DISARMING THE GAINSAYERS 

Zechariah 8:12 (NLT), “I believe, therefore have I spoken.”  

“Who am I? Have you sighed these words on your difficult mothering days? 

It’s a good question, for if you don’t know who you are, you will flounder in life. Fortunately, it’s not a hard question to answer. God created you uniquely, like nobody else on earth, with special gifts that no one else has. But, transcendentally, you are a mother. You have an in=born urge to nurture. If you don’t want to mother children, you will find yourself mothering something else, maybe your pet dog or cat. It is distinctive to us as females.  

God created you with a womb and with breasts to nurture and nourish life. Why not embrace who you are? Be the best at who God created you to be instead of running from it. Start enjoying it. Disarm the feminists! Disown the lies! Destroy the deceptions and delight in motherhood. 

How? By exploding with joy. You have the privilege of bringing children into the world for God's purposes, children who will live forever. By telling the world you are proud to be a mother. Away with inferiority that’s a lie! Away with feeling insignificant; that’s not true! Away with the thoughts that you were called to do something more important; that’s a humanistic lie! 

Next time someone asks you what you do in life, beam with joy and shout, “I am a mother! I have the most blessed career in the world.” 

The next time someone sees you with all your children in tow and asks, “Are all these yours?” put on a bigger smile, from ear to ear, and shout, “Yes, I am so blessed.” Or, “Yes, we love children so much we are hoping for more.” Or, “Yes, we’re just getting started!” 

Or you could even say, “Yes, they are. But where are your children?” 

“Oh, they’re’ at school. We could only afford to have two.” 

“How very sad,” you reply. “You must often feel bored and lonely. We live such a full and exciting life.” Give another beaming smile and leave them speechless, ready to disarm the next person who makes a negative comment.  

Going out with all your children will become such fun. It will be even more exciting as you train your children for adverse comments about family. When you have answered your critic, the children can also put on their beaming smiles and all say in unison, “God bless you, Madam." 

What if someone says, “DON”T YOU KNOW HOW TO STOP HAVING CHILDREN?” Or “Are you planning to have any more?”  With a smile and twinkle in your eyes, you could answer, “It’s conceivable.” 

What if some dear soul comments, “You have your hands full.”  “We’re working on it,” you reply. “We are blessed with five; only five more to go!” 

Put your shoulders back. Lift up your head. Put a big smile on your face and disarm the anti-child advocates. You’ll begin to change the world around you!

You’ll be speaking on the behalf of God who loves life and loves children.

You’ll be destroying the deceptions of Satan who hates life and seeks to destroy it. 

What a mission. Have fun. 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“I thank you, Lord, that you created me to be a mother. Help me to shine with your glory and lift up your truth wherever I go.”  

AFFIRMATION:

I am heralding the joy of motherhood whenever I go.

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. 

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ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE

 Psalm 27:4, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.” 

David longed for the “House of the Lord.” It was his favorite place to be. But David could not be in the house of the Lord continually, as much as he longed to. He was king of a nation. He had battles to fight; administration to attend to. But dear mother, we have the opportunity to live David’s longing. Let me explain. 

The house of the Lord is no longer one temple as it was in David’s day. It is not even a church building where we attend on Sundays or Saturdays today. The house of the Lord speaks of His presence. God wants your home to be His house where His presence dwells; a place where you abide in Him and He abides in you. The house of the Lord is abiding fellowship with Christ. The house of the Lord is your kitchen where you prepare the meals; the house of the Lord is your dining table where you feed your family and make every meal a love affair; the house of the Lord is any room in the home where you are working or interacting with your children.  

In your home you can behold the beauty of the Lord. As you abide in Him and look to Him, He will impart His grace to you in your time of need. He will show you that He is the God who is Enough for every challenge and every situation. He is with you, in your home, and will never leave you or forsake you. No, not even when everything seems overwhelming and you feel like tearing your hair out! You are still in the house of the Lord at this moment. Instead of despairing about the situation, stop for a moment and realize that God is with you. He has promised that He will not fail you.

Thank Him that He is with you. Thank Him that He cannot fail you.  In your home you can inquire in His temple. David had to go God’s temple to inquire of the Lord. He faced battles, enemies and challenges; He needed God’s discernment, wisdom and strength. You also long for God’s wisdom. You are desperate to know what to do. You cannot go on without His strength. Praise the Lord, you don’t have to get into your car and rush off to a church building. You are in the house of the Lord right now. You can inquire in His temple right now. He will give you His wisdom. He has promised, remember.  

All you have to do is abide—that literally means to live in His presence. It means to acknowledge that Christ is living within you and that you are in Him. You are inseparable. You are one. He is your life source. You can’t live without Him (well, I can’t anyway!). Your own strength wains; you need His. Your wisdom is human; you need His divine wisdom. Your love runs out the door; you need His agape love. You are depressed and down in the dumps; His joy does not depend on how you feel. You feel your life is worthless; you can only bear fruit to bless your family and touch other lives as you abide. 

John 15:4-5 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me can do nothing.”

There it is. The secret to living in the house of the Lord all the days of your life. How I love those words… “all the days of my life.” It doesn’t matter what my day is like, God is with me. It doesn’t matter whether I think God has left me; He is bigger than my thoughts. My thoughts deceive but God doesn’t change.  See your home in a new light. It is the house of the Lord. You can live in it all the days of your life.  

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Thank you, Lord, for showing me that my home is the house of the Lord. Help me to enjoy my home in a new way. Thank you that I don’t have to visit the house of the Lord. I live in it! Amen.”  

AFFIRMATION: 

I am not a visitor but a dweller in the house of the Lord.  

SCRIPTURES REFERRED TO IN THIS DEVOTION:

Look up Isaiah 41: 10, 13; Hebrews 13:5-6; James 1:5-8. 

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. 

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SOWING SEEDS OF PEACE

Part 3

 Psalm 34:14, “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” (1 Peter 3:11) 

Nothing in this life happens by chance. What we sow we reap. It is an eternal principle. I love what Henry Drummond says, “The Christian life is not casual but causal.”  To live in peace, we must sow seeds of peace. Jesus said,”Blessed are the peace-makers…” Peace doesn’t just happen; we have to make it happen. 

Let’s look at a few more today.  

Love Righteousness 

Psalm 85:10 says, “Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” You can’t have peace without righteousness. They are inseparable. But righteousness is more than turning away from evil. It is doing righteous deeds. Righteousness is not stagnant. It is alive. It is revealed in your facial features as you smile at your family and speak positive things; it comes out your fingertips as you work and toil for the blessing of your family or hug and embrace your children; it shows itself as you walk to do good deeds for your family and others.  

We see this in Isaiah 32:17, “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” Do you notice that righteousness is a work? And do you notice the cause and effect? The effect is peace! 

This following verse says, “And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” If we want peace in our home we must sow seeds of righteousness. That will mean saying No to certain TV programs, DVDs and websites. It will mean taking a stand against the spirit of the world entering your home. Peace does not come by compromise or even by feeling good. Sometimes people equate peace with calm. Anyone can have peace when everything is going perfect. True peace rests on a foundation of righteousness. (Hosea 10:12) 

Seek Reconciliation 

You cannot have peace if you have estranged relationships. To enjoy peace you must seek healing and restoration. Sow seeds of reconciliation. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. You won’t have peace unto you do. (Ephesians 4:26-27) 

Forget your Worries 

Ephesians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” In other words, don’t worry about anything! Easier said than done! But if we want peace in our hearts and homes it is habit we must practice.  

Each time you face another problem, instead of worrying, choose to turn it over to  the Lord. Look to the Lord rather than your circumstances. It takes a while to get into this habit, but it will change your life. You can then walk in peace even in the midst of the storm. 

My favorite Scripture, a special one for mothers, is found in Isaiah 26:3-4, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” When we sow the habit of bringing our thought life to the Lord, we will have peace. Not only peace, but perfect peace. It is actually a double word in the Hebrew meaning, peace, peace!  

Husband/Wife Unity  

Sow unity in your marriage relationship. If you don’t have unity together, you won’t have peace in your heart or home. And nor will your children know peace. When there is estrangement between you and your husband, the children will feel the brunt of it. Once again, you have to sow the seeds. It won’t just happen. Realize the truth that God has made you one--not two, but one! Sow seeds to make this oneness a reality. Say Sorry. Forgive. Swallow your pride. Humble yourself. Shut your mouth. Speak soft words. Submit for your own blessing. As you sown these seeds, you’ll reap peace.  

Order your home 

It is difficult to have peace when you live in a mess. 1 Timothy 5:14 tells us that the young women are to “guide the house.” This phrase is translated from the Greek word, oikodespoteo, coming from two words: oikos – home, and despotace – master. God has given you the responsibility to manage your home—to keep it in order and running smoothly.  Don’t forget the principle of cause and effect. If you want peace, do things that will bring order and peace.  

Declutter your home 

If you have clutter everywhere, if your dishes and laundry are piling up, you will not be able to think straight.  Order brings serenity. Sow seeds for a harvest of peace by de-cluttering your home. If you have loads of junk it can be daunting to start on this venture. Take one room at a time. Be ruthless. Get rid of everything you don’t need. Purge. The more you eradicate, the more serenity will come to your soul. 

Keep sowing your seeds of peace daily and your harvest time will come.  

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Lord, thank you for reminding me that you want me to make peace. Help to be a peace-maker! As I sow seeds of peace, you will bring the wonderful harvest. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION: 

Peace-making is my job today! 

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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SOWING SEEDS OF PEACE

Part 2 

Romans 16:20, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” 

How did you get on last week with sowing and speaking seeds of peace? You sowed a few seeds? That’s great. You wished you could have sown more? Don’t despair. Keep at it. Make it a habit and it will become a way of life. Here are some more seeds to sow.  

Hold your Tongue for Peace

Perhaps this is one of the biggest ways to keep peace. It is so easy to spout off words that cause discord. It is so easy to react with words that cause pain or even incite rebellion. It is so easy to answer back when accused. I am always challenged by Jesus’ reaction when he was accused: 

Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.” 

Matthew 26:62-63, “The high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace.” 

Matthew 27:11-13, “When he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word.” 

1 Peter 2:23, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again…” 

If we cannot give a soft answer, it is best not to even open our mouths! Wow! This takes self control, doesn’t it? But the Holy Spirit, who is self control, lives within us to help us. 

Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” 

Discipline for Peace

This doesn’t sound very peaceful, does it? We often think that if we rock the boat we won’t have peace! But the opposite is true. Discipline precedes peace! Read that again. Yes, discipline precedes peace! If your children are playing up, disobeying, being defiant and causing havoc in the home, you won’t have any peace. To get peace, you must deal with the disobedience or bad behavior.  

One of my favorite Scriptures for parenting is Proverbs 29:17, “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.” 

Do you want rest and peace in your home? Don’t gloss over disobedience. Deal with the issues. Sow loving but firm discipline for disobedient behavior and you will reap a reward of rest. Many parents have no rest. Their children are a constant hassle to them because they have not been trained. They constantly yell at them but their behavior doesn’t change.  

It is a joy to watch parents who live a life of rest. I think of my daughter, Evangeline, who has nine children. Her husband, Howard and she have trained their children to respond with instant obedience from the time they were very little. They have never allowed disobedience or defiant behavior. They dealt with it immediately. They have reaped a wonderful reward of rest. Their children, aged from 15 years to 16 months are extraordinarily behaved. They give delight to their parents and everyone who is around them. They can take them anywhere and trust their behavior. Evangeline lives a life of a queen for her children give her no bother.  

Hebrews 12:11 reiterates this, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” 

I was quite taken aback when reading Romans 16:20 recently, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” You would think that when it speaks of God defeating the devil that He would be referred to as the God or War or the Lord of hosts (which is the Lord of the armies of heaven).  It will not be a peaceful task to conquer Satan. It will be war and blood and tears. But, no. He is called the God of peace. I am sure this is because there can never be true peace while evil reigns and therefore it is the God of peace who wages war to bring peace.  

If you have to have a little war before you have peace, don’t be afraid. Covering over things will not bring peace. It is like a festering sore that will not heal until it is totally cleansed.  

Keep sowing seeds of peace. We’ll look at more next week. 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Lord, it is so easy to retaliate. Please help me to hold my tongue, and when I open my mouth, please help me to sow words of peace. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION: 

I aim for peace, but not by compromising.      

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

To unsubscribe from the Above Rubies Devotional, send a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.