Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Today he said, “”Let’s come up higher today—a higher place of joy, a higher place of hope and faith, a higher place of victory.”

How true. We don’t have to live in the basement of doubt and gloom and despair. Unless you want to. You have the option! But who wants to live in the pits? You can come up higher. You don’t have to live by what’s happening in your life or by your feelings. Jesus Christ not only died for you to save you from your sins, but He comes to indwell you by the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver you from sin and despair and from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4).

You can live in joy, above your circumstances, because Christ who is Joy lives in you.

You can live in rest, above the turmoil of life, because Christ who is Rest dwells within you.

You can live in victory, above your doubts and feelings of failure and worthlessness, because Christ, the Overcomer dwells in you.

Come up higher in your home today, dear mother. In the midst of your little children and all you have to do, you can live on the higher plane. Live in the realm that Jesus died to give to you. Take hold of His life that is in you and part of you.

Live the higher life.

Love from Nancy Campbell

P.S. Here are the words to the hymn if you don’t know it.
I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I'm onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

CHORUS:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven's tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray till heav'n I've found,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

How can we live in continual rest? God commanded the people that they must not bring any burdens through the gates of the city on the day of rest. The word for burdens is “masa” and depicts the packs upon the backs of the donkeys or camels. It can even mean an utterance, especially of doom.

If you want to live in the rest of Christ, you must leave your burdens at the gate of your heart. Yes, many trials, heartaches, and burdens come your way. But you must not lift them up and carry them through the gate of your heart and mind. Leave them outside! God is able to bear the burden that you cannot bear. Don’t bring self-pity, depressions, constant worrying, and tensions inside your heart.

God continued His message: “If ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day . . . Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David . . . “ (verses 24, 25).

There can only be one king on the throne of your heart. It is either King Jesus or your burden which you make king. When you choose to bring burdens into your soul, they become king! They rule your thought life and everything else. When Jesus reigns as King in your heart, you will live in rest. When you make your burdens preeminent, you live in tension nod stress.

Who is king in your life today? Jesus Christ who is your Rest, or your problems and worries?

Live in rest today,

Nancy Campbell

I am feeling very sad and burdened. When I posted the message about listening to THE RETURN, the National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance, I thought it would be such a blessing for all those who were not able to attend.

Instead, there was an onslaught of negativity. It so saddened my heart. This was not a day for holding up theological doctrines. It was a day to repent and confess the sins of this nation. The message given by Jonathan Cahn was a message from God’s Word about repentance, salvation, and lifting up Jesus the Messiah as the only answer. It was a cry to repent of the national sins of abortion, same-sex marriage, transgenderism, and so on. It was a kingdom message.

Dear fellow believers, we may not all agree theologically. And not every spokesman for God is perfect in everything he says. Help. Who is perfect? We are only human. I can’t think of how many things I wished I had never said. I was wrong in many of my beliefs and over the years God has changed me and enlightened me. We are all in a process of growth by the power of the Holy Spirit.

But one thing we can all agree on is that this nation deserves God’s judgment. We have sinned more than Sodom and Gomorrah. We have murdered 63 million babies in the womb. We have changed God’s infallible law He established at creation of marriage between one man and one woman. Our Supreme Court has defied God! We could go on and on. This is not a time for theology debate or saying who is a false prophet or who is not.

This is a time for all of us to repent for the sins of this nation. It’s a time to cry out together for the mercy of God as thousands and thousands did on Saturday. For those of us who could not attend, we have the privilege of joining them in our homes. We must continue joining in the spirit of this sacred occasion as we gather our families together and GET DOWN ON OUR KNEES and intercede before God every morning and evening for God to save our nation. Please forget all these other petty things. They will only hold back the move of God that we long for.

As Jonathan Cahn said himself: “This is not a rally, it’s not a seminar, it’s a SACRED ASSEMBLY.” And it was. All day long, godly men and women, from rose to the microphone to repent of national sins and cry out to God for revival. Thank you, Lord, for this great happening. Thank you Lord, for the thousands and thousands who came to pray and march for life and for God’s mercy on this nation.

Can I plead with you, dearest friends, please put aside all your own ideas of what you think is theologically right. Let’s get with the bigger picture. This nation is at the crossroads. If we don’t repent. If we don’t turn back to God—to life, to righteousness, to family, and to prayer, we can only expect judgment.

But if we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, AND TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS, then God will hear from Heaven, and will forgive our sin and HEAL OUR LAND! 2 Chronicles 7:14 was the theme of this sacred assembly. Please don’t get in the way of this.

And do you notice that God doesn’t say that if we get all our theological doctrines correct that He will heal our land? No, He says if we will seek His face and PRAY.

Let’s walk with soft and repentant hearts and commit ourselves and our families to praying and crying out to God every day. Not just quick prayers. But down on our knees interceding before God.

This is all I long for. I long for revival. I long for God’s people to turn back to Him. I long for this nation to be saved. I long for abortion to be stopped. These things don’t come theologically, they came through prayer.

Let’s keep praying,

Nancy Campbell

I read again the words of Jesus this morning in John 10:3-5: “The sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”

What powerful words. We must certainly get to know the voice of Jesus and discern the voice of strangers, for WE WILL NOT LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF STRANGERS! That means all that is foreign to God, His truth, and His word.

What a powerful mandate we have from God to teach our precious children to hear the voice of God and to discern the voices of strangers. We are most careful to teach our children to never listen to a stranger on the street or go with a stranger. But are we teaching them to NEVER LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF STRANGERS IN THEIR EARS?

The voices of humanism, feminism, equalism, agnosticism, same-sexism, transgenderism, and atheism, etc. are all around in our society. Thye are strangers to God’s truth. And let’s get the message again. Jesus said that His sheep will NEVER LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF STRANGERS. They will run from them.

When we put our children in public school, we sit them down to listen to the voice of strangers, not because the teacher maybe a stranger, but the ideologies of our current school system are anti-God ideologies. They advocate alternative lifestyles rather than biblical, evolution rather than creation, abortion rather than life, and anarchy rather than patriotism, etc. Many of the young people who have been rioting and destroying with Antifa and Black Lives Matter are victims of our high school and college brainwashing.

Psalm 1:1, 2 states: “Blessed is the man that walks NOT in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD.”

Do your children hear the words of Jesus each day? Are you filling them with the truth of God’s word? Or are they being filled with strange voices from public school or from their iPhones and social media in their own homes?

We must teach our children to RUN FROM the voice of strangers. This is a huge part of your parenting.

Be filled with courage today,

Nancy Campbell

We face this principle every day as wives and mothers. Constantly we choose whether we will demand our own way, do what pleases us, or lay down our life for our husband, our children, and sacrifice our own selfish desires.

Sometimes this is a battle. We need to be constantly reminded of Psalm 118:27: “Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” We willingly lay our life upon the altar as we feel the moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But then we get back to the challenges of daily life and mothering and off the altar we jump!

We need His cords to bind us. What are the cords? God says in Hosea 11:4: “I drew them with cords of compassion, with bands of love.” He says again in Jeremiah 31:3 “Yes, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Because Christ now dwells in our hearts (if we have been born again), we no longer live to ourselves, “but unto him which died and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This lifestyle of dying daily to our own selfish desires does not ruin our lives. Instead, it releases us into the joyful life of serving and sacrifice. This is the life of Christ that resides in us and the example He gave us to follow (Mark 8:35).

I read about a mission board that had an ox for its seal. On one side of the ox was an altar, on the other side a plough. Their motto was “Ready for either.” There are millions of Christians being martyred for their faith today (more than at any other time). They are literally dying upon the altar. Others (like you and me) become a living sacrifice as we take up the plough of the daily grind of life. Not doing it grudgingly, but with joy and exhilaration.

May God save us from being jumping jacks--jumping off the altar as soon as anything becomes too difficult, looms bigger than we can imagine, or does not work out the way we planned. Instead may it become our lifestyle to be bound with joy to the altar. This is the least we can do in response to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Painting by Edna Hibel

People say they will do something but don’t keep to their word. People inform a host they are coming to a function but never turn up (not even a call to inform them of the reason).

We all need reminding to keep to our word, don’t we? But we must also be faithful to impart this character into our children’s lives—and not let them get away with it. It should be a habit of their lives.

The Bible speaks about it in Psalm 15. The psalm begins with the question of who can enter into God’s presence and then gives give ten character qualities. One of them is: “He that sweareth to his own hurt, and CHANGETH NOT.”

Most translations say: “who keeps his word whatever the cost.”

The New Living Translation says: “who keep their promises even when it hurts.”

The Moffat says: “He keeps his oath, though he may lose by it.”

I believe it is important to always keep to our first commitment. Sometimes we commit our selves to something and then something far more exciting or enjoyable comes up that coincides with our first appointment. It’s very tempting to choose the second, but that’s not keeping to our word

I remember one time I committed myself to speak at a Ladies Seminar in California. They said it was only going to be small, about 12 – 15 ladies, but they desperately needed me to come. So I gave my word.

But then I received an invitation to speak at a big family conference on the same weekend where there would be thousands attending. I was very tempted to change my commitment thinking that it would be far more beneficial to get the word out to so many more people. But my faithful husband was right there to remind me: “No, Nancy, you have already given your word. You cannot change.” And so I kept to my word because it was the right thing to do.

Let’s teach this important principle to our children, even when it seems like a sacrifice to do it. Doing what is right, even when it is hard, works character in our lives.

Many blessings to you and your family today,

Nancy Campbell

The challenge to us is that if we do not work to guard our home and family, the devil will outdo us with his works. If mothers would rather work outside their home than in their home, they give room for the devil to work in their home behind their backs! This is one of the reasons the devil woos women out of the home. He can then get his hands upon the minds and hearts of our precious children.

If mothers are not protecting, guiding, teaching, and nurturing their children in the home, who is? Who is that person? Are they godly? Are they righteous? Are they anointed from God for the task? Are they teaching our children the truth?

We must work to keep our home a place of love, joy, delight, and holiness—and truth! It takes work to keep deception out of your home. The enemy always looks for a foothold where he can get in.

Keep working dear mother. Don’t let up. Don’t let the devil work havoc in your marriage or your children while you are busy with other things.

One of the greatest ways we destroy the “works of the devil” is through the work of fervent prayer. How much are you praying for your children? Your home? Future generations?

Keep the devil at bay from your marriage and home.

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting: “A Mother’s Joy” by Bessie Pease Gutmann

Or maybe you have a different line?
“Grumbling and groaning
All the day long.”

It’s easy to get into a grumbling mode, isn’t it? But this not only makes your husband and children miserable. It makes you miserable too! Groaning and self-pity and the worst things we can do to ourselves. They bring us down to despair. They make us look ugly. And we are no good to anyone! Why do we bother doing it?

Or perhaps you have another line?
“Frowning and fuming
All the day long”

Once again, these negative attitudes are easy to fall into. Mother, your children look at you all day long? What do they see? A frowning and downcast mother? Or a smiling mother? Your children will become what they see in your face?

Let them see a smiling happy face. You may not feel like smiling, but that’s not the point. You don’t live by your feelings. That’s a terrible way to live. Feelings comeand feelings go, but they are not the real truth. Instead, by faith, put on a smile. Look at your children and smile at them. You’ll be amazed how your attitude catches up with your face. And you won’t believe the difference it makes to the atmosphere of your home.

Are you upset about something and fuming inside? Forget it. You are only destroying yourself and everyone around you. Give your problem to the Lord and look to Him. He is BIGGER than any problem you face.

Has someone said something unkind and untrue about you? Don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world. Forget thinking about yourself all the time. Bless and pray for the person. Instead of stewing over it, bless them instead!

You’ll soon be praising your Savior all the day long again!

Have the greatest day of your life,

Nancy Campbell

Oh dear ladies, this is not the way God intended us to live. It’s the devil’s way. God intends us to interact with one another. To smile at people. Give a kind word where we can.

Those of us who are believers should be revealing the image of God wherever we go. That’s God intention for us. We are God’s letter to the world, “known and read of all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2). And how do we reveal His image? Through our faces. Of course the devil knows this and he’s making sure it doesn’t happen. And you can just feel the depression.

We cannot go on living like this. And the interesting thing is that we don’t have to. The only reason that governors and mayors and businesses can do this is because the majority are caving into their tyranny. Total submission.

I can’t believe it. For so long submission has been a dirty word. There are many Christian wives who don’t like submitting to their husbands. They are all in for egalitarian marriages. But the mask comes along, and they willingly submit! I simply can’t believe it!

Now I know I’ll get feedback from the people who say I’m not caring about others. Oh please, that’s one of their great brainwashing slogans. If I was sick, or coughing germs, I would not go out. I wouldn’t think of spreading my germs over anyone. But I am not sick. I am healthy. I don’t have a thing wrong with me. I diligently and daily boost my immune system and I have the Spirit of God living in me who raised Jesus Christ form the dead! Read Romans 8:11.

And I didn’t notice anyone who was sick in the shops I entered. Well, if they were, they should not have been there. They should stay at home because masks don’t stop the virus. The size of most cloth coverings range from 20 – 100 microns whereas the virus is 200 and up to 1,000 times smaller at 0.1 microns! The mask is a fraud.

More people die of the seasonal flu each than have died of this virus (except for those with one, two, or even three other medical issues).

Don’t you think we should be living how God wants us to live? Breathing freely. Enjoying the sunshine. Smiling at one another. Bringing happiness and hope wherever we go instead of gloom and despair. Revealing the image of God through our radiant faces.

Love to you all,

Nancy Campbell

I think the Prayer Sticks are a wonderful idea. Jennifer also sent her list of subjects which I’ll post in the next post. If you would like to do this too, you could print out this list.

Be blessed from Nancy Campbell

The Bible is full of allegories and beautiful pictures of how he wants us to live. God paints one of these pictures in Psalm 128:3(CSB) describing a blessed family life: “Your wife will be a like a fruitful vine within your house, your children, like young olive trees around your table.”

Dear mother, you are not literally a vine, but the Bible says you are LIKE a vine. Your children are not literally olive plants, but they are LIKE olive plants And so God teaches us from the way He describes us.

God wants each one of us to be like a fruitful grapevine in the heart of our homes. Where does He want you to be fruitful? In the heart of your home.

But how does a vine become fruitful? It has to be pruned and watered. Sometimes we are not fruitful in our homes because we resist the pruning. And we don’t take time to be watered in His presence and in His Word.

Vinedressers who want a fruitful harvest are RUTHLESS when pruning their vines. They cut back the branches until they look as though there is nothing left on the vine. They look quite ugly. But from this cutting back comes a glorious harvest.

Vines that are left to grow without pruning may look fine but when you get close up you see very little fruit. I think of Hosea 10:1 where it says: “Israel is an empty vine; he bringeth forth fruit unto himself.” Israel looked luxuriant and lush but instead of bringing forth fruit for God, he brought forth fruit for himself!

Fruit for yourself but empty for God. That’s sad, isn’t it?

It’s like the picture above. My garden gave us a wonderful harvest this year, but has now finished producing except for my pepper plants, They are still growing. Don’t they look luxuriant and wonderful? But guess what? They have no fruit! I have never seen anything like it. I have these beautiful, big, healthy looking plants but they are bearing no fruit. I usually have a harvest of peppers, but none this year! There must have been something wrong with my soil! What a waste of garden space.

It shows that you can look good and still not be producing fruit. But it is the fruit that God wants. When talking about the Vinedresser and the vine in John 15 Jesus says that He wants more than fruit from us. He wants “MORE FRUIT” (John 15:2). But even that is not enough. Two times Jesus says that he wants “MUCH FRUIT” (John 15:5, 8).

Sometimes we have to take the “bull by the horns” and cut back branches ourselves. Stop running here, there, and everywhere. Stop getting involved in too many things outside the home. The Shulamite woman in Song of Songs 1:6 confesses: “They made me the keeper of the vineyards: but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”

“But how can I be fruitful stuck here in my home?” you cry out. Dear mother, to embrace the children God wants to give you is an eternal work. You are bringing into the world eternal souls who will live forever. You give to a child the privilege of enjoying the glory of eternity forever. How amazing.

As you pour your life into building your home, making it a holy home for God in this sinful and deceived world, you are a light shining on a hill for all to see. As you make your marriage and family life strong, you help to make this nation strong. As you take up your charge to get God’s Word richly into the hearts and mouths of your children to prepare them for life, you will not only be salt in this world, but you will be sending out powerful, salty, God-fearing, truth-speaking, devil-defeating young people into this world to take dominion for God. That’s incredible fruit for God’s kingdom.

Keep your life trimmed and pruned so you will bring forth fruit for eternal life.

Many blessings from Nancy Campbell

Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers: “I will come to you shortly, IF THE LORD WILL” (1 Corinthians 4:19). And again: I trust to tarry a while with you, IF THE LORD PERMIT: (1 Corinthians 16:7).

Proverbs 27:1: “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps.”

Our sovereign God knows the way He has planned for us. It is already written in His book. He wrote our life story before we were born (Psalm 139:16). Amazing, isn’t it?

We make our plans, but let’s always be ready to say DV and be open to God changing and leading us in His ultimate plan. Read Psalm 37:23; 48:14; Proverbs 19:21; and Jeremiah 10:23.

This takes all the sting out of life. When things don’t go our way, we know that God’s way is better. I’s not always easier, but it’s always better. Even the most difficult, despairing, and terrible things God works out for good. Read Genesis 45:6-8; 50:20; and Romans 8:28.

You can trust God in EVERY situation.

God be with you today,

Nancy Campbell

He goes on to say that after we have taught our children all that is necessary to carry on the duties of everyday life and business affairs, we should then decide that “they shall learn nothing that cannot really be pressed into the service of God, and used for the salvation of souls.”

Psalm 1:1, 2: “ Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, not sits in the seat of the scornful, But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Does this picture the education of your children?

Have a great day,

Nancy Campbell

Get this truth. Your mothering does not hinge on one bad day. You have another day tomorrow. Give your problems to God instead of stewing on them yourself and thank God that He is with you as you mother your children with all the accompanying frustrations and challenges.

Believe God for a great day tomorrow. Confess you are going to have a great day. And even when things go wrong, laugh instead of getting upset! Your little problem is not the end of the world. It’s just a little hiccup and we all have loads of them every day. They don’t have to be a problem at all if we trust God with them.

Even more than tomorrow. Think of the future. Dear mother, you are mothering for the years when you will no longer be here. Your mothing impacts future generations.

Get a vision beyond today—beyond the next few years to generations ahead. You are influencing generations to come, for better or for worse!

I was reading the other day about Achan who disobeyed God and took silver and gold and Babylonian garments which God told them they were not to touch. I find it challenging to read that when the Bible pinpoints Achan as the culprit that it doesn’t only mention his name, but his father, grandfather, and even his great-grandfather (Joshua chapter 7). His great-grandfather’s name was marred because of his great-grandson’s sin!

Conversely, we read in Zephaniah 1:1 about Zephaniah who was a prophet to the nation. As it introduces him, it cites the names of his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and his great-great-grandfather! Wouldn’t you love to know that your great-great-grandson was a prophet of God to the nation?

How we need to pray for future generations. Do you do that? When Colin and I pray for our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, we also like to pray for future generations beyond that. We want our progeny to keep walking with God down the generations “FROM NOW AND FOREVER” as it says in Isaiah 59:21.

I was just reading this morning: “I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them and of THEIR CHILDREN AFTER THEM” (Jeremiah 32:39).

Look beyond today, dear mother. You are doing a great work.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Picture from Claudia Tremblay Studio.

Aren’t these amazing words? Dear mother, this word tells you that you are going to judge the world and angels! But don’t wait until them. You must also judge the things that pertain to this life. Even the SMALLEST matters. This gets right down to the nitty gritty of mothering in your home. Every day you judge matters with your children. In fact, you are a court judge!

Motherhood is a powerful career. It is not easy to be a judge. We need wisdom from God for every matter, even the smallest matters. We often judge wrongly and make wrong decisions. But as you seek God daily for His wisdom, He will give it to you liberally (James 1:5-8).

In Jeremiah 9:24 God says: “I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment (justice), and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” God is fully all lovingkindness, all justice, and all righteousness. Sometimes we find it hard to exercise these attributes together. Either we are too merciful or too judgmental. But as we seek God, He will help us. As we cry out to Him, He will pour out His Spirit upon us and teach us how to judge correctly.

God says of Abraham in Genesis 18:19: “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.” Our children will not learn to walk in justice and judgment unless we teach them the way of justice and righteousness. This means teaching and training them daily in even the smallest matters of their lives. Small matters eventually become big matters.

We cannot teach them unless we judge between right and wrong, the clean and the unclean, righteousness and evil, truth and lies. Mother, please do not underestimate your high calling to judge your children.

Cry out to god for wisdom daily. Ask God for wisdom in judging even the SMALLEST matters. In this way, you will not only train your children in righteousness, but you will be practicing for the future when you will judge the world and angels. Wow!

Practice daily.

Love from Nancy Campbell

With the world in such a state of uncertainty, I am reminded of the importance of homemaking. Whenever I fill out paperwork which requires my occupation, it burdens me to just write homemaking. Not because it is an insignificant occupation, but because I feel that it is so much more significant than that simple word denotes.

I want to write: “The most wonderful, effective, important job I could possibly do, requiring multiple tasks and skills that demand growth and development. I have worked hard at this and I love it! I don’t just sit at home and watch TV because I’m not capable of doing anything else. I chose this! It’s hard and its wonderful!”

But that statement doesn’t fit in the little two-inch blank provided, so I remind myself that God sees what I do. He called me to this wonderful career and constantly shows me grace and gives me wisdom as I figure out the ever-changing dynamics of my job.

At this unusual time in history when people are being encouraged to stay home more and don’t have the schooling and daycare options they usually have, people are being forced to do things differently. I have noticed different responses to this. There are a lot of ads for curbside pick-up for food or “no touch” pizza delivery. Things like puzzles and bicycles are selling out. Craft supplies and educational websites are marketed toward the parent who is home with their child and isn’t sure what to do with them.

I have also heard of a rise in domestic violence and parents going crazy because circumstances force them to be with their children more than they are comfortable with. It makes me smile to think that even the movie stars must step back from the spotlight and turn their attention to their children.

The homeschooling family with a stay-at-home mom doesn’t feel quite the same jolt as the average family. Cooking, teaching their children, coming up with valuable activities, and dealing with relationship issues are all part of the job of homemaking. It has made me realize all the more how vital homemaking is.

It is my chosen profession. Years ago I got a vision for a family that lived and learned together and found a consistent, safe, loving refuge in their own home, where there would always be love. We are far from perfect, but God’s grace is evident in our lives and our homelife is a lighthouse for His love.

Besides the foundational values of a homelife, the actual homemaking skills have proven to be so useful. Many go through life never learning to scrape together a meal with whatever is on hand. Or how to get by for a few days without disposable diapers. Or learning that you can teach a child to read yourself. There are endless skills that are acquired when a mom stays home with her children, devoted to working through all the challenges of raising a family, while continually seeking God for new direction. God is a creative God and there is joy in allowing Him to use you to love and teach your family.

I have a feeling that in these times people will turn to families with these priorities for comfort and direction. Outside the home, things are ever changing, unstable and uncertain. But a well-established home, focused on God’s Word, and His call to bring up children in His way is a safe haven, not only for your own family, but for those around who feel overwhelmed by uncertainties.

I believe that more than ever, homemakers need to be strong and focused on their families but to also be aware of the importance of their position in society. They are a lighthouse and need to be ready to share their vision with others.

For those who haven’t tried the homemaking lifestyle, it’s not too late! Pray for a vision, share your thoughts with your husband, and seek out those who are already doing it. I’m sure they will be happy to share what God had taught them at home.

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

Picture: Gabe and Autumn with their nine children and grandmother, Dixie who lives with them: Eliza (20), Peter (18), Wesley (15), Annabelle (13), Jack (11), Ava (9), Bonnie (7), Matthias (5), and Philip (3).

PRAY FOR THE SHENK FAMILY:
Autumn’s update: “My husband was the guest speaker at the church where the picture was taken. We are so thankful we had the opportunity to meet the little church and its town. The town (including the parsonage and I believe the church) was destroyed by fire this past weekend. We have now had to evacuate our home too. The fire which is covering over 170,000 acres is five miles away from our house. The firefighters need prayer. It is still 0% contained.”

We love to see our children growing, don’t we? Right from birth we are excited to see each new development. It is so rewarding to see our daughters grow up to be graceful women of God and our sons to be strong young men who really know how to be men! All my sons are over six feet, my oldest son is 6’ 8.”. And now we have a grandson who is also 6’ 8” and all the grown ones are over 6.”

However, we don’t only want to see them grow in physical stature, but in spiritual stature. This is our greatest vision and longing, isn’t it?

I was reading about Samuel this morning and noticed how the Bible records the PROGRESSION of his growth. God does not want our children to become stagnant, but continually growing in the Lord.

1. HE GREW

1 Samuel 2:21 says: “And the child Samuel GREW before the Lord.” The phrase “before the LORD” in the King James Version means “in the presence of the Lord.” The HCSB and ESV and other versions translate it: “The boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.” Don’t’ those words really get to you? They certainly challenge me. It is not enough for our children to grow up in our presence. They should grow up in the presence of the Lord.

I love the Young’s Literal translation which states: “And the youth Samuel groweth up with Jehovah.” He grew up with God. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t this what we want for our children?

Motherhood is far more than feeding and clothing our children. It is creating an atmosphere where the presence of God reigns in our home. Our children should feel and be aware of the presence of the Lord. It’s in this atmosphere that they “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:18).

2. HE GREW ON

2 Samuel 2:26 says: “And the child Samuel GREW ON and was in favor both with the LORD, and with men.” Isn’t this a wonderful testimony? We certainly want this for our children, don’t we?

3. HE GREW AND THE LORD WAS WITH HIM

1 Samuel 3:19: “And Samuel GREW, AND THE LORD WAS WITH HIM, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” Oh, that our children will grow up knowing the power and presence of the Lord with them in every aspect of their lives. This is the ultimate vision for our parenting.

Of course, you know the story of how God came to Samuel and spoke to him in the night (1 Samuel 3:1-21). The historian Josephus says that Samuel would have been about twelve years old when God called him and spoke to him about Eli and his sons. It’s interesting that Jesus was also twelve years old when his parents found him “in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luke 2:46, 47).

Are we raising our children for maturity? Are they familiar with hearing the voice of God? Are they able to discuss the truths and doctrines of the Word? As we notice their physical growth, we should also see their spiritual growth. I am amazed that so many adult Christians don’t even know God’s Word. How will their children know if they don’t know?

How will our children become used to hearing the voice of God through His Word if we don’t read it to them daily in our family devotions time? If we don’t encourage them to also read it personally every day and listen for God to speak to them?

Let’s raise children who are not only growing up physically, but growing up spiritually—growing up in God, growing up in the presence of God, growing up hearing His voice, growing up familiar with His Word and familiar with prayer.

Amen! (With an exclamation mark)!

Love to you today,

Nancy Campbell