139:17, 18: “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand.” Wow! Is that your testimony too? I think it is the testimony of all of us. And yet, often, we go through day to day, and we grumble, and we complain. We look at all the things that we’re facing, and we think, “Oh, poor me!” And yet, God is doing such wonderful things!

Even our children, even our children all around us are signs and wonders. It tells us that in Isaiah. Our children are for signs, and for wonders (Isaiah 8:18). Each one is a miracle. They are a miracle created by God, filled with wonderful talents, and unique abilities, and personalities.

Each one has abilities and personalities that no person in the world, since the history of time, has ever had before, or will ever have again! That’s how miraculous each one of your children is. There’s never been one like them on the earth before and there will never be one like them in the earth to come! Isn’t that absolutely incredible? Wow! And we should remember that.

In fact, we remember that, even as we’re mothering, because each one is so different. We think, “Why isn’t this child like my other child?” No, he’s different or she’s different. So different that there’s never been one like her or will be like her again. That’s a miracle. Each one of your children is a miracle.

It was a miracle how God brought them forth. Every day is a miracle that God keeps them in His care. You come to the end of the day, and everyone is alive. That’s God’s miracle of protection and care over you and your family.

You look around you. I just looked out the window now. It’s a glorious tree, so rich and green. I go out to the garden. There are flowers. Each one is distinct and beautiful. All the little butterflies, and the animals, and everything that’s around. Everything is a miracle.

And the provision that you have, the food and your provision. I know that you’ve got more clothes in your wardrobe than you need. I have. You’ve got more food in your pantry than you need. Well, sometimes we may get down, but, oh, God is looking after you. It’s all miraculous. It’s more than can be numbered.

So, are you taking time to thank Him each day? I believe every day we should take time to thank the Lord for His goodness, and for even just one or two of these numberless things that are more than can be numbered. Wow! Let’s become thankful people.

I think back to a story in the time of Jesus. Do you remember it? I’m sure. When ten lepers came to Jesus to be healed, Jesus healed them all. And then, as they went away rejoicing, the Bible tells us (you can read the whole story in Luke 17:11-19) one turned back and went back to Jesus. With a loud voice he glorified God, and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.

But then, Jesus asked: “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” There was only one that came back. He belonged to the one-tenth company!

Now, which company do you belong to, precious mom? Do you belong to the one-tenth company that keeps coming back every day to give God glory and thanks for all His goodness to you?

Do you belong to the nine-tenths company where they forget? Oh, yes, they were healed. They got the blessings. But they didn’t come back to thank Him. Oh, I think we all need to be reminded. I need to be reminded too. Isn’t it amazing how we have to be reminded to be thankful? Wow! We don’t ever have to be reminded to grumble and yet we have to be reminded to be thankful!

I’ve told you this many times that one of the habits of my life is that every single day, I go back to Calvary and thank the Lord Jesus for His great sacrifice upon the cross for me. That is the greatest, greatest gift that I have ever received. But I want to thank Him every day. I want to come back and thank Him. But there are so many other things to thank Him for. Do you thank Him for your husband? Do you thank Him for your children? Do you thank Him?

One time I did an acrostic on “thankful.” You could do one too. I’ll tell you what I wrote. But you don’t have to keep to mine. Make one for yourself, and then get your children, who can all read and write by now, get them to do an acrostic too. So, I wrote the word “thankful” with the letters T-H-A-N-K-F-U-L down the side. Then beside it I wrote what I was thankful for with a word that belongs to the letter at the beginning. For example,

T         I thank God for TEACHING me His ways.

H         I thank God for giving me my HUSBAND. Marriage becomes more and more beautiful   every day.

A         I thank God for ANOINTING me to be a mother. Is             there any greater blessing, apart from            our salvation, than to enjoy the blessings of children and grandchildren?

N         I thank God for creating me to be a NURTURER and NOURISHER to my family and      those around me.

K         I thank God for His KINDNESS to me.

F          I thank God for my FAMILY, extended family, and those who consider themselves part   of our family.

U         I thank God for giving me UNDERSTANDING and revelation of His truths.

L          I thank God for LIFE. I thank God for LOVING me enough to die for me and shed His    precious blood for my sins.

Amen? So those were just some things I wrote about being thankful. Of course, there are so many specific things that we thank the Lord for each day. But that’s a good thing to do for yourself and get your children to do it. Maybe you can even do it as a project in your homeschooling.

Then at the evening meal, you can get each child to read out the things that they wrote about what they were thankful for using the acrostic of the word THANKFUL. It will be a wonderful evening fellowship and dinner together as you’re sharing each one. Each one is sharing all the things that they are thankful for.

Another time you could get your children. Say, “OK, let’s do this today, children. I’d like you to write down all the things that you are thankful for about Daddy.” You could get them to do that. And then, when your husband comes home for the evening meal, and you sit down together, each child could read all the things that they wrote about Daddy, and what they love about him, and what they’re thankful for about him. That’s a good thing to do.

You’ll think of many, many other things. Always be thinking of these little extra things you can do that show your appreciation for one another. Then always have time for sharing them at the family meal table. That’s a great place to do those things.

Well, once again, time has gone. We’ve got to the end of this series. Wow! I do trust that you have been blessed. Next week I have a very special person coming. I have Nadia Mutana coming. She will be sharing her story about little Gracie, and their life with her, and how recently Gracie went to be with the Lord. It’s an amazing, amazing story, and you're going to love hearing it.

“Dear Father, we do come to You this morning with great thankfulness for all Your goodness to us. You are such a good God. You have blessed us beyond what we can ever ask or think. Lord, Your goodness and everything beyond is more than, more than we can ever think about, more than we can number.

“We just praise You and thank You. Help us to be thankful people. Help us to belong to the one-tenth company, who is a praising, thanking, appreciative person, and never to the nine-tenths company who forget to be thankful. We ask it in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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www.aboverubies.org

Transcribed by Darlene Norris

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