The Generation To Come

Our power and influence as parents, not only affects the destiny of the nation, but future generations. God not only sees the present generation, but future generations. He also wants us to have this mindset. He wants us to live our lives in the context of future generations.

Hebrews 7:9,10 says "Levi.... paid tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him." Levi was Abraham's great-grandson. We would have thought that Levi wasn't even a twinkle in Abraham's eye. He was most probably not even thought of. But God already knew about him as though he was already alive. God sees future generations.

It's so easy to get bogged down with the grind of daily activities in the home, isn't it? There can be times when you feel you are stuck in the mire with no hope of accomplishing anything. Yes, the practical and physical labor of mothering can be wearying, but it is our attitude toward homemaking and mothering that imprisons or frees us. It is how we value our task as a mother that determines whether we will be depressed or joyful.

LONG TERM VISION

I believe it is important for us to get a long-term vision of our divine calling of parenthood. It is often hard to feel that you are accomplishing very much staying at home - changing 'nappies' or 'diapers', wiping noses, cooking meals and daily training little children. It is important to see beyond the frustrations of your every day tasks and look ahead. You are not only training children for today, but for the future. Your influence is powerful and far-reaching. As you diligently teach God's ways to your children, you are establishing principles and guidelines for future generations.

God's ultimate plan is for godly generations. He has commanded each generation to pass on His ways and His laws to the next generation. Psalm 145:4 says, "One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts."

God does not want us to think of parenting this generation only. He wants us to live our lives in the light of past and future generations. When God spoke to His people, the children of Israel, He reminded them of their roots and their past heritage. He said, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." But as He reminded them of their roots in revealing His name, He also gave them a vision of the future! He continually stated, "It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings."

God's words are for all generations. They are never out of date. Psalm 105:8 says, "He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations."

THE GENERATION TO COME

Let's read Psalm 78:1-8, "Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth...showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments..."

We must teach our children the ways of God so diligently that they will never forget them. We must imprint them so strongly in their hearts that they will faithfully pass them on to the following generations. One preacher said, "The test of a parent's Christianity is his children's children!" It is not enough that my children walk in the ways of the Lord. The true test is whether my grandchildren and great-grandchildren continue to walk in God's ways.

Now let's look at some Biblical examples. There are so many but we will list just a few:

ZEPHANIAH

Zephaniah 1:1 says, "The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah
the son of Cushi,
the son of Gedaliah,
the son of Amariah,
the son of Hezekiah..."

Now what is so amazing about this scripture? Let's think, about it. God doesn't waste words. Although it is our custom today to introduce someone by their name only, in God's Word people were introduced by their lineage. When Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh he put his name, his father's name, and his grandfather's name upon them! Isn't that powerful?

Genesis 48:16.

"The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads;
and let my name be named on them,
and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

This would give a great sense of roots and security, wouldn't it? I would be happy to be introduced as "Nancy, wife of Colin Campbell and daughter of Ivan and Joyce Bowen, Ivan is the son of Walter Eugene Bowen." If we did this today it would help us to give respect and honor to our forefathers, wouldn't it?

The Bible reveals Zephaniah's parentage back to the fifth generation! Hezekiah was Zephaniah's great-great-grandfather! This king of Judah "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord...he trusted in the Lord...he cleaved to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments..." and now five generations later, his great-great-grandchild is a prophet to the nation! (2 Kings 18:1-6; 2 Chronicles 29:1,2; 31:20,21). This is such a challenge, isn't it? Will our great-great-grandchildren still be walking in the ways of the Lord? Will they remember us as godly mothers?

SAUL

When Saul is introduced to us in 1 Samuel 9:1,2, God takes us back six generations!

"There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish,
the son of Abiel,
the son of Zeror,
the son of Bechorath,
the son of Aphia, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
And he had a son, whose name was Saul..."

ACHAN

I am sure you remember the story of Achan who disobeyed Joshua and took for himself silver and gold, thus causing the defeat of the Israeli army in their battle against Ai. When God revealed Achan as the culprit, his whole family was implicated! He was exposed as:

"Achan,
the son of Carmi,
the son of Zabdi,
the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah..." (Joshua 7:17,18,24; 20:22-20).

Even his great-grandfather had to bear the shame of his disobedience! In v.24 Achan is called “the son of Zerah”. The Bible uses the name of his great grandfather rather than his father! Not only did Achan’s sin affect the name of past generations but his own sons and daughters were also judged because of his sin.

JAHAZIEL

"Then upon Jahaziel
the son of Zechariah,
the son of Benaiah,
the son of Jeiel,
the son of Mattaniah,
a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation..."

(2 Chronicles 20:14-30).

Once again six generations are mentioned! Are you getting the picture of the power of the generations? We are tied, not only to the present, but also to the past and future. In this story, Jahaziel is used mightily as a prophet of God to bring a word to King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah that gave them a strategy to win the battle against the Ammonites and Moabites. This prophetic word through Jahaziel saved the nation! Not only was Jahaziel remembered and recorded in scripture because of this, but even his great-great-great-grandfather! Wow!

AMRAM AND JOCHEBED

Jochebed must have been a mighty mother to produce children such as Aaron, Moses and Miriam. This mother raised three children who affected a whole nation! Micah 6:4. As we follow the generations of Aaron (we'll take Aaron's line as that is the priesthood generation) we see the continuing godly generation. We do not read much about the priests after Phinehas, but if the meaning of their names has anything to do with their character we can presume that they continued walking after God.

1st generation                       Amram 'exalted' and Jochebed 'Jehovah is honor'

2nd generation                      Aaron 'enlightened'

3rd generation                       Eleazar 'God is helper'

4th generation                       Phinehas 'oracle of God'. Phinehas certainly was an oracle of God. He rose up for God against the man who took the Midianitish woman in adultery and thrust them both through with a javelin. Because he did this, God said, "Behold I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made an atonement for the children of Israel." Numbers 25:1-15.

5th generation                       Abishua 'father of safety'

6th generation                       Bukki 'mouth of Jehovah'

7th generation                       Uzzi 'Yah is strong'

8th generation                       Zerahiah 'God is appearing'

9th generation                       Meraioth 'revelations'. Meraioth was a priest in the days of Solomon.

Actually, the line goes all the way to Ezra, 18 generations from Aaron. Ezra 7:1-5.

LOIS AND EUNICE

1 Timothy 1:5, "I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also." I am sure that we would not have had the two books of Timothy in the cannon of scripture if it weren’t for grandmother Lois and mother Eunice!

Now let's looks at some more recent examples:

WILLIAM AND CATHERINE BOOTH

I am sure you have heard of William and Catherine Booth who were the founders of the Salvation Army. I have always been inspired by their work for God. Catherine Booth, although used of God to win thousands into the kingdom of God through her preaching, was first and foremost a mother. As a young person she stated, "I intend to make myself fit to be a mother and being that in every sense, I shall be ready for any destiny that God may put upon me." As she was dying, she cried these words, "Try to raise up mothers...mothers are the want of the world."

William and Catherine had eight children and they were faithful to train them for God. Every one of those eight children served God in a mighty way. We named one of our daughters, Evangeline Faith, after Evangeline Booth, one of their daughters, who was a great evangelist. Not only did they train their children, but also the intensity of their training continued into the following generations. They had 45 grandchildren and every one of them also served God with all their hearts, many on the mission field. Even their great-grandchildren continued as missionaries.

JONATHAN AND SARAH EDWARDS

Let's take a peek at the family of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. You may remember Jonathan Edwards for his famous sermon, "Sinners in the hands of an angry God." Jonathan and Sarah had 11 children and were ardent in training their children for God. In 1900 A. Winship tracked down 1400 descendants of this family. By 1900 this godly marriage had produced...

13 college presidents

65 professors

100 lawyers and a dean of an outstanding law school

30 judges

60 doctors and a dean of a medical school

80 holders of public office including

3 United States Senators

3 Mayors of large cities

3 State governors

Vice President of the United States, and

Controller of the United States Treasury.

Members of the family wrote 135 books and edited 18 journals and periodicals.

They entered the ministry in platoons, and sent 100 missionaries overseas as well as stocking many mission boards with lay trustees. They directed banks, insurance companies, owned coalmines, iron plants and vast oil interests. Winship states, "There is scarcely any great American industry that has not had one of this family among its chief promoters."

Because of the responsibilities of Jonathan Edwards' ministry, Winship goes on to say, "Much of the capacity and talent, intensity and character of the Edwards family is due to Mrs. Sarah Edwards." The influence of one godly mother has continued down through the generations to affect the destiny of a nation! Oh how far reaching is the power of a godly mother!

In contrast to the Edwards family, 1200 of the Jukes family were tracked down. They originated with one immigrant who settled in upstate New York in 1720 and produced a tribe of "idleness, ignorance and vulgarity." Only 20 of the 1200 Jukes ever had any gainful employment and all the others were criminals or lived on state aid.

HUDSON TAYLOR

You will remember Hudson Taylor who founded the China Inland Mission. But do you know his history? His godly line started with his great grandfather, James Taylor, who lived in the time of John Wesley. He heard him preach a message from Joshua 24:15, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." He was convicted by the Holy Spirit through this message and on his wedding day he gave his heart to the Lord and determined that his household would serve the Lord. He was even late for his wedding because he was praying for God to bless his home. That's a pretty good excuse, isn't it? He led his new wife to the Lord two weeks later and began a godly dynasty.

All his sons became preachers. All his grandsons became preachers. One of his grandsons was Hudson Taylor's father. This man had a burden for China. Every day he prayed, "Oh, God, send missionaries to China." His son, Hudson, heard these constant prayers and when he was six years old, he got alone with the Lord and told the Lord that he would answer this prayer and go to China to serve God. He never deviated from this commitment and became a great missionary and founded the China Inland Mission.

But it didn't stop there. There are now nine generations of preachers in this Taylor family. There is one serving the Lord in Thailand right now.

THE CAMPBELLS

Perhaps we can get even more personal. My husband, Colin, is one of nine children. They all love the Lord and several are in full-time service for God. The family believes that their great-grandmother played a great part in touching their lives. This great-grandmother was a praying woman. In her later years, she went blind, but this did not hinder her ministry of prayer. She would pray out loud, oblivious to anyone around her.

Many times those listening would be the subject of her prayers! But one of the greatest things about her prayer life was that she prayed for the coming generations. The power of her prayers are being fulfilled today! What a challenge for mothers and grandmothers. I know of one dear great grandmother who instead of taking life easier in her older age, gets up a quarter of an hour earlier every morning each time a new grandchild or great-grandchild is born. She has many, so her day starts very early!

Colin's father also came to Christ because of his grandmother's prayers. Coming home from the city in the early hours of the morning, he would hear his grandmother praying. One night he had a dream that he was going to be hung. He was allowed one request before the hanging and so he requested his grandmother to come and pray.

As she prayed in the adjacent room, her prayers were so strong that every time they pulled the rope, he just floated down. In his dream he realized the power of prayer and it was influential in his decision to become a Christian and walk with God.

THE BOWENS

I am also blessed to come from a godly generation. It started with my grandfather. He was a brilliant man, but had a wild and stubborn streak. He had a godly Christian wife, but when they went to church on Sundays, he went off to the races with his horses. When he got mad, everyone knew it.

He wouldn't just throw a plate at the wall - he would pick the table with plates and food and everything on it and throw the whole lot at the wall! However, through the faithful prayers of his praying wife, one day, he knelt down in his farm kitchen with his five sons around him and gave his heart to God. He became a wonderful man of God and he started a godly generation.

He brought up his sons in the ways of God. My father was one of them. He married a lovely Christian woman and they imparted God's Word into our lives, not just by the letter of the law, but also by godly example. The example of my father and mother's lives did more to direct me into God's will than anything else.

They lived their Christianity wholeheartedly, faithfully and especially practically before our eyes. We really didn't need any words - we saw! My father was such an encourager and had such faith and trust in me, that as I grew older, I couldn't bear to do anything that would dispel his trust in me - and that kept me on the straight and narrow.

I was then blessed to marry a man whose heart was totally set for God and we had six children. We sought to teach them and train them in God's ways. They are now all grown and starting their own families. Of course they are also seeking to teach them to be godly children. And so, in my lifetime, we are up to the fifth generation - one generation passing on God's ways to the next generation.

"But" I hear you saying, "I haven't been blessed to come from a godly line. I am the first one in my family to walk in God's ways." Don't be disheartened. You have an exciting challenge ahead. You can be the one to start a godly generation. Just think of what can happen in years to come because of your godly influence.

Mothers, lift up your heads from the tediousness of your day-to-day tasks and look ahead to the years to come. Your influence will continue on in the lives of your children, your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. What will be your influence upon the world? What mighty men and women will come forth from the godly training and atmosphere of your home? Don't take your great calling lightly.

Mothering is too important to be accomplished part-time. Mothering is more than feeding and clothing our children. We have the responsibility to imprint God's Word so indelibly on the hearts and minds of our children that they will automatically impart it to their children and their children's children.

Your mothering will not only affect your own children,
but it will touch lives that have not yet been born!

Rev. Edward Taylor Sullivan delivered a wonderful sermon at the turn of this century.  He said, "When God wants an important thing done in this world, or a wrong righted, He goes about it in a very singular way. He doesn't release His thunderbolts nor stir up His earthquakes. He simply has a tiny, helpless baby born, perhaps in a very obscure home, perhaps of a very humble mother. And He puts the idea or purpose into a mother's heart. And she puts it in the baby's mind, and then - God waits!

"The great events of this world," says some one, "are not battles and earthquakes and hurricanes. The great events of this world are babies. They are earthquakes and hurricanes." Oh, the secrets that lie all about us hidden from our eyes! We glance at a tiny child, and we do not see, we do not know, what a thunderbolt of the Almighty is wrapped up in that little child.

"I walked down the furrow in the field," said a humble mother who lived on a New Hampshire farm; "I walked down the furrow with the Governor of New Hampshire in my arms, and the Governor of Massachusetts clinging to my skirts." She said that afterwards, long afterwards, in her old age. For she knew not then, and no one knew, that her two baby boys would be governors of two New England states.

The great events are babies. The great facts of life are a mother and child. God, the Almighty Creator, lays the next generation in the laps of the mothers..."

FURTHER STUDY:

God does not want us to forget the past generations:

Here's a sampling of many such scriptures:

Genesis 31:5,42; 48:16; Exodus 3:6,15; 4:5; 33:1; 32:13

Deuteronomy 1:8; 4:37; 6:3; 10:15; 26: 7; 27:3; 34:4

1 Kings 3:6,14; 1 Chronicles 29:18; Isaiah 51:2

Luke 1:55,73; Acts 3:13; 13:26; Romans 4:12.

God is concerned about the "generations to come."

Genesis 9:9,12; 12:1-7; 13:15; 17:7,9; 26:1-5; 28:13,14

Exodus 12:17,26,27,42; 13:8,14; 27:21; 29:42; 30:8,10,21; 31:13; 32:13

Leviticus 3:17; 6:18; 7:36; 10:9; 17:7; 23:14,21,31,41; 24:3

Numbers 15:15,23; 25:11-13; 35:29

Deuteronomy 7:9; 29:22; Joshua 4:6,7; 1 Chronicles 16:15; 28:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7

Ezra 9:12b; Psalm 22:31; 71:18; 78:1-8; 100:5; 102:18; 105:8; Proverbs 13:22.

God blesses the future generations of righteous parents:

Genesis 9:9; 22:15-18; 26:1-5; 35:11,12

Exodus 20:5,6; 33:1; 34:6,7; Numbers 14:24; 25:10-13

Deuteronomy 1:8; 4:37,40; 5:10,29; 6:2,3; 7:7-10; 10:15; 11:19-21; 12:23-25,28; 28:1-14; 29:29; 30:19

2 Samuel 22:51; 1 Kings 2:33; 2 Kings 10:30; 15:12; 1 Chronicles 28:8; Ezra 9:12

Psalm 14:5; 25:12,13; 37:25,26; 102:28; 103:17,18; 106:30,31; 112:1,2; 128:1-6; 132:11,12

Proverbs 20:7; Isaiah 44:1-3; 61:9; Jeremiah 32:29; 35:18,19

Luke 1:50; Acts 2:38,39; 3:25; 2 Timothy 1:5.

The sins of the fathers are passed on to the third and fourth generation to come:

Exodus 20:4-6 (Exodus 34:6,7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9; Jeremiah 32:18)

Numbers 14:33; Deuteronomy  28:15,18,41; 28:45,46; 28:58,59

1 Samuel 3:11-14; 1 Kings 2:33; 2 Kings 5:25-27; 17:41; Job 21:17-19; 27:13,14

Isaiah 14:20,21; Jeremiah 9:13016; 16:10-13; 29:31,32; 32:18; 36:29-31; 39:6-8

Lamentations 1:5; Hosea 4:6; 9:9-17; Amos 2:4; Matthew 27:25.

* * * * *

The above article is reprinted from the study manual,

THE POWER OF MOTHERHOOD

It can be purchased for $18.00, plus shipping, from our bookstore.

Click on the title for more information.

 

Encourage One Another

Encouragement is part of God's character. Our God is called the God of comfort, patience and consolation. He is the God who "comforts those who are cast down."

Each time we meet, you always say
Some word of praise that makes my day.
You see some hidden, struggling trait,
Encourage it and make it great.

Tight fisted little buds of good
Bloom large because you said they would.
A glad, mad music in me sings;
My soul sprouts tiny flaming wings.

My day takes on a brand-new zest
Your encouragement brings out my best,
Revives my spirit, flings it high;
For God loves praise, and so do I.

Encouragement is part of God's character. Our God is called the God of comfort, patience and consolation. He is the God who "comforts those who are cast down." Romans 15:5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5; 7:6-8.

He gives us "everlasting consolation" 2 Thessalonians 2:16. He never gives up encouraging us! He gives us "strong encouragement" Hebrews 6:18. God constantly encourages us in His word. He continually exhorts us to "Fear not!" When Jesus was on earth, He constantly encouraged with the words, "Be of good cheer...Be not afraid." This is the desire of God's heart. He constantly wants to encourage us. But He can only tangibly do this through His people, His body.

Every day He wants to load us with blessings!

Every day He wants to encourage us!

Every day He wants to cheer us up and inspire us!

But He is looking for vessels through whom He can minister. That's why He commands us in Hebrews 3:13 to "Encourage one another daily." He doesn't tell us to do it once a month! Or even once a week when you see one another at church. No! He exhorts us to encourage each other every day!

Can you just imagine what would happen to a body of God's people if each one was being encouraged by someone else every day - and each believer was encouraging someone else? It would be very difficult to be laid low with depression. It would be hard to backslide. It would be difficult to get into unbelief.

God understands the frailty of our hearts and how easily we can get discouraged and despondent. That's why He has given us this commandment. Read Hebrews 3:12,13 again: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But encourage one another daily, while it is called Today, LEST any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." God doesn't want us to go astray. That's why He commands us to encourage one another every day.

The Living Bible translation of Proverbs 12:25 says, "A word of encouragement does WONDERS." One word of encouragement can change someone's life. One act of love and kindness can turn someone's life around. Encouragement can do wonders in your marriage relationship and in your family.

Your husband will change when you stop nagging and start encouraging. Your children will thrive and blossom on encouragement. The atmosphere in your home will change. You will even be healthier. Discouraging words can make people sick. Positive, life-giving words give health.

• "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Proverbs 16:24
• "The tongue of the wise is health." Proverbs 13:17
• "A faithful ambassador is health." Proverbs 12:18

As you wake each morning and spend time with God before you start the day, ask God to show you who He wants you to encourage this day. Give God time for Him to speak to you. As you wait, He will show you. Then ask Him what He wants you to do. He will show you creative ways to encourage that will change peoples lives. Take time every day to think about each one of your children and how you can inspire them. Take time each day to think about your husband and of uncouraging things you can say to him.

I remember one lovely incident when I was teaching on this subject back in New Zealand many years ago. One dear young mother, who lived across the road from me, began to wait on the Lord each morning for God to show her who He wanted her to encourage.

God burdened her heart with a widow who lived down the street. She felt that she should do something practical for her and also visit her. She baked some scones, but felt that it wasn't enough. So she went down to the shop and looked around for a little gift to purchase for her. As she looked to the Lord to guide her, she felt drawn to a little vase, that would only hold one flower. She took the scones and the gift to this widow who was so blessed by her love and thoughtfulness.

However, God wasn't finished yet! Another sister was also waiting on God and he burdened her heart with this same widow! "What do you want me to do to encourage her?" she asked the Lord. She felt God touching her heart to buy some flowers for her. Off she went to the florist shop to buy a big bunch of flowers, but when she got there, she felt impressed by the Lord to purchase only one flower, a lovely specimen!

Can you imagine how blessed this dear widow felt when the second sister arrived a few minutes later with the one flower to put in the vase that would hold just one flower? She realized how much God loved her and thought about her. And these ladies were so thrilled to know that they were sensitive and obedient to the Lord.

God is wanting to do special things like this every day for every one of us - if only we would take time to listen to Him and obey His prompting. This is supernatural living. This is walking in the Spirit.

Over the years I have encouraged folk to make a Encouragement Check List for themselves. Across the page write the days of the week. Down the side write a) the name of your husband, 2) the names of each of your children, and 3) a space for someone else outside your home. At the end of each day, check your list to see if you have encouraged your husband and each one of your children - and also blessed someone outside your home. Do this for a few weeks until you get into the habit of encouraging DAILY!

To be an encourager, you have to stop thinking about yourself and give some room in your mind and heart for others. I will never forget some words God spoke to me years ago. ."Nancy," He said, "how can I reveal to you the needs of others if you are always thinking about yourself." Oh how true this is.

If all our thoughts are on ourselves, we will have no room for God to reveal to us the needs of others. Just as we have a certain limit of physical strength, so we have a certain limit of emotional capacity. If all our emotions are spent on ourselves, we will not have any left to pour out on others.

No wonder the scripture says in Philippians 2:3, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." The Living Bible says, "Don't just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing."

It's a good idea to have encouraging cards ready and on hand to send to those whom God puts on your heart. Encourage and bless the older people, especially those who are widows and those who are living on their own. Always positively encourage the mothers who are "with child." Bless the lonely. And don't forget to give encouraging words to children, too. Don't leave them aside.

We are either a spirit dampener or a spirit refresher! Which are you? Be inspired by these scriptures:

• "We have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother." Philemon 7,20.
• "We were comforted in your comfort; yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all." 2 Corinthians 7:7,13
• "The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me." 2 Timothy 1:16. I love the Amplified translation of this scripture - "May the Lord grant His mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, for he often showed me kindness and ministered to my needs - comforting and reviving and bracing me like fresh air."
• "Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus...they have oft refreshed my spirit and yours." 1 Corinthians 16:17,18.
• "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25 NIV.
• "Therefore encourage each other and build each other up." 1 Thessalonians 5:11, JNT
• "So let us concentrate on the things that make for harmony, and on the growth of one another's character." Romans 14:19 J.B. Phillips.
• "Let us outdo one another in being helpful and kind to each other." Hebrews 10:24 TLB
• "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18
• "A word spoken in due season, how good it is." Proverbs 15:23
• "So go cheering and strengthening each other." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 J.B. Phillips.
• "Let us outdo one another in being helpful and kind to each other." Hebrews 10:24 TLB.
• "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned." Isaiah 50:4.
• "So let us concentrate on the things that make for harmony, and on the growth of one another's character." Romans 14:19 J.B. Phillips

 

NANCY CAMPBELL

 

If we feel a kindly thought,
Warm and helpful - then we ought
Not to keep it close and tight,
But instead, with all our might
LET'S SAY SO!

If we feel a thought of praise
For our neighbor's words or ways
Which should cheer him on his way,
Streak with gold his hours of grey -
LET'S SAY SO!

But so often - what a shame
Though we're free enough with blame,
Out of shyness, out of pride,
Help and praise we somehow hide -
LET'S SAY SO!

Certainty In Uncertain Times

What are the anchors that will hold us strong and secure in difficult times?

We’ll find these anchors in the Word of God, which gives us the principles for all of life – for good times and for bad. I am a great advocate for having a biblical basis for everything I believe and everything I base my life on. If I can’t find it in the Word of God, it is too shaky for me. Hebrews 12:27 tells us that only “those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” When we stake our life on the principles in God’s Word, we will never be shaken. Therefore let’s look at what God has to say. What are our anchors?

1.  UNSHAKEABLE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOUR AND LORD OF OUR LIVES.

2 Timothy 1:12, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”

1 John 5:1-5, “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

John 16:33; Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 12:26-29; 1 Peter 4:19.

Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ, the son of the living God?

2.  UNSHAKEABLE FAITH IN THE ETERNAL KINGDOM.

Psalm 37:18, “The Lord knows the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.”

Daniel 4:3, “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”  Daniel 4:17, 27.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

1 John 5:11,12, “And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life: and he that has not the Son of God has not life.”

Do you know that you have eternal life? Do you have this glorious hope of “Christ in you, the hope of glory”?

3.  UNSHAKEABLE FAITH IN THE WORD OF GOD.

Isaiah 40:8, “The word of our God shall stand forever.”

Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Psalm 19:7-10; 1 Peter 1:25.

Is the basis for your life founded on the Word of God?

Everything else will be shaken!

4.   UNSHAKEABLE TRUST IN GOD, KNOWING THAT HE HAS ALL THINGS IN HIS CONTROL.

Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” No matter what happens in our lives, we can trust God, knowing that He is a faithful God, and is working everything out for our ultimate good.

Read also Genesis 45: 7,8; 50:20; Psalm 9:7-10, Psalm 37:39; Psalm 46:1-3; Jeremiah 17:8, Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 13:5,6.

The other day, an Above Rubies reader sent me a quote from the devotional book, “My Utmost for His Highest.” It contained the same sentiments as the title of my article, so I thought I would include it for you too. The emphasis is mine.

“The nature of spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty, consequently we do not make our nests anywhere…. Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately we abandon to God, and do the duty that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time. When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him…Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next…”Believe also in Me,” said Jesus, not – “”Believe certain things about Me.” Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come.”

Have you learned to trust God in the little things of life?

As you do, you will find Him to be totally faithful, and you will be able to trust Him fully when you face greater difficulties.

5.  DEPENDABLE STICKABILITY AND ENDURANCE UNTIL THE END.

Matthew 10:22, “He that endures to the end shall be saved.”

James 5:11, “Behold, we count them happy which endure.”

Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13; Philippians 3:13,14; Hebrews 6:15; 11:27; 12:1-4; James 1:12; Rev 2:10.

Can you endure to the end?

We cannot do it on our own, but our moment-by-moment trust in God will be our anchor.

6.   DISCERNIBLE WISDOM TO WALK IN THE RIGHT WAY.

Isaiah 33:6, “Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times…”

Do you have wisdom for this hour?

It is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. True wisdom is found in the Word of God and listening to God’s voice.

7.  KNOWLEDGABLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES TO KNOW WHAT TO DO.

1 Chronicles 12:32 talks about  “the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do….”

I believe that we should be people who have “understanding of the times.” God’s prophets and secular prophets all warn us that there will be difficult financial times ahead.

1 Corinthians 14:20, “Brethren, be not children in understanding, but in understanding be men.”

Ephesians 5:17, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

Are you aware of the hour in which we live or do you have your head buried in the sand?

8. HOW CAN WE PREPARE?

1.  PRAY.

2 Chronicles 2:14. Pray for your nation. Pray for your family. Pray for wisdom. Ask God what wants He wants you to do personally. The first and foremost preparation is spiritual preparation. We must cultivate an intimate fellowship with our God. We must learn to trust Him in the little things, now, if we are going to be able to trust Him in bigger things. We must learn to know Him now, if we are going to stand fast and immovable in shaky times.

The greatest thing that we can do in life is to KNOW God intimately. Jeremiah 9:23,24 says, “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.” The word “knoweth” is the word ‘yada’ in the Hebrew. It means ‘to know intimately’. It is the same word that is used for marital relations, e.g. “And Adam knew Eve his wife: and she conceived.”

It is one thing to acknowledge who God is, but it is another thing to know Him intimately as a friend. When we know Him intimately, we will know that we can trust Him fully.

2.  PURIFY OUR SOULS.

Amos 4:12, “Prepare to meet thy God.”

Titus 2:11-14. “For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great god and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

James 4:8. “Purify your hearts ye double-minded.”

Ephesians 5:27. “That he might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Song of Solomon 4:7. “Thou art fair, my love, there is no spot in Thee.”

I don’t believe that judgment is God’s first choice, but it is His back up plan. If the church is not purified in good times, God often allows hard times to come in order for us to be purified. We are so distracted by the entertainments and frivolities of this world that God may have to take away many of these things, so that we will love Him without distraction. He is coming for a bride – a bride who is not consumed and distracted by other loves, but who is totally focused on her Bridegroom. 

3.   PONDER GOD’S ORIGINAL METHOD.

Our most important preparation is spiritual preparation – to purify our hearts and get to know God in an intimate and real way. However, I believe it is also important to prepare mentally. Before we can do anything physically, we have to readjust our minds mentally. We have to shift them into another gear. We may have to change from the way we are currently doing things. We may have to change from relying on the supermarket down the road. We may have to start thinking about God’s original way of provision.

9. SHOULD WE STORE FOOD?

Let’s go to the Word of God again, shall we? The Bible shows us clearly that God’s way of provision is “seedtime and harvest.” He expects us to work hard, sow our seed, cultivate our plants and trees, and then harvest the food and crops – to last us until the next harvest season! This is not radical. This is normal living. This is a God-given principle. This has been God’s way since the beginning of the world. This has been the way of mankind for generations and generations, until our modern computerized high tech society.

In this generation, we don’t have to rely on “seedtime and harvest”, because we rely on the supermarket that has everything available every day and all year around. However, if that crutch were taken away from us for a season, what would we rely on then? We would have to get back to God’s original plan.

Genesis 8:22, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Jeremiah 5:24, “He reserves unto us the appointed weeks of harvest.”

Deuteronomy 11:13-15, “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine and thy oil.”

Leviticus 26:10, MLB, “You shall eat what had long been stored, then clear it out for the new.” The Good News Bible explains it well, “Your harvests will be so plentiful that they will last for a year, and even then you will have to throw away what is left of the old harvest to make room for the new.”

This Scripture, which speaks of God’s blessing, shows us that the children of Israel stored their harvest to last for a year until the next year’s harvest. When God blessed them, they had more than enough to last for the year. The word ‘store’ in the Hebrew here is ‘yashen’ which means ‘old or that which has remained long’.

10. OUR DAILY BREAD

“Just a minute,” you say. “You are talking about storing your harvest to last through the winter. What about praying for your daily bread?” Yes, that is true; we are exhorted in Matthew 6:11 to pray daily for our bread. The reason for this is that the wheat had to be ground daily to make the bread. Because it was not refined and had the germ of the wheat still in it, it would quickly go rancid if left. But even the wheat and barley they ground daily was taken from the storehouse.

11. ADVANTAGES OF STORING FOOD

We see from the Word of God and from history that this is a normal way of living. Although we don’t need to rely on it in our computerized age, it still has advantages.

When we have food stored. . .

1. We always have something on hand to share with guests who arrive unexpectedly.

2. We have something on hand to give to a family who urgently needs provision of food.

3. We have food available in times of emergency, e.g. earthquakes, snowstorms, hurricanes, tornados etc.

.4. We don’t have to get into a state of worry because even if lean times or traumas arise, we are prepared to feed our family. This actually relieves stress.

12. CAN WE SURVIVE ON STORED FOOD?

If we did face a situation where we couldn’t race to the supermarket and get whatever we needed, how would we survive? What if we couldn’t get fresh fruit and vegetables daily? We see a very interesting Scripture in Leviticus 25 where God proclaims the principle of the Sabbath rest for the land every seven years. Every seventh year the land was to have complete rest. They were not allowed to plant any seeds. They were not allowed to harvest grain that grew by itself. They were not allowed to gather the grapes from their un-pruned vines. The food that grew of itself was to be available to all – servants, strangers and wild animals.

So how were they to survive without planting and harvest? God knew that they would ask this question. Let’s read in Leviticus 25:20-22, “And if ye shall say, “What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.”

The children of Israel ate stored food for nearly three years. Obviously God knew that they could survive and keep healthy even on stored food. He promised them that if they would obey His laws, that there would not be “one feeble person among all their tribes.” Eating stored and sun-dried food was part of their lives.

Can you imagine how hard they would have to work? It is a tiring job to harvest and store enough for one year, let alone for three years! But I am sure that it would have been a wonderful time of shouting and rejoicing. They would also need to have lots of extra room to store all this food. We read in the Scriptures how the prosperous kings of Israel built storehouses for all their excess grain and wine and oil. Let’s look at scriptural examples:

► Obed-Edom’s sons looked after the “storehouse” of the tabernacle. 1 Chronicles 26:15-17.

► David’s overseer, Azmaveth was in charge of “the royal storehouses.” 1 Chronicles 27:25.

► David’s overseer, Jonathan was in charge of “the storehouses in the country, in the cities, in the villages and in the towers.” 1 Chronicles 27:25

► David’s administrator, Zabdi had charge of “the produce of the vineyards stored in the wine cellars.” 1 Chronicles 27:27

► David’s overseer, Joash, was in charge of “the stores of oil.” 1 Chronicles 27:28

► David gave his son Solomon plans for “the storehouses” of the house of God and for the “storehouses” of the dedicated things. 1 Chronicles 28:11-12.

► Solomon built many “store cities.” 1 Kings 9:19; 2 Chronicles 8:4,6,15

► Rehoboam “fortified the stronghold, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.” 2 Chronicles 11:11.

► Jehoshaphat “waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store.”

2 Chronicles 17:12.

► Hezekiah gave orders for the people to bring in food for the priests and the Levites. As soon as the order went out, the Israelites gave generously of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and from the crops of their fields. They brought so much that “Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done… Conaniah, A Levite, was in charge of these things…” 2 Chronicles 31:11-12 NIV.

► Hezekiah “had exceeding much riches and honor: and he made…. storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil….” 2 Chronicles 32:28.

► Because the store cities and storehouses were so important for the survival of the people, when Benhadad came against the cities of Israel, he captured all the store cities of Naphtali. This strategy would cause the people to starve. 2 Chronicles 16:4.

► Ten men saved their lives by exposing food they had stored in the fields, “Do not kill us, for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the fields. So he refrained and did not kill them.” Jeremiah 41:8 RSV.

Of course, we are all familiar with the story of how God told Joseph through a dream to store up food for seven years!

► Genesis 41:36, “That food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine.”

► Genesis 41:56, “And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians.” The storehouses became the survival of nations.

The Hebrew word that is used for the ‘store’ cities is ‘micknah’ which means ‘treasure’. Wow, that’s exciting. Their store of food that they put away became their treasure. Without it they would starve.

13. WONDERFUL PROMISES

Psalm 144: 11-15 gives us a beautiful description of a people who are blessed of the Lord. One of the blessings is “that our garners may be full, affording all manner of store.” Or as the Living Bible translates it, “Barns full to the brim with crops of every kind.” The blessing of God is having enough from the harvest to store for the coming year, enough to last until next harvest. This kind of living enables us to be generous and bountiful with others as well.

Let’s turn now to the famous blessing chapter in the Word of God, Deuteronomy 281-8. God says that if we “hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to do all His commandments…” that He will “command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses.”

14. IT TAKES HARD WORK

Let’s see what God’s Word says about working hard to provide our food:

Proverbs 6:6-8, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.” Some translations say, “PONDER the ant…”

Proverbs 6:8 TLB says the ants “labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.”

Proverbs 10:4, “He becomes poor that deals with a slack hand.”

Proverbs 10:5, “He that gathers in summer is a wise son, but he that sleeps in harvest is a son that causes shame.” Repeated in Proverbs 20:4.

Proverbs 22:3 TLB, repeated in Proverbs 27:12 “A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them, the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

Proverbs 28:19, “He that tills his land shall have plenty of bread.” Repeated in Proverbs 12:11.

Harvest time is such an important time in the year, that it is the time of greatest joy. Isaiah 16: 9,10 intimates that it is a time of SINGING, SHOUTING AND JOY.

15.   PLAN AND PREPARE.

MATTHEW 25:10. “The foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out…. And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came…and THEY THAT WERE READY went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut.”

16.   PLANT AND PRESERVE.

Where possible plant a garden and harvest it. Then preserve and dry your harvest.

17.   PITY UPON THE POOR.

Proverbs 19:17 says, “He that hath pity upon the poor lends unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”

Leviticus 19:9-10, “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.”

Leviticus 23:22,  "And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make cleanriddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God.” Ruth 2:2-16.

Deuteronomy 24:19-21, “When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.

When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.”

Proverbs 22:9, “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed: for he gives of his bread to the poor.”

Proverbs 25:21, “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink, For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.”

Proverbs 28:27. “He that gives unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse.”

Proverbs 29:7, “The righteous considers the cause of the poor.”

Psalm 37:21,26, “The righteous shows mercy, and gives…He is ever merciful and lends and his seed is blessed.”

STORING IS BIBLICAL, HOARDING IS UNBIBLICAL!

Note this: Storing food is biblical, but hoarding is evil! God’s Word shows us clearly that it is a normal way of living to store food with the motive of not only feeding our family, but feeding whoever else we can. However, if we store food with the motive of hoarding for ourselves only, we are out of God’s will.

18.  PERSEVERE.

Are you overwhelmed? Proverbs 30:25 says, “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in summer.”

The ants don’t do this because they are big and strong, but because they are diligent and persistent! Don’t worry if the job seems bigger than you. God will be with you to help you. Just get a little at a time. Do a little at a time. Faithfulness in the little areas will bring its reward.

19.  ULTIMATE TRUST IN GOD’S PROVISION.

No matter what we do to prepare, we can never be sure of the future. All we can be sure of is that our God is faithful and that we can trust Him wholly. So do what you are able to do financially and physically in the way of preparing – but TRUST GOD. He is the God of the Total Provision. He is the God Who is Enough. He is the faithful God who will never desert you. One thing we know for sure – riches are “uncertain” (1 Timothy 6:15) but our God is unfailing!

Psalm 37:3-5, 17-19, 25, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed…. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring It to pass….The Lord upholds the righteous…They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied…. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

Psalm 37:39,40, “The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them…because they trust in Him.”

Psalm 46:1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea….” What a wonderful promise! God is our present help in trouble. He is available right at the moment we need him. He is not behind or ahead. He is present at the time we need him.

Psalm 104:27; 145:15. “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.”

Isaiah 41:17, “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”

Jeremiah 17:7,8, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

Hebrews 13:5-6, “Be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Prepared by Nancy Campbell

Above Rubies, PO Box 681687, Franklin, TN 37068-1687

IS THERE A BETTER WORD THAN "KIDS"?

Part 2

We discussed in Part 1 the negatives of calling our children "kids." If "kids" is not the kingdom word for our children, what can we call them?

How about using the word, "children"? The most common word for children in the Bible is ben which literally means, "the builder of the family name." That is a name that is worth using, isn't it? However, apart from children, sons and daughters, offspring, lads and lasses, which are all Biblical names, we find many expressions of God's heart for children. These are wonderful expressions you can use when speaking about your children. Let us discover them together, shall we?

1. GIFTS.

Read Genesis 33:5; 48:9; Joshua 24:3; Ruth 4:13b; 1 Chronicles 25:4-6 and Psalm 127:3-5

Our children are gifts from the hand of the Lord. God gives them to us. We can call them our "gifts." What we call our children has an amazing impact upon their attitude and their behavior.

I had a lovely revelation recently from Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." As I checked the word "ordained" in my concordance I was amazed to notice that the Hebrew word, nathan is a primary root word meaning "to give." God planned Jeremiah's future before he was even conceived! God gave him as a "gift" to the nations.

Every child is a gift to the world! Isn't that exciting? Our children are not only a gift from God to us, but a gift to others. Each child God has given you is a gift from God to the world. Who knows which one will be another David, or Paul, or Einstein or Billy Graham! Or anointed and faithful builders, teachers, store managers, or whatever! And of course, godly mothers and fathers. The world will never be the same because of these "gifts" that you have brought into the world and will bring into the world.

The Message Bible translation of Psalm 127:3 says, “Do not you see that children are God’s BEST gift? the fruit of the womb His generous legacy?”

2. BLESSINGS. Deuteronomy 28:4; 33:24 and 1 Chronicles 26:4-5

I remember a friend of mine with three difficult little children. She often referred to them as her "brats." One day God convicted her that these children were blessings from God and that she should acknowledge them as such. Instead, she began to call them her "blessings." As she changed her vocabulary, her attitude to her children changed. As she changed, her children changed. Instead of being brats, they became the blessings she called them. These children are now fully grown today and are continuing to bring much blessing to their parents.

3. HERITAGE OF THE LORD. Psalm 127:3.

4. FRUIT OF THE WOMB. Psalm 127:3.

5. BELOVED FRUIT OF THE WOMB. Hosea 9:16.

I love the beautiful names God calls our children. Isn't this a lovely one? Not just the "fruit of the womb," but the "BELOVED FRUIT OF THE WOMB"! The context of this passage is that God was going to destroy the beloved fruit of their womb, because of their continual disobedience. However, it shows how God views children and also how the early Hebrews felt about their children.

We feel more of the heart for children when we read from other translations...

NIV     CHERISHED OFFSPRING
RV      BELOVED CHILDREN
NAS    PRECIOUS ONES
NEB    DEAREST OFFSPRING
TJB     DARLINGS
NAS    TREASURES OF THE WOMB
CEB    MUCH-LOVED LITTLE ONES
HCSB  PRECIOUS OFFSPRING OF THEIR WOMBS

6. REWARDS. Psalm 127:3.

We feel really special when we have been rewarded, don't we? Imagine how special your children will feel when you call them your "rewards"?

7. ARROWS. Psalm 127:4.

Our task as parents is to polish, sharpen, and prepare arrows to be ready to be sent forth from the bow to the hit the mark God has planned for their lives. As parents, we are "arrow polishers." It gives our children a sense of destiny to know they are arrows, being sharpened and prepared for God's army. This is a great name to call your children. Here are some of the kind of arrows God wants you to prepare for His purposes:

8. OLIVE PLANTS. Psalm 128:3.

I wonder why God calls our children "olive plants." I have a few ideas:

1. Olive trees were a symbol of blessing to the Israelites. When they saw the new olive shoots growing up around their olive trees, they knew they were blessed. (Deut 6:11; 8:8).

2. Olive plants have to be cultivated or they will deteriorate and grow wild. So our children have to be cultivated and trained if they are going to grow up in wisdom and stature.

3. Olive trees are a symbol of beauty. Hosea 14:6. The Hebrew word hood used for beauty, although sometimes used for men, is mainly associated with God. It means "splendor, majesty glory and honor." This time it is used of the olive tree. God wants our children to grow up beautiful like the olive tree, revealing to the world the glory and splendor of God.

4. Olive trees have a purpose. They are not just ornaments. The olive was indispensible to the families of Israel. Our children also have a purpose. Before the foundation of the world God chose them and prepared their destiny. It is our role as parents to help them find that destiny and prepare them to walk in it. In Bible days the olive tree was used for:

a) Building. The two cherubims within the oracle and the doors into the oracle were made of olive wood (1 Kings 6:32-33). The purpose of our "olive plants" is to help build the kingdom of God.

b) Light. The oil from the olive tree was used for lighting the lamps in the tabernacle (Exodus 27:20-21 and Leviticus 24:1-4). Let us pray that our "olive shoots" will grow up to be lights in the midst of the darkness of this world. There are many who are afraid to have children because they fear to bring them into this evil world. But this is the very purpose God wants us to bring forth the godly seed --to be lights in the midst of the darkness! When we hold back the godly seed, evil increases.

c) Holy Anointing Oil. Exodus 30:22-33. Let us pray that our "olive plants" will grow up to be anointed of God to "preach good tidings unto the meek; to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound..." (Isaiah 61:1).

d) Food. The Israelites could not survive without the olives. Even in our countries, what would we do without olives, olive oil, and all the foods that contain this commodity? May our children "feed many" who are broken, starving, and needing God (Proverbs 10:21).

5. Olive trees live forever. Well, just about. There is a saying in Israel that the "olive tree never dies." On a number of occasions we have visited the site of the Garden of Gethsemane, which is at the base of the Mount of Olives and looks up to the Golden Gate of the city of Jerusalem. This is the gate that the Bible says Jesus is going to walk through one day. In this garden, there are a number of very old, gnarled olive trees. The guides tells us that they are two to three thousand years old and they are still alive and growing. Our children are also eternal souls who will live forever. Mothering is an eternal career. It is not a waste of time. It lasts into the eons of eternity.

9.  SONS WHO ARE MATURE PLANTS. Psalm 144:12.

10. DAUGHTERS WHO ARE POLISHED CORNER STONES. Psalm 144:12.

What a powerful description for our daughters. The corner stone is the most important stone in the building. It is the pivot, foundation, and plumb line from which everything is measured. We must raise up our daughters to be mothers and homemaker for motherhood is the foundation of society. It is the greatest career they will ever embark upon.

Many daughters today are prepared for other careers instead of motherhood. This brings confusion. When they get married, they face a dilemma. "What do I do with this career for which I have been trained?" They think it is more important than motherhood, and therefore do not fully embrace their mothering role. Because of this, they never really enjoy it. They have no understanding of their highest calling.

Motherhood is a dignified role. It is not to be degraded. We should raise our daughters to be who they are, daughters of the king of kings, with beauty, regality, and splendor. Other translations of this Scripture say:

NAS"fashioned as for a palace."

TLB "Daughters of graceful beauty like the pillars of a palace wall."

NIV "carved to adorn a palace."

11. SIGNS AND WONDERS. Isaiah 8:18.

How exciting that our children are "signs and wonders" in this world for God!

12. LAMBS. Isaiah 40:11.

As many mothers change their vocabulary and call their little ones their "lambs" or their "little lamby" instead of "kids," they notice a new attitude toward their children. They experience a fresh tenderness in caring for their offspring. They become more like the Good Shepherd, who does not leave His young, but carries them in His bosom.

13. WORK OF GOD'S HANDS. Isaiah 29:23-24.

How important it is for our children to realize they are not a nuisance to our pursuits in life. They should be reminded they are the "work of God's hands" and it is our highest privilege in life to teach and train them on God's behalf.

14. GODLY SEED. Malachi 2:15.

The greatest way we can please our Father God is to bring forth and nurture a godly seed. This is what God looks for. And he looks for godly parents to produce this godly seed. The Hebrew word that is used for the “godly” seed is elohim which is one of the names of God. Isn’t that amazing? God wants children to come forth who are like Him. God wants children who will show who He is to the world. God wants children who are pure and righteous. God wants children who will allow Him to transform them into His image.

15. GLORY. Hosea 9:11. Children are the “glory” of a nation.

16. CROWNS. Proverbs 17:6. This is a special name for grandchildren.

Also RESTORER OF LIFE and
NOURISHER OF OLD AGE. Ruth 4:15.

There are many other special names you can call your children apart from these biblical ones. Each family will have their own pet names, but let us keep to positive ones. Will you take up this challenge with me?

Let's start a revolution and eliminate the word "kids" from our society!

Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org