Reading Psalm 95 this morning I noticed the inviting word, Come. In fact, the invitation comes three times. Let’s read it:
“O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us COME before his presence with thanksgiving, and make joyful noise unto him with psalms . . . . O COME, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
God wants us to COME into His presence. We don’t just float into his presence. We COME. We act. This word in the Hebrew is a verb meaning “to walk, go, follow, lead, carry (maybe babies and little ones), pursue, march, and run.”
We come into God’s presence individually and collectively. We make effort to spend time with God personally. But the context of this Scripture is togetherness. We come collectively before the Lord, first as a family, and then as a body of believers.
You notice that each time it says come, that it says, “Let US come.” It’s not only me. It’s all of us together. We make time to come into God’s presence as a family each day. We do this morning and evening in our home. I am sure you have realized that this just doesn’t happen! Suddenly everyone appears at the correct time? No, we make it happen.
For our morning devotions, I make sure everyone in the home is up at a certain time, breakfast eaten, and ready to come into His presence as a family. Each member of the home comes. It’s “let US.” No one sleeps in. No one is left out.
At our evening gathering, we all gather at the table, enjoy our meal together, and then open God’s precious word and worship. This means everyone is present at the meal table. No exceptions, unless it is for something special. As the mother of the home, I must organize my whole schedule to make this happen every day. I want everyone in my home to COME INTO HIS PRESENCE, don’t you? Therefore, we must work to make it happen.
It’s all about COMING, ladies.
And what about our corporate gatherings, whether in small groups or large congregations? We still need to COME! We gave to get ready in time, once again organizing our schedule to make sure everyone in the family is ready. We get in our cars. We get to our gathering on time. Not late. We come with eager hearts.
We don’t come to sit like stuffed ducks. This psalm reminds us that we:
• Come to sing unto the Lord.
• Come to make a joyful noise to the Lord. Do you notice two words? Joyful! And noise! God wants us to sing to Him with everything within us—LOUDLY and JOYFULLY.
• Come with thanksgiving.
• Come with psalms (ready to share a revelation from the Word of God).
• Come with a worshipful heart.
• Come ready to bow down in worship.
• Come to kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Teach your children to respond with eager and COMING HEARTS.
“Children, it’s time for Family Devotions,” and they come running.
“Children, it’s time to come for the table,” and they come running.
“Children, it’s time to leave for church; we want to be early” and they come runnIng.
Many blessings to you today,
Love from Nancy Campbell
We speak of the glory of God, often not knowing what we speak about. Our finite minds will never understand God’s eternal glory. Even in the eternal realm I think it will still be difficult for us to comprehend. However, God deigns to reveal His glory on earth—through creation and through His people.
Yesterday we talked about how “sound doctrine” is practical godly living. We read about the BEAUTIFUL things God wants us to do as wives and mothers (see BEAUTIFUL THINGS post below). However, Titus 2:5 goes on to say that if we don’t embrace this BEAUTIFUL lifestyle, that instead we become “a scandal to the gospel” (MOFFAT).
If you stand for the Christian principles upon which this nation was founded and if you love to hear the beautiful carols and Christian hymns during the Christmas period, here’s your opportunity to take a stand. You can call or email the company who are banning Christmas carols from their mall this Christmas. I’m not sure about you, but I think it is wonderful to have Christmas carols play in the public arena during this time of the year. It is so uplift
I know you believe it is important to have a foundation of “sound doctrine.” You want to teach your children “sound doctrine.” You are not one who is “tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.”
Speak life into your home today.
You can see the drawings or watch the YouTube. Clink on the links below:
Even when it’s hard to be strong for ourselves, we must be strong for our children and others around us.
The other day I wrote a post, A MANLY THING, about young men being ready to take responsibility in marriage. I can’t leave out the young women. It’s important for them to be prepared also. As with the men, many young women today have rarely held a baby. They know nothing about motherhood or managing a home. They have spent most of their life at school, college, and even partying. They have not been prepared mentally for the embracing of children or
You are not insignificant, dear mother. God has chosen you to lead your children into their destiny and all that God has planned for them. Rise up into your calling.
On Sunday we enjoyed another family wedding—Josiah and Shelby. It is so wonderful to observe Josiah and his love for babies and children (he himself is the oldest of 11 children).
What is your tongue like today? Lashing out at everyone? Griping about everything and everyone? God wants you to have a healing tongue in your home today. Proverbs 15:4 (TLV) says: “A healing tongue is a tree of life.”
It is always fascinating to see twins, isn’t it? You can’t help looking at them, especially when they are identical. I myself had twins 51 years ago. A boy and a girl and they were so different that if people didn’t know, they didn’t recognize I had twins. But it was a great blessing. I used to say that there’s only one thing better than having a baby, and that’s having two babies!
Be encouraged, today, dear mother. God sees your “labor of love” in your home and you will receive your eternal reward. You will hear the words of Jesus from Matthew 25:21: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
What’s the joy on your barometer today? A tiny bit of joy? Perhaps you’re half way up the barometer? Anyone up to the top and overflowing?
Proverbs 4:23 says: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” I love to find out what the words of a Scripture really mean. The phrase “with all diligence” in the Hebrew is most interesting. It uses a preposition meaning “above, beyond” and a noun meaning “prison, guard, the act of guarding.” It can be translated “more than all other guarding, guard your heart.”
Mother, you are a NATION BUILDER!
May God strengthen you mightily as you mother and train your children today. You are privileged to be working in the most influential career in the nation--building a strong marriage and family, and consequently building a nation! And even more amazing, you don't have an earthly employer; your employer is God Himself!
Isn't it awesome to know that we weren't created haphazardly, but purposely? God created every aspect of our female body for His divine purposes. He didn't create our female organs to lie dormant or to atrophy, but to fulfill God's wondrous designs. Our whole being, transcendentally and physically, is tied together. Our womb is not only a physical organ. It is the very seat of our emotions. It is the essence of our motherly compassion and love.
I talked with a husband at an Above Rubies Family Retreat. He told me how his job is very stressful. “But,” he continued, “it is so wonderful to come home each night to a peaceful and relaxed home.” What a wonderful testimony about his wife, the mother of eight children.