Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

What is the most world-changing thing you can do as a family? Of course you know. It is to pray. And yet why do we put aside the most important family appointment of our day to the bottom of the list? It's because the enemy knows the power of prayer. It defeats his plans and moves the mighty hand of God against him. He will keep you from praying. He will even use good things to fill your day so you won't have time to pray.

Leviticus 26:7, 8 says, "And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword."

THE HOLY BIBLE

This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good its design, and the glory of God its end.

Did you know that when you conceive a baby that you actually receive a visit from God?

Genies 21:1-3 tells us: "The Lord VISITED Sarah . . . For Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son in his old age."

We read about this again in 1 Samuel 2:21. After Hannah dedicated Samuel to God and took him to the temple, the Bible tells us that "The Lord VISITED Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters."

What an amazing thing. Conception only comes from God. It is a miraculous event. God uses the same word when He promised to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt (Genesis 50:24). How did He bring them out? With mighty miracles and signs and wonders.

Are you teaching your children to respond correctly when asked a question? Here are a few examples:

"Did you have a great day?"
Incorrect: "Yes."
Correct: "Yes, thank you. It was a great day."

God makes His purposes very clear in His Word, doesn't He? Right from the very beginning He reveals His heart and plan for the way He wants us to live.

God's great plan of LOVE AND BLESSING for His creation is for marriage with a man and a woman that results in fruitfulness.

Notice that God's Word does not speak of two males or two females together, but the very opposite. Check the following:

Male (zakar) / female (nqebah) Notice that the two Hebrew words are totally different (Genesis 1: 27).
Man / woman (Genesis 2:23).
Father / mother Genesis 2:24).
Husband / wife (Genesis 2:25; Proverbs 12:4; 31:11, 12, and 28).
Master / mistress (Genesis 16:4 and 24:9).
Bridegroom / bride (Psalm 19:5; Isaiah 49:18; 61:10; 62:5; and Jeremiah 33:11).
Mankind / womankind (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13).
Young men / maidens (Isaiah 62:5).
Sons / daughters (Genesis 5:4).
Boys/ girls (Zechariah 8:5).

Psalm 127:4 says: "As arrows in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth."

J. Peterson writes: 

"Hold them tight,
Aim them right, and 
Give them flight."

Words and ideas are indivisible with God. It is the same with us. Our ideas and thoughts about any issue determine what we confess about it. What do you think about motherhood? That's what you will speak from your mouth. Do you complain about mothering? Do you relegate it to something inferior? Or is your confession, "I LOVE MOTHERHOOD"?

How do you think about your marriage? Do you like to complain to others about your husband? Do you speak disrespectfully about your marriage? Or do you confess wonderful things about your marriage? It all depends on how you think.

Do you sometimes feel that everything is just too much for you? You wonder how you can keep going. Here is some wonderful encouragement for you from 1 Chronicles 28:10, 20:

Do not fear for
God CANNOT FAIL YOU.
Do not succumb to self-pity for
GOD IS YOUR STRENGTH.
Do not cave in for
GOD IS YOUR COURAGE.
Do not be dismayed for
GOD IS YOUR DELIVERER.
Do not weaken for
GOD IS WITH YOU.
Do not think you cannot do it for
GOD WILL NEVER FORSAKE YOU.

Who is your marriage all about? Is it all about you? Many couples live together, but are not bound together, or enjoy life together. They start off with great love, enjoyment, and enthusiasm but often their relationship grows boring and cold.

Why? I believe it's the "all about me" syndrome. What is my husband doing for me? How is my husband serving me? I have a right to be who I am and do my own thing. Soon the couple are living their own separate lives instead of being cemented together.

I heard the following words repeated often when I was young.

If you have all Word, you’ll dry up.
If you have all Spirit, you’ll blow up.
But if you have the Word and the Spirit you will grow up.

Can I let you in on a secret? You cannot build a successful marriage when your life is "all about me." Selfishness never works. Expecting to be served and pampered doesn't work. Even Jesus did not come to serve, but to serve and give his life (Matthew 20:28).

The only way you find your life is by giving up your own life in serving others (Mark 8:35). Marriage is the perfect relationship to experience this victorious way of living.

Here's a project for you. Can I encourage you to change your thinking from "it's all about me" to "it's all about him"? Instead of dwelling on what your husband is doing wrong and how he is not doing this and that around the home etc, why not think of all the ways you can bless him.

Starting from today and for the rest of this week, think of at least two special things you can do for him, say to him, or write to him each day. Why not surprise him by initiating sexual intimacy instead of waiting for your husband to make the first move? And don't forget to have a lovely meal waiting for him each evening as he comes home.

Think creatively. Think out of the box. Think about him instead of you!

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

A young mother wrote to me recently, “My baby is five months and it seems like yesterday he was born. His smile is what greets me when I wake up in the morning, even if I am dog tired. He makes any mood I have change instantly to joy with one look at his smile. I feel God through the way he smiles and laughs and am so blessed to have him and nurse him.” Another mother says, “Everything my two year old does and says inspires me and gives me a new reason to love life. Even the expressions on his face crack me up.”

How blessed we are to be mothers. We get to smile and laugh more than any other sector of people. Each time we look at a baby we can’t help but smile. And they make you smile big! When we watch our children, we naturally smile and can’t help but laugh at all their childish antics. And every time we smile and laugh we de-stress! We release endorphins which make us feel happy and relieve stress from the body. What a great way to live.

This is just another blessing of all the blessings of motherhood. No wonder the Bible tells us that we are preserved through motherhood (1 Timothy 2:15).

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

How important do you feel it is teach your children to obey you? It's easy to let it slip, isn't it? It's easy to get into the habit of telling them to do something over and over again before we expect obedience. It's easy to ask them to do something and not press through to make sure they obey.

What do we teach our children when we do this? We teach them to disobey. We lay a foundation for them to disobey God.

1 John 5:19 (ESV): "The whole world lies in the power of the evil one." If this world is in the grip of the evil one, how do we live without getting pulled into its grip? How do we keep our children from its control? We've got to swim upstream.

It's not easy to swim upstream, is it? It takes all your effort. The moment we relax, we start floating downstream again, away with the current of the evil one. That's why we have to constantly fight the good fight of faith. We must fight it ourselves, and for our family. We must teach our children the principles of swimming upstream.

To which kingdom do you belong? God's kingdom is a kingdom of life, love, light, and liberty. Satan's kingdom is one of lies, deception, death, and destruction. He is a murderer! That's what Jesus said in John 8:44: "He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth; because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Because he is a murderer, no wonder he is the mastermind behind birth control, sterilization, and abortion. His plan is to stamp out life before it is conceived, but abort it if it is conceived.

Recently I read this quote from St. Francis de Sales, "Every Christian needs a half an hour of prayer each day, except when he is busy, then he needs an hour." Immediately I was convicted and wrote beside it, "This is for me." My life is exceedingly busy each day (as I am sure yours is, too). It's easy to crowd out prayer when there is so much to do in our day and our list is so long. But what's the use of all our activities unless they are bathed in prayer? They are like hay and stubble which will be burned up (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Home based upon Christian marriage is so evidently an institution of God, that a man must become profane before he can deny it . . . Of this realm woman is queen. It takes its cue and its hue from her. If she is in the best sense womanly--if she is true and tender, loving and heroic, patient and self-devoted--she consciously or unconsciously organizes and puts in operation a set of influences that do more to mould the destiny of the nation than any man, uncrowned by power or eloquence, can possibly effect.

~ Dr. J. G. Holland

Psalm 37:34 (NLT): “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along His path.” I don’t have visions and dreams (I would love to). I don’t live by my feelings. How then do I live out my walk with God? By plodding on from day to day.

I don’t have to be disturbed by my circumstances because God is bigger than all the challenges I face. I don’t have to be intimidated by my antagonists because God’s truth will eventually win the day.

Do you remember when the disciples asked Jesus who would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?

Jesus responded by bringing a little child into their midst and said to them: "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me" (Matthew 18:1-6). Read also Mark 9:36-37 and Luke 9:48.

These words from the mouth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ tell us that our attitude toward receiving children reveals our attitude to Jesus. We are to receive them in His name. Therefore, shouldn't we receive each new baby as though we were receiving Jesus Himself?

No, I'm not talking about Ebenezer Scrooge! I'm talking about a monument stone that the prophet Samuel erected after God gave Israel victory over the Philistines. He called it "Ebenezer, saying, ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us’" (1 Samuel 7:12).

What a wonderful affirmation. It's a phrase we need to remember, too. Often we face a new challenge or difficulty and wonder how we'll get through. But, then we remember, God has got me through before and He will do it again! Praise His holy name. As we acknowledge the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord, we are encouraged to know that God will be with us in new trials and tribulations.