Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Did you know that the terrorist group, Boko Haram, have just kidnapped 80 hostages in a northern city of Cameroon, mostly women and children? This comes on the top of the killing of about 2,000 (mostly women, children, and older people) in another attack in Nigeria. It was described as "the deadliest massacre" in the history of Boko Haram.

Please pray against the continuing of this evil terrorist group. Pray also against the evil killings and continuance of the terrorist groups of ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestine Liberation Front, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and many, many others.

There is no greater protection than prayer, and no more powerful weapon we can use than prayer. Let's keep praying.

~ Nancy

Here are 31 characteristics that show we are walking in the fear of the Lord. There is one for every day of the month. Share them with your family too:

If we are walking in the fear of the Lord. . .

1. We will not withhold from God whatever He asks of us (Genesis 22:12).
2. We will keep from sinning (Exodus 20:20, and Deuteronomy 4:9, 10).
3. We will not compromise with evil (Exodus 1:15-20).
4. We will walk in the truth (Exodus 18:21).
5. We will hate covetousness (Exodus 18:21).
6. We will not despise the blind or deaf (Leviticus 19:14).
7. We will show honor to the aged (Leviticus 19:32)
8. We will not take advantage of the poor, but help them (Leviticus 25:35-43).
9. We will obey God's commandments and walk in His ways (Deuteronomy 5:29; 6:2, 13; 8:6; 10:12, 13; 13:4; 17:19; 31:12; 2 Chronicles 6:31; and Ecclesiastes 12:13).
10. We will cleave to the Lord (Deuteronomy 10:12).
11. We will not be presumptuous (Deuteronomy 17:12, 13).
12. We will tithe (Deuteronomy 14:22, 23).
13. We will be morally clean and pure (Psalm 19:9).
14. We will walk in wisdom (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs1:7; 9:10; and 15:33).
15. We will walk uprightly (Proverbs 14:2).
16. We will serve the Lord in sincerity and truth (Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20; Joshua 24:14; 1 Samuel 12:14, 15, 24; Psalm 2:11; and Hebrews 12:28).
17. We will love God (Deuteronomy 10:12).
18. We will praise and worship the Lord (Deuteronomy 28:58; Psalm 5:7; 22:23; 135:20; and Revelation 14:7).
19. We will declare to others what God has done for us (Psalm 66:16; 118:4).
20. We will trust the Lord (Psalm 115:11).
21. We will hate evil (Proverbs 8:13).
22. We will depart from evil (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; Proverbs 3:7; 14:16; and 16:6).
23. We will keep from vanities (Ecclesiastes 5:7).
24. We will talk and fellowship often with the people of God (Malachi 3:16).
25. We will give generously to those in need (Acts 10:2).
26. We will pray always (Acts 10:2).
27. We will walk blamelessly before the world (Acts 10:22 and Nehemiah 5:9). Nehemiah said in Nehemiah 5:15 (HCSB): "The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people . . . but I didn't do this, because of the fear of God." Someone has said: “Others may, but I cannot"!
28. We will walk in holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1).
29. We will have a submissive spirit (Ephesians 5:21).
30. We will give obedient and good service to our employers (Colossians 3:22).
31. We will prepare an ark for the saving of our family (Hebrews 11:7).

“Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long” (Proverbs 23:17).

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

I hope you are brave enough to read this post after reading the title. We don't want to hear about such things as fear and trembling. We'd rather read about hope, love, joy, and all the lovely things we can think about. However, the Bible is filled with Scriptures about walking in the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.

It seems that we are gradually moving away more and more from walking in the fear of the Lord. We don't even fear God's Word and yet the psalmist proclaimed: "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments" (Psalm 119:120). God tells us in Isaiah 66:2 that the person He looks to is the one who "is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Is this my attitude to God's Word?

Philippians 2:12 tells us to "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." It is the fear of the Lord that keeps us from walking in sin and walking away from God.

Do our children see us walking in the fear of the Lord? Are we teaching them what it means to walk in the fear of the Lord? Our children face a world of temptations from the enemy, "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16). The only thing that will keep their hearts pure in this dirty world is to walk in the fear of the Lord.

This is one of the prayers that we constantly pray for our children, that they will walk in the fear of the Lord. We pray it into their lives, but we must also teach it to them. Deuteronomy 4:10 tells us that we must "learn" to fear the Lord.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Let's make this the finality on every decision we have to make.

Godly families who hold fast to God's truth are the desperate need of this nation. Isaiah 26:2 says, "Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation, which keepeth the truth may enter in." The word "keepeth" is "shamar" and means "to preserve, to guard, to give heed to, to keep watch."

It's the righteous nation that enters in to all God's blessings--the nation that observes and guards God's absolute truths. And not just one truth, but all of God's truths. The margin in my Bible says the word "truth" should be "truths," plural. It's not enough to pick a psalm to be comforted. We have to seek the whole counsel of God. When was the last time you read Leviticus?

But a nation is made up of families and will only be righteous when we have righteous families. If fathers and mothers are not keeping God's truths alive in their families, the nation gradually looses the truth and slowly succumbs to deception. And when God's truth departs from the nation, darkness, depravity, and destruction begin. Where do you think we are in our nation today?

Isaiah 59:14, 15 (NLT) says, "Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked."

But, we never give up hope. God will revive and restore us as we turn back to him. It starts with me. With my family. With your family. And as each family begins to seek after God's truth in His Word, impart it daily to their families, and seek to live it out, we can restore righteousness in the nation.

All it takes is godly families who will uncompromisingly hold on to the truth.

Will you and your family begin the restoration?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

According to "Open Doors," who reach out to persecuted Christians worldwide, "The year 2014 will go down in history for having the highest level of global persecution of Christians in the modern era." They expect that the worst is yet to come.

Dear families, can I again encourage you to pray for the persecuted believers around the world? While we enjoy our "cushy" lives here in the West, hundreds of thousands of Christians are being imprisoned and tortured for their faith. In the midst of all our busy activities we must not forget them. That's why I wrote about the idea of having PRAYER CARDS in the latest issue of Above Rubies. We find this a great help to us as we pray for the persecuted believers. We have prayer cards for what is happening in the different countries so we don't forget to pray for them as we gather for Family Devotions each morning and evening

There are 50 countries that are listed as persecuting countries. The top 10 in order of extreme persecution are North Korea, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran, Pakistan, Eritrea, and Nigeria.

It's hard to believe what is going on in North Korea. I pray that as you read the following link that you will be encouraged to gather your family daily to pray for these precious people. Hebrews 13:3 (NLT) says, "Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies."

~ Nancy Campbell

Go to: http://www.christianpost.com/news/north-korea-appears-to-be-starving-mass-killing-prison-inmates-130806/

Yesterday's post was about how easy it is to be distracted. In order to counteract this we must get into the habit of becoming disciplined and focused. How can we FOCUS? I'll share an acrostic with you, and as I do, I'll point three fingers back at me!

F FOLLOW the Lord closely. Don't lag behind where you are too far away to hear His voice. When distractions get in between you and the Lord, be ruthless and shove them out of the way. What are the things that you have allowed to come in that have dimmed His voice. Are you a Facebook time-waster? Blogaholic? Movie-addicted? Whatever . . . Take stock and discipline your time. Stipulate what time you allow yourself to use your electronics. Read Numbers 14:24; Psalm 63:8; and Philippians 3:12.

O OPEN your heart to the Holy Spirit instead of all the media and technology all around you (James 4:8). Open your heart to God's Word, which means you have to discipline yourself to read it.

C CALL upon the Lord to help you (Romans 10:13). You can't do it in your own strength.

U UNDERSTAND your calling (Ephesians 5:17). If God has blessed you with children, motherhood is your highest calling. The devil will tempt you to get involved with so many extra "good" things, but they will weaken your power and influence as a mother.

S SIMPLIFY your life. The more stuff you have the more it fills up your life, and the more work it takes to look after it all. Get rid of everything you don't need (more fingers pointing back at me!). My daughter, Evangeline, loves to say: "I'm not wasting my time running around after stuff; I'm using my time for God and my children." But it's not only material stuff we have to throw out. It's all the time-wasting hours we spend on so many other things. Knock off some things you are involved in. Go out less. Focus on the important. Eliminate the less important. Discipline your life. Read Proverbs 25:28; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:13, 14; and Titus 2:12.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Mankind has always faced distractions because distractions are mainly in our heart and mind. However, I am sure we would admit that there has never been a time when there is so much around us to distract our minds and attention. This electronic age is a temptation to us and to our children. I notice young people who can hardly focus on looking you in the eye and talking to you because they are constantly looking down at their IPhone to check messages.

How are we relating? We are either disciplined or distracted. We are either focused or fragmented. Firstly in our relationship with the Lord. I am inherently a disciplined person, but I have to confess that I am also tempted. It is convenient to have God's Word on our IPads or IPhone, but it can be a distraction. There are times when I may think, "I'll just check my Facebook before I read the Word" and lo and behold I have wasted much valuable time when I could have been doing the most important--listening to God speak to me through His living and powerful Word. I find it less tempting to use my Bible!

And what about the most important career God has given to us of motherhood? Satan is a pro at keeping us distracted from our highest calling. There are so many things we can get involved in outside the home even if we are a stay-at-home mother. We have the Internet, organizations, and people pulling at us from every direction. And most of these things that compete for our time are good or we wouldn't even contemplate them. But they distract us from the most important.

Another thing we have to watch is being caught up with the present circumstances rather than keeping our eyes on the long-term goal. Oh yes, as a mother we have to attend to interruptions that continually happen throughout the day, but we still must watch that we don't allow something that looms up in front of us to take us away from our calling. Keep your eyes on the goal. Keep your eyes on eternity (2 Corinthians 4:18 and Philippians 3:13, 14).

Will you be distracted today or disciplined? Will you be focused or fragmented by everything that pulls at you?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Yesterday we talked about being VALIANT for the truth. Actually, I have found 31 ways God wants us to respond to the truth. There are 31 days in the month so you can take one for every day of the month. Print it out and pin it up on your wall to inspire your whole family. Take hold of one each day and apply it to your lives:

WOMEN OF TRUTH

Our God is a God of Truth. He lives in truth and all His words are truth. Because He lives in us, our lives should also testify to the truth. Truth should be in every fiber of our being.

1. I will choose the way of truth (Psalm 119:30).
2. I will hear the truth (Matthew 7:24, 25; Ephesians 1:13).
3. I will walk in the truth (2 John 4; 3 John 3, 4).
4. I will love the truth (Zechariah 8:19).
5. I will obey the truth (Galatians 3:1; 5:7 and1 Peter 1:22).
6. I will believe the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
7. I will know the truth (1 Timothy 4:3; 2 John 1).
8. I will understand the truth (Daniel 9:13).
9. I will rejoice in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6).
10. I will serve the Lord with truth (1 Samuel 12:24).
11. I will lean upon the Lord in truth (Isaiah 10:20).
12. I will love in deed and truth (1 John 3:18, 19).
13. I will think on the truth (Philippians 4:8).
14. I will buy the truth and sell it not (Proverbs 23:23).
15. I will speak the truth (1 Kings 17:24; Psalm 15:2; Proverbs 8:7; 12:17; Ecclesiastes 12:10; Zechariah 8:16; 2 Corinthians 6:4, 7; 7:14; Ephesians 4:14, 25; and 1 Timothy 2:7).
16. I will buckle the belt of truth around my waist (Ephesians 6:14).
17. I will bind the truth around my neck (Proverbs 3:3).
18. I will write truth upon the table of my heart (Proverbs 3:3).
19. I will manifest the truth (2 Corinthians 4:2).
20. I will acknowledge the truth (Titus 1:1).
21. I will seek the truth (Jeremiah 5:1).
22. I will show the strictest regard for truth (Titus 2:7, 8).
23. I will display the truth as a banner (Psalm 60:4).
24. I will worship God in truth (John 4:24).
25. I will live in the truth (3 John 3 [AMP]).
26. I will be sanctified through the truth (John 17:17, 19).
27. I will be established in the truth (2 Peter 1:12).
28. I will be valiant for the truth (Jeremiah 9:3).
29. I will rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
30. I will plead for the truth (Isaiah 59:4).
31. I will bear witness to the truth (John 5:33).

One of the Scriptures in our Bible reading at Family Devotions this morning was Jeremiah 9:3 (if you use THE DAILY LIGHT as we do, you would have read the same Scripture). It talks about being VALIANT for the truth. We commented that this is not a word that is used very much these days. Maybe because there are not so many valiant people around. We are more prone to be wimpy, pampering to the flesh, doing what feels good rather than disciplining our lives, and giving in to the status quo rather contending for truth. The NLT says: "They refuse to stand up for the truth." And Isaiah 59:14,15 tells us that truth has fallen and failed!

I think we need a revival of being VALIANT for the truth, don't you? How can this happen? It starts with each one of us individually, and then as a family. We dare not compromise regarding truth. With each little compromise we become weaker in the faith. Each time we stand up for the truth we become stronger in our inner man.

I believe it is important to confess the truth. When you speak it out, the truth becomes cemented in your soul. The more you speak it out, them more it becomes part of you. And the more it becomes part of you, the less you will be intimidated by what others say and think. Lies and deception will run off you like water off a duck's back. However, when you stay silent, you are in danger of being influenced by deception. You become insipid and you are no longer the salt in the earth.

Come on, ladies, no more sickly silence. Let's be VALIANT women for the truth, and lets raise children who are valiant for the truth.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Truth never dies. The ages come and go.
The mountains wear away, the stars retire.
Destruction lays earth’s mighty cities low;
And empires, states and dynasties expire;
But caught and handed onward by the wise,
Truth never dies.

Though unreceived and scoffed at through the years;
Though made the butt of ridicule and jest;
Though held aloft for mockery and jeers,
Denied by those of transient power possessed,
Insulted by the insolence of lies,
Truth never dies.

It answers not. It does not take offense,
But with a mighty silence bides its time;
As some great cliff that braves the elements
And lifts through all the storms its head sublime,
It ever stands, uplifted by the wise;
And never dies.

As rests the Sphinx amid Egyptian sands;
As looms on high the snowy peak and crest;
As firm and patient as Gibraltar stands,
So truth, unwearied, waits the era blest
When men shall turn to it with great surprise.
Truth never dies.

~ Sam Jones

Does everything seem to be going wrong? Take heart. It won't ever be perfect, but as you continue to be faithful to your daily mothering (during the hard times and the good times), there will come a day when you will look back and see the beautiful song God has created in your family.

Love from NANCY

In Titus 1:1 Paul shares that he is a servant of God according to the "acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness." The word "acknowledging" means far more than having a knowledge of the truth. It speaks of truth that powerfully influences our day-to-day lives. That's what we want, isn't it?

It is knowledge that produces the fruit of godliness in our lives (2 Peter 1:2-8). It is knowledge that keeps us from the pollutions of this world (2 Peter 2:20). It is knowledge that releases us into God's perfect will (Ephesians 1:17-19). It is knowledge that causes us to mature and grow into the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:13-15). It is knowledge that causes us to walk worthy of the Lord and to do that which is pleasing in His sight (Colossians 1:9-12).

Ask God to work His truth into your life so that it doesn't stay in the Bible on our shelf, or even in your head, but works its way out through your hands and feet, through your words, and through your smiles. Ask God to work His truth into the lives of your children. This sure takes a lot of prayer, doesn't it? But this is what God wants. He wants His Word to not only be in their heads, but in their mouths and lives.

Isaiah 59:21 (HCSB) says, "'As for Me, this is My covenant with them,' says the Lord: 'My Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children's children, from now on and forever,' says the Lord."

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

"I'm a servant of the King of kings." I'm sure each one of us want this testimony. It sounds important, doesn't it? Paul addressed himself as "Paul, a servant of God" (Titus 1:1). But what does this word "servant" actually mean? The word is "doulos" and means "a bond slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, one whose will is altogether consumed in the will of the other." Wow! This gets to the nitty-gritty. I wonder if I truly am a bond slave of God after all?

A bond slave is always ready to obey the will of his master. He/she doesn't rebel or react, but delights to do the Master's will. And if we are truly a servant of God, it will start right in our home. It's easy to be a servant of God while singing in the choir, leading a Bible Study, or going on a mission trip. It's not quite so easy when you are serving your husband instead of yourself and serving as a mother in the home. But this is the reality. When we delight to serve our husband; when we delight to lay down our lives as a mother to serve our family and build a home for God's glory, we are serving God.

Is this the attitude we have to all the work and constant interruptions and challenges we face in our home each day? Is our response, "I delight to do thy will, O my God" (Psalm 40:8)?

A servant does his duty, but there is a higher level. Jesus said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them he it is that loveth me, and He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

Rather than being duty slaves, let's be love slaves in our home.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Monique Levesque-Strachan shared this lovely testimony with me about their New Year's Eve gathering. I'm looking forward to lots of great feedback:

"Eleven years ago I became a new momma to a beautiful little girl. I am so amazed by the journey God has lead us on, and so humbled by the beautiful, imaginative, precious six children He has now entrusted to me. By faith, we received each of our little blessings with love, and eventually started to home educate them. After eleven years, the fruit of following the call to embrace children is starting to shine through.

Dear Mother,

There is no one who can take your place as a mother. Other people can take your place in positions outside the home, but never your place in the home.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Do you remember reading about Asaph in the Bible? He was in charge of the music and was the lead worship singer and cymbalist in the reigns of David and Solomon. Heman and Jeduthun and all their families were also involved. In 1 Chronicles 16:37 it tells us that they were "to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required." 2 Chronicles 8:14 tells us that it was their duty of every day.

As the priests performed the daily sacrifice every morning and evening, the singers and musicians praised and worshipped the Lord. It was their duty, but it was also their joy and privilege. These things all happened as an example and type for us today (1 Corinthians 10:11). It is our privilege to worship our great God, the Potentate, King of the universe. And yet it is also our duty for He is worthy of our praise.

Is this part of your every day's work in your home too? As we come together as a family morning and evening to pray, read the Word, and worship, I always feel that it is the very least that we can give to God. How small are these two times a day in comparison with the rest of the day and all that we do? Isn't our God worthy of our morning and evening sacrifice of praise the worship?

Let's not hold back the worship due to the great I AM, the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth and each one of us. Anything less and we are not doing our duty before God.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions. I just keep plodding on from one year to the next. I know my purpose and it doesn't change from year to year. Of course, it often changes in the way I implement it, but the vision is the same:

To know God in a more intimate way,
To receive more understanding and revelation from His Word, and
To reveal and publish His truth in whatever way I can.

The above is not only my vision, but my greatest longing. I am sure this is also the longing of each one of you mothers--to make Christ known to your children, and then to all you meet. There is no higher calling than this, is there? But we cannot make Him known to our children unless we know Him first. It's not enough to know about Him; we must know more and more of Him. We will find more and more of Him in His presence and in His Word.

It's when we know Him that we can trust Him. It's when we know Him that we can endure whatever challenges we may face in the coming year. We hear conflicting information. I am sure you receive emails and information telling you that USA is in for a huge financial recession. That could happen, I don't know. Then again, George Friedman, a leader in the field of global intelligence states that the United States "grew at a rate of five percent in the third quarter of 2014" whereas Europe, China, and Japan have no growth.

Things could better, or they could get worse. Whatever is ahead, we must seek to live close to the Lord and to truly know Him. When things are difficult, we run to the Lord. When life is easy and affluent, we can often forget Him. I think that prosperity is a greater challenge than adversity. Whatever situation we face, let's press in to know God. Let's take our families with us pressing in to know God.

Good times or bad times, we will not be moved, for we know our God.

May each one of us come to know God in a greater way in this coming year.

Love from Nancy Campbell

It's easy to get lazy about teaching our children God's words, isn't it? Life becomes so full and busy that it goes by the wayside. Some parents are quite content to make sure their children go to Sunday school once a week, but do not feel the responsibility to daily teach their children God's words at home.

What attitude does God want us to have? Deuteronomy 32:46-47 says: "Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall COMMAND YOUR CHILDREN to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; BECAUSE IT IS YOUR LIFE."

These are strong words, aren't they? God wants us to command our children to walk in them. He wants us to teach our children in such a way that they will not only know His words, but they will become their life.

God looked with favor upon Abraham because of how he trained his household. Genesis 18:19 says: "For I know him, that he will COMMAND HIS CHILDREN and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment."

Do you think this word "command" (which is used over and over again in God's word) is too strong? Well, you could use another word. The Hebrew word is also translated "charge," but I think that's just as strong, don't you? Obviously, God wants parents to take this seriously. The challenge is: What are we doing about it?

Isaiah 59:21 says: "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever." Not only do we have to get God's word into the hearts of our children, but into their mouths. And we have to make sure it passes on from one generation to the next.

Instead of being passive and preoccupied with so many things, lets become passionate about passing on God's words to our children.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell